Review: Series 1 of Blake’s 7

Yes, finger on the pulse as always, reviewing a sci-fi series from the late 1970s. It was the heyday of British sci-fi, when special effects were dire and writing was excellent. I’ve had the notion of watching Blake’s 7 for ages and finally watched the first series.

I had a good feeling before the show even started because I saw the name Terry Nation and, having read plenty of Doctor Who books and seen more than a few episodes of the show, knew that was a very positive sign. And the augury proved true.

In terms of spoilers, I’ve got to talk about the premise and main characters but will try and keep any plot points beyond the obvious to a minimum.

The first episode is a little bit of its own animal as Blake has lost his memory (or, more accurately, had it reprogrammed by a dictatorial government). He discovers through the aid of some political freedom fighters that he once was a leader in a rebellion against the government but when he was captured they used mind-altering techniques to turn him into a model citizen and poster boy for his erstwhile enemies.

His new allies end up being of little use, though, and Blake gets put on trial with a view to fitting him up for harming children and using that as a pretext to get him away from where he might cause harm. Cue episode two, when he’s on a prison ship bound for a penal colony. From this point he starts being more himself, putting together a band of rebels intent on doing good.

I drifted away from New Who some time ago, which happily means that while I’m aware of the idiotic character assassination that has recently occurred I’m less concerned than if I were still into it (Doctor Who was one of my favourite TV shows as a child). Defeating cybermen with happy thoughts, and deus ex screwdriver do not good plots make. Terry Nation is of a different era, and it’s all for the better. It was so refreshing to have intelligent villains making rational plans to try and trap Blake and his crew, and it made the success of Blake et al. all the more impressive. There are two main recurring villains in the first series: Travis, a soldier with a serious grudge against Blake, and the Supreme Commander, who is a very wily (and utterly ruthless) lady.

On Blake’s side, including himself and the ship’s computer Zen, are seven individuals. These range from the telepathic Cally to ex-smuggler Jenna. My favourite is easily Avon, who is a highly intelligent, calculating man who might yet betray Blake and has some cracking one-liners (when another crewman complains of a sharp pain right behind his eyes, Avon asks if he’s considered amputation [NB this is early in the second series]).

Mostly the 13 episode first season is a set of self-contained stories, although the story arc of Blake being incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit and being shipped off does occupy the first few episodes. Likewise, there are recurring villains, and the final two episodes do form a two-parter rather than separate stories.

Effects-wise, things are charmingly ropey. That may put one or two people off, but the sharp writing, smart plots, and entertaining characters more than make up for it.

If you’ve not really heard of or considered watching Blake’s 7 I can strongly recommend giving it a go.

Thaddeus

Review: Game of Thrones, season six

It’s been a little while since I saw the fifth series of Game of Thrones, but I’ve got to say that the sixth was the televisual equivalent of fitting like a glove.

At this stage, and certainly by the end of the series, the TV show is ahead of the books, so if you’re waiting for the books then I’d advise you stop watching either at the end of the fourth or fifth series (the fifth is ahead of the books in at least one significant place but behind in many others). That said, there is some divergence between the media, so…

Naturally, there will be spoilers galore for the first five series. I shall keep spoilers of the sixth to the barest minimum reasonably possible. So if you want zero spoilers at all, stop reading now.

***

The three main prongs of the story are the ongoing power struggle in King’s Landing, the battle to rule the North, and Daenerys’ arc (which I shall not spoil but shall say is significantly better than the last few seasons of Meereen hum-drummery).

The High Sparrow’s storyline, the tale of insidious fanaticism, of the seemingly kind being amongst the most brutal (the benevolent dictatorship of stamping on your face, but only because it’s good for you) is absolutely fantastic.

The last two episodes, as is so often the case, were great, both wrapping up some storylines and promising future delights in others. The CGI remains very good but they aren’t over-egging it, using real actors, horses and practical effects well instead of simply relying on pixel magic all the time (and going for tiling of real images rather than making pretend ones where possible).

The general quality of acting is, as always, excellent. Jonathan Pryce as the High Sparrow deserves a special nod for his portrayal of the smiling, kind fanatic.

The story has one or two twists and turns that are predictable (one in particular is so lacking in surprise it did make me wonder how the unfortunate chap involved didn’t see it coming) but there’s a good share of cunning twists and fiendish plans. There’s a relatively strong focus on the three main plots I mentioned above.

