Search - Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead on DVD

"Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead" - Brilliant and in HD!

Pop Culture World News | 07/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just released on Blu-ray yesterday is the recent Easter episode of "Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead." This is the start of the last four hours of David Tennant's tenure as the Doctor and is the first time the series is available in HD. It lives up to a Doctor Who fan's expectations brilliantly!

As writer and executive producer Russell T Davies states in the bonus material, the attitude for the episode was to "go for broke," and they certainly did. The story follows the Doctor and fellow London bus passengers through a wormhole to a deadly alien world where they must contend with humanoid flies and a swarm of armor plated stingrays. As exciting as the action is, the real draw of the series is the depth of the characters involved. The adventures through space and time provide an interesting backdrop to a story of the last member of a destroyed race who is destined to travel the universe essentially alone forever. Tennant continues to play the Doctor with the same quality that has earned him a National Television Award for Outstanding Drama Performance, and the highlight of this episode is the addition of Lady Christina de Souza, brilliantly portrayed by Michelle Ryan ("The Bionic Woman"). Ryan plays the sexy blue-blooded jewel thief with strength, wit, and an edge of irreverent fun and is a quality match to Tennant's Doctor. The chemistry between the characters drives the story as the Doctor meets an equal. One of the great aspects of Doctor Who is the strength and intelligence of the Doctor's companions. These are characters that don't just go around being saved by the Doctor but actively help him save the universe. This episode continues that tradition in spades.

This is the perfect episode to launch Doctor Who in HD. The alien world features the stark beauty of the Dubai desert, and the panoramas of the desert dunes set against cloudless, arid skies are great in HD. The special effects and alien creatures also look good as do Tennant and Ryan, which can't be said for all actors in HD.

The bonus material consists of the 60-minute special, "Doctor Who Confidential." It features interviews with the cast, crew, and creators, as well as behind the scenes footage of the making of the episode. It is quite a story that includes bringing a London double-decker bus into the middle of the Dubai desert, dealing with sandstorms, and creating alien flies. Some memorable moments include the crew sweeping the desert by hand to remove footprints in order to create a "pristine" set. It gives a good sense of all that goes into the production of the episode. Davies gives insight into how the story developed, and the actors share where their characters come from.

All in all, the Blu-ray version of "Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead" is entertaining both visually and dramatically, and the bonus documentary is just enough to add to the experience without overloading the viewer with less than quality material. I recommend it to Doctor Who fans and newcomers alike."

Doctor in Transition

David M. Allen | West Lafayette, Indiana, USA | 08/25/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Pretty good episode - plot was good in this transitional episode (between companions) for the Doctor. Lady Christina is a great companion match for the Doctor, too bad she was only in this one episode. I also enjoyed the UNIT tie-in and the humor associated with the idolization of the Doctor by members of UNIT."