Bran returns after an absence in the fifth series, and there are rather dramatic doings. He is not the only character to return (and I am not referring to he whom you might think I am referring to).

Downsides on the TV show itself are minimal. Dorne was a dog that didn’t bark, featuring but not nearly as heavily as I anticipated.

That said, keeping all the plates spinning with a show that has so many different threads is a difficult thing and, by and large, the showrunners have done a great job.

Weirdly, the case/packaging have changed a lot from the first five series, being significantly slimmer. I have mixed feelings as I don’t have that much room, but format changes within a series irk me.

As always, some commentaries are better than others. Sophie Turner and Kit Harrington (Sansa and Jon) were entertaining, and I enjoyed the quartet of chaps (particularly Dolorous Ed’s actor, Ben Crompton).

Whilst not a fan, as a rule, of behind the scenes stuff, the half hour (ish) look at the Paint Hall over 24 hours was quite fun because we get to see the cast and crew in their natural habitat. There’s also a behind the scenes look at a battle. Shan’t give details to avoid spoilers, but it was also pretty interesting.

By this stage, you pretty much know if you want to keep watching Game of Thrones or not. There are no clangers or woeful reasons not to watch, the general excellence is maintained, and if one or two plot twists are telegraphed, there are plenty more great moments to enjoy.

Thaddeus

Review: Game of Thrones series 5 (DVD)

Ahem, bit late this, but here’s my traditional review of the last Game of Thrones DVD set I watched. Finally got around to the fifth series. I’d heard mixed things about it, and coupled with a certain event at the end of series four (NB there will be spoilers for the fourth series after this) I was in two minds about it.

It’s also worth knowing that in some parts the TV series has now progressed beyond the books so if you want to read the plot before you watch it, you shouldn’t watch series five until you’ve read the next book.

Initially, the plot did feel a little slow. However, the unfolding of religious events in King’s Landing (which have a particular resonance now, I feel) was extremely well done, living up to the excellent storyline they formed in the books. Without the gradual build-up that plot line would not have had quite the same impact.

The increasing fatalism and horror in the North also had very good conclusions, although, again, it did start slowly.

Daenerys’ storyline remains trapped in Meereen, which is easily the most tedious part of the story. Happily, there are some bright spots which I shan’t spoil, but for the most part it’s all a bit bland.

Of all the plot lines, Arya's is the most isolated, with just one cross-over to the wider world. Fortunately, she's a charismatic character and helped by the return of an old 'friend'. Her sister, of course, continues to have a rough time of it (Game of Thrones could be subtitled "In Which Everything Goes Wrong For Sansa), but I am enjoying Sansa's very substantial character arc.

As is traditional with Game of Thrones, there is high stakes drama particularly at the end of the series, and this is no exception, with the series ending very strongly. Indeed, both episodes nine and ten have this quality, rather than (as has happened before) nine being full of bloodshed and ten mopping it up.

It might just be me, but after the fourth series (and the outcome of the Mountain bursting the Red Viper’s skull) the level of violence and sex does appear to have gone down a notch. Not for kids, of course, but not quite so harsh. I did miss Charles Dance as the menacingly magnificent Tywin Lannister.

As for extras, there are commentaries (often multiple for each episode), and other things. The commentaries, as always, vary quite a lot according to who’s chattering. In general, the later the episode the better the commentary.

The other extras include sections on new locations, as well as perhaps my favourite extra of any series so far: a look at historical inspirations for the characters and events of the programme.

Despite the prolonged gap, I’m glad I got this and rather liked it. Especially looking forward to seeing how future events unfold in the next series.

Thaddeus

Review: Game of Thrones, series 4 box set (DVD)

I’ll keep this as spoiler-free as possible, but there are spoilers for earlier series so if you haven’t seen those you may wish to stop reading now.

The story picks up with Joffrey firmly in place as King of the Seven Kingdoms, and Tywin Lannister as ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. Meanwhile, Mance Rayder is marching on the depleted Night’s Watch with a vast army.

There are a number of very significant plot twists, as you’d expect (a couple early on, a couple later). It seemed a little slower (though no less engaging) and perhaps less tense in the middle than earlier series, probably because the war for the throne is more or less over (for the time being).

We get a number of new characters, most significantly Prince Oberyn, a Lannister-hater whose sister and nephews and nieces were killed on the orders of Tywin Lannister when Robert Baratheon became king.

There seems to be a focus shift, with a little less for Daenerys and Tyrion, and more for Jon Snow. Despite liking the first two characters a lot, the way the Night’s Watch storyline develops works very nicely.

It also features the grimmest death by some way in Game of Thrones. I suspect those of a nervous disposition might be a bit unnerved by it. Otherwise, there’s the usual high and frequent level of violence. It might just be me, but there seems to be a bit less in the way of sex.

The extras are reasonable. There’s a nice round table discussion with some of the departing actors whose characters have snuffed it. Commentaries seem a bit lacking compared to earlier box sets, except on the final disc (the Kit Harrington, Rose Leslie and John Bradley commentary of episode 9 is the best by a distance). There’s a short but entertaining blooper reel, a couple of deleted scenes and a few other extras which are reasonably interesting.

Finally, if you’re also reading the books it’s worth noting that there are some departures from the source material and some accelerating of certain events so they happen sooner. For what it’s worth, I think that works perfectly well.

The tenth episode ends in such a way that I’m very much looking forward to seeing what happens for the next series, and will definitely be picking up that box set when it comes out.

Thaddeus

Review: Game of Thrones Season 3 DVD

The third series was something I’d been looking forward to since I finished watching the second. But could it match the heights reached by the first two?

This review will necessarily have spoilers for seasons one and two, but I’ll try and keep them to a minimum for the third.

Although there’s a very strong (and large) cast, the first two series both had what I would consider lead characters (Ned Stark and Tyrion Lannister respectively). Season three seemed to depart from this. Several new characters are introduced (Diana Rigg as the Tyrell matriarch and Kristofer Hijvu as Tormund Giantsbane probably being my favourites) and, as you would expect, not everyone survives the whole season.

There are some fantastic performances, particularly from Charles Dance, who is perfect as Tywin Lannister. The confrontational, domineering scenes with his own children are particularly good. Varys and Littlefinger are a bit less prominent, but they also have one of the very best subplots, when they engage in some rather serious underhanded jousting.

To an extent there’s a lack of progression with the ‘main’ plot (the war). There's certainly plenty at the end, but it feels like a bit too much skirt and not enough leg earlier on.

We see much more from Daenerys and Jon Snow (Kit Harington and Rose Leslie as Jon and Ygritte have great chemistry). There’s also more character development from perhaps the best odd couple of Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth.

I believe the series parted ways with the previous approach of one book equalling one series. This is necessary (if not now then later) because the fourth and fifth books deal with only half the cast, and that would never work for a TV series.

A bit more action and drama regarding the central plot would have been welcome. It’s hard to be critical, because the acting, costumes, writing and so forth are all excellent, but that’s what I think. It’s still well worth buying.

I also don’t understand how this is not rated 18. It’s not a serious issue, but given the degree of fairly graphic violence I found it quite surprising.

An aside: this has many low ratings. However, these are almost entirely due to two factors. The first is that, for some reason, the programme will not play on an Xbox One. I have no idea why not. The second is that the ‘limited edition’ does not seem to have gone down well (sounds more like a cheap tat issue rather than the discs not working).

DVD extras are not something I’m too into, but I did watch them all/listen to the commentaries. The deleted scenes are interesting, especially one with Pycelle and Tywin. As before, the commentaries are generally good and pretty variable. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Gwendoline Christie and Bryan Cogman are probably the most entertaining to listen to.

In short, perhaps not quite as staggeringly good as the first two seasons, but still well worth buying.

Thaddeus

Review: Game of Thrones DVD (Season 2)

This review assumes that the reader has seen season 1. If not, there be spoilers ahead so you may wish to stop here. 

The second series sees a few new additions to the cast. Stannis, Davos and Melisandre are probably the most important. Happily, this trio have some very good interactions, and the Stannis/Davos relationship works well. Stannis would seem to be a very hard role to play, but Stephen Dillane manages to do it, aided by Liam Cunningham's Davos and Carice van Houten's Melisandre.

Stannis is just one of a pretty large number of contenders for the throne. Joffrey sits on it at the moment, but is challenged by Stannis, Renly, Robb and (over the seas and far away) Daenerys. The season charts their ups and downs, though the main focus is perhaps on Tyrion.

The dwarf has become Hand of the King, meaning he actually runs the kingdom, and proves rather adept at it. The little political jousts he has with Pycelle, Little Finger and Varys are entertaining, and we see more of his dysfunctional relationship with Cersei and his utter contempt for Joffrey. 

The series does slightly feel the loss of Ned Stark/Sean Bean, early on. Because the actor was so good and the character so central his death does have a significant after-effect. That may be because when he (and Robert, who died approximately at the same time) died the end of a unified kingdom and universally acknowledged king came about. From season to season Westeros has moved from peace to war.

The younger actors remain a real highlight of the show. I know I wrote this last time, but child actors can often be a bit, well, rubbish, and seeing Arya hold her own against Tywin Lannister was great. Bran gets rather more airtime, which is good because in season 1 his role mostly involved getting thrown out of a window and lying down, whereas in this season he has a bit more opportunity to develop.

Joffrey remains a brilliantly convincing bastard, and the secondary but important character Jaqen[sp] was another one of my favourites.

The extras are broadly similar to last season, although I think the total number of commentaries has increased (not every episode has a commentary but several have two). Naturally some commentaries are more entertaining than others and on the whole I enjoyed them (perhaps most especially the one with the actors and director of episode 9).

In addition to commentaries there are a few other extras discussing characters, religion, and special effects. It's also interesting to learn just how little of the wilderness Jon Snow is traipsing around in was special effects (almost none) and how much was the natural scenery of Iceland.

Magic is not used very commonly (though more than the first season) and is rare enough to have a more substantial impact. Sexposition/info-humping is probably about as common as last season, and there's probably even more lovely violence.

My biggest complaint would be the unnecessarily long delay for its release (a year). A few more extras would, of course, have been nice but there's probably more than one commentary per episode (on average) plus 4-5 others, so it's not like they've provided a bare minimum.

As regular readers will know I'm not fond of ratings. I would, however, recommend buying this (after buying and watching season 1, of course).

Thaddeus

Things to look forward to in 2013

Now that the year is almost done, it's time to look forward to what we can expect in 2013.

One game that I'm really looking forward to is The Last Of Us. It's a zombie apocalypse game, and, to be honest, I can take or leave an apocalypse or zombies. However, the real reason I'm excited about The Last Of Us is that the core of the game seems to be the relationship between the protagonist (a fortysomething man who may be a military veteran) and his charge/sidekick, a girl of about 14 he's smuggled out of a secure facility. A pseudo-father/daughter relationship is pretty unusual for a game, and the voice-acting, from the clips I've seen, sounds tremendous. Not only that, the game appears extremely well-designed, the combat looks visceral and gruesome and the zombies aren't run-of-the-mill 'BRRAAAAIIIIINNNSSS' sorts. It comes from Naughty Dog, makers of the Uncharted games, but will strike a more gritty/realistic note. It should come out in May 2013, and is PS3 exclusive.

In March Tomb Raider, the unhelpfully titled reboot of Lara Croft's series, comes out for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. Miss Croft has taken quite a spanking from Nathan Drake, so this game may mark the resurgence or loss of a series that's been around for ages (in gaming terms). It goes back to Lara before she was a seasoned adventurer and killer of endangered species, and will feature a reasonable amount of survival gameplay. I can take or leave Tomb Raider (I've probably played about three of them over the years), but the game does look like it has potential.

A day before Tomb Raider, on 4 March, the second season of Game of Thrones comes out on DVD/blu-ray. It's still bloody annoying to have to wait so long, but I'll be pre-ordering this for certain. The first series was hugely enjoyable, and the DVD extras (especially the commentaries) were surprisingly good.

March also sees the release of God of War: Ascension. It tells the tale, which I have a feeling includes quite a lot of violence, of how Kratos became the Ghost of Sparta, and his betrayal by Ares. It's PS3 exclusive and will feature the first multi-player offering of the series, although I must admit I find multi-player gaming as tempting as multi-player colonoscopies. A while ago I read an article indicating that Kratos would be slightly softer than his later self, and less prone to do things like murdering women. We'll have to wait and see if that's the case.

A possible release (Autumn 2013 is the present forecast) is Dragon Age III: Inquisition. Origins, the first game, was very popular, although DA2 was less so due to an obvious lack of time that led to environments being very heavily reused and music copied and pasted a lot from Origins. However, the Arishok was cool. Inquisition has had far more development time, and, according to one report, a single dungeon in it is larger than the whole of DA2. The game will take place in Orlais, and the plot is largely guessable if you played DA2 (big civil war: sort it out). Inquisition has a job on if it's to stand comparison with the likes of Skyrim, but it could be a very good game.

I'm hoping that Sworn in Steel (Tales of the Kin 2) by Douglas Hulick will be out next year. I think it was originally pencilled-in for this year, but it got pushed back. The first book was enjoyable and included some fascinating lore/world-building, and I've been wanting to read the follow-up ever since.

Another possibility is the next book in the Stormlight Archive, by Brandon Sanderson. The first book, Way of Kings, was a rather enormous book that I absolutely raced through, and I'm hoping that we get the second instalment this year. A word of warning, though. The Stormlight Archive is set to be a mega-series (akin to A Song of Ice and Fire, or Wheel of Time) so it's possible that later books might have long waits between them. However, Mr. Sanderson's a pretty snappy writer.

Using exhaustive and cunning research techniques (I googled it after nothing showed on Amazon) I've discovered more good news, with an October release planned for The Ace of Skulls, the fourth book in the Tales of the Ketty Jay series, by Chris Wooding. I really like this series. It has an unorthodox world, with approximately Victorian/early 20th century technology mingled with a more scientific approach to magic. There's also a great blend of drama and humour, which can sometimes be missing from fantasy.

Incidentally, if you got an e-Reader for Christmas and want to fill it with reasonably priced (free to $2.99) independent books, there's a fine list here (including Bane of Souls, a sure sign the list is of high quality): http://indiebookblogger.blogspot.co.uk/p/budget-book-buys.html

Last but not least, I hope to have Journey to Altmortis published this year. There's still much work to be done, but, with luck, it'll be out in the first or second quarter of 2013.

Thaddeus

Review: Blackadder – The Complete Collection (DVD)

Blackadder follows various men of the Blackadder family, all played by Rowan Atkinson, throughout history. There’s always a stupid servant named Baldrick, all played by Tony Robinson, and a number of other major (and sometimes recurring) characters.

The comedy is steeped in sarcasm, as the ambitious Blackadder seeks to thwart his rivals and improve his lot by means fair and foul. In addition to the four TV series the set includes The Cavalier Years (a small stand-alone episode), A Blackadder Christmas Carol (a longer and inverted take on the well-known tale) and Blackadder Back And Forth (a feature length episode in which Blackadder and Baldrick accidentally make a working time machine).

The first series was something of a missed opportunity. It has the excellent Brian Blessed as King Richard IV and Tim McInnerny as the delightfully dim-witted Percy, but Blackadder himself was a bit too meek and snivelling. Having seen a smidgen of the pilot (not available in this or the more recent Blackadder Remastered – The Ultimate Edition) where he was played more arrogantly it’s a shame. The series still has its moments (particularly in the episode where the King clashes with the Church) but is clearly the weak link.

Blackadder II is my favourite. Blackadder becomes the devious bastard he ought to have been from the start, Baldrick becomes stupid (he was strangely clever in the first series) and Miranda Richardson is fantastic as the giggly, girly, psychopathic Queen Elizabeth I.

Blackadder the Third sees our anti-hero relegated to the status of butler for the Prince Regent (Hugh Laurie, unrecognisable to those who’ve seen him only as House). In the first episode Blackadder tussles with Pitt the Younger, and there’s quite a lot of good political and class comedy.

Blackadder Goes Forth is the favourite series of many, (though I prefer II, as I said). It’s set in the trenches of the Great War, with Laurie playing a lieutenant to Atkinson’s captain. Tim McInnerny returns, but instead of a Percy he plays Captain Darling, the desk-bound bureaucratic bootlicker of General Melchitt (Stephen Fry). The ending of the final episode is really quite moving.

It’s a shame the pilot isn’t included, and apparently there’s a joke cut from the Christmas Carol episode [because it’s no longer politically correct]. I loathe revisionism, but, that aside, the boxset is highly enjoyable.

There is a slightly more recent Remastered edition (mentioned above) but I think most of the additional bits are extras such as commentary. At just over £20 it’s good value

It’s a great set, and well worth buying.

Thaddeus

All I want for Christmas…

…is a TARDIS. That way I could buy as many physical books as I wanted without having to rejig my shelves or throw some away. However, as TARDISes are difficult to get hold of, I’m going to have to wish for something else.

In a blend of annoyance and confusion the DVD of A Game of Thrones comes out in March. I’m baffled as to why this wasn’t released for Christmas, but shall be buying it anyway. I loved the book and am looking forward greatly to finally seeing the series.

Another DVD I’ve been pondering getting for a while is the Lord of the Rings extended edition. It’s pretty cheap (£15 or so) given it lasts for ages (admittedly, the ending alone is about 12 hours long) and has quite a few extras. I will need somewhere to put it though… I might have to delve into the shadowy shelves crammed with books bought long ago.

If you haven’t got any of the A Song of Ice and Fire series I’d advocate getting it. The first three books are all excellent, and although the fourth and fifth don’t match the high standard of the earlier instalments it’s still a fantastic series. The first book, as above, is A Game of Thrones. It’s a very gritty series, so if you’re squeamish then you should probably avoid it.

In a similar mould, but, I think, even better is The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. The characters are deliciously gruesome and the twists and turns, particularly nearer the end, are inspired. It also has one of my very favourite characters in modern fantasy.

Something that’s been nestling in my Amazon basket (I may start buying some more stuff from AbeBooks, I seem to be spending an obscene sum on Amazon of late) is Wojtek the Bear: Polish War Hero. As it suggests, it’s a biography of the heroic warrior-bear enlisted by the Poles in World War Two. Sounds like a cracking read, even if it is a bit modern for me.

I, Claudius is available on DVD for around £13 or so. It’s a slightly old but nevertheless excellent drama of the early Roman emperors, from Augustus to Nero. As the title suggests it’s told mostly from the perspective of Claudius, and has a stellar cast (Livia, played by Siân Phillips, is perhaps the pick of the bunch) telling a tale that lasts many decades. It’s worth pointing out that unlike some more recent Roman TV series there’s little in the way of sex and explicit violence, and an emphasis on the performance of the actors and the script.

Thaddeus

Earthshock Review

Earthshock is a four part Dr Who serial with Peter Davison as the Doctor. Naturally, the review is crammed with spoilers.

I’ve since given them all away for reasons entirely to do with benevolence and not at all because I needed the shelf space, but I used to have a reasonable number of Dr Who books, including Earthshock. I last read it a long time ago though and certain parts of the plot were a surprise for me.

The serial sees the Doctor visit Earth with a rather large crowd of companions (three, namely Adric, Nyssa and Tegan). The first episode sees them encounter a troop of soldiers on Earth, investigating the sudden death of some scientists in a tunnel system.

It soon transpires that the deaths are due to a pair of androids, and the soldiers (equipped with fantastically awful special effects-emitting weaponry) manage to best them. The killer robots were controlled by the cybermen, who have planted a huge bomb on Earth to destroy the planet and a conference there intended to form an anti-cyberman alliance.

Naturally, the Doctor foils this plot, and traces the bomb’s activation to a freighter where the Cyberleader and his underlings are hidden. Once the freighter gets clearance to head for heavily protected Earth the cybermen emerge and seize control of the ship, which they intend to use as a flying bomb.

On the bridge, the Doctor and the Cyberleader have an interesting conversation about the weakness or strength of emotions, during which the Cyberleader demonstrates that the Doctor’s fondness for Tegan (whom he briefly threatens with death) places the Time Lord at a disadvantage.

The freighter is rigged on autopilot, and the Cyberleader orders the Doctor to take him away on the TARDIS. Those trapped on the freighter (some crew and Adric) are able to escape, but at the last minute Adric returns to the bridge to try and stop the autopilot.

Adric fails to fully disengage the lock the cybermen have set up, but does manage to do so partially and sends the ship back in time by 65 million years. The ship becomes the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs, leaving the Cyberleader looking rather daft.

Using a star of gold that belonged to Adric, the Doctor kills the Cyberleader [cybermen, of course, being allergic to gold], and regains control of the TARDIS.

On the whole, I enjoyed this quite a lot. There are too many companions, and Beryl Reid was not well cast as Captain Briggs. However, the cybermen were fantastic. The voices are excellent, and the huge number of errors they make (presumably the cyber-helmets, into which they had to be screwed, offered scant vision) are amusing rather than off-putting.

The plot has a number of good twists in it (er, unless you read this post, in which case it only has one undisclosed) and the DVD has tons of good extras. I’d probably give it 8 out of 10 overall.

I hope the Mondas cybermen come back in New Who.

Thaddeus