 Very Good And Nostalgic Doctor Who Adventure!!!!! |
| Review Date: February 6, 2001 |
| Reviewer: David S. Burt, Memphis, TN USA |
| This is the best Dr. Who episode I've seen with the 2nd Doctor. It's also was the first black & white Dr. Who episode I've seen. I rented this video a few months ago and I really enjoyed it. The episode was somewhat in the realm of the Twilight Zone and Outer Limits in a way, but of course it's Dr. Who, in my opinion is the most creative (and intelligent) science fiction series in television history. I liked both Jamie and Zoe in this one when they get lost in this strange dimension where time and space doesn't exist and fantasies and storybook characters come to life. Doctor #2 was an interesting character, but not as much wit and charm as the Doctors I'm used to seeing like Tom Baker (#4). In all, Mind Robber is so fun to watch, very nostalgic. I recommend this video to fans of both Dr. Who and classic science fiction fans. |
"Who says wishes don't come true?"
|
| Review Date: January 19, 2000 |
| Reviewer: Brian May, Australia |
| This 5 part story is a delight to watch. We must be thankful that this is one of the few Patrick Troughton adventures to exist in its entirety. Set in the Land of Fiction, "The Mind Robber" is wonderful, whimsical and fantastic (quite literally!). The opening episode is eerie and suspenseful as the plot slowly unfolds. There's a real sense of siege as the TARDIS comes under attack and the scenes in the white void are both surreal and tense. Once the crew reach the Land of Fiction, the story just gets better. Fictional characters such as Gulliver and Rapunzel are full of life and personality (unfortunately so much more than many "real" Dr Who characters!) and there are genuinely frightening moments (such as the confrontation with Medusa). The white robots and clockwork soldiers, although they look very simplistic and obviously BBC models/costumes, both exude an air of menace. A story such as this, set in a realm of fiction, could easily have overstepped the mark between fantasy and just plain preposterous - fortunately it doesn't. Great performances and a great story combined! |
I wish I believed in wishing wells
|
| Review Date: March 2, 2007 |
| Reviewer: The Doctor, The TARDIS |
The Mind Robber is classic Who. It's really one of the absolute best. It stands out for a number of reasons. First is that it's the one story in the whole 26-season run of the show that is the most unlike all the others in almost every way. It actually looks and feels more like a Twilight Zone episode than a Doctor Who story. Second is that it's endlessly imaginative. It's like following the Doctor down the rabbit hole into a brilliant script by Lewis Carroll inhabited by minotaur, gorgons, Gulliver, and riddles. It's also extraordinarily well made, and includes some of the best and creepiest sound effects in all of Doctor Who (the sound of the toy soldiers walking, the large, creaking doors, the eerie white robots, etc.). Here's another reason: normally the Doctor seems pretty comfortable in the face of emergency. He's been all over time and space. Normally the companions are scared while the Doctor is not. Here we have something different: the Doctor is terrified. He doesn't know what to expect, he's never faced such an obstacle before, he's confused, and all he knows is that he "needs to fight." He's scared to death, and in Troughton's brilliant performance, it really shows. The Mind Robber came together so extremely well almost out of pure chance alone. The first episode was improvised by the script editor. He had issues with the previous story, The Dominators, and decided to scrap its last episode while adding another episode to the beginning of The Mind Robber. The white "nothingness" that is shown in the first episode came to be chiefly because of budget constraints. The eerie robots that Zoe and Jamie encounter were constructed for another BBC show and were found in a warehouse. Troughton, then complaining about Who's rigorous shooting schedule, nevertheless turned in one of his greatest performances as the Doctor. The brilliant segment in which the Doctor accidentally (and hilariously) changes Jamie's face was only stuck in the program because the actor who played Jamie got sick!
In the story, the Tardis' emergency circuit sends Tardis and crew to a place where fiction is real, and, if you play along with it, you become fiction too. The Master (not the Doctor's nemesis but a different "Master") was a fiction author who was abducted and forced to support this realm of fiction. The "controller" needs a mind that possesses imagination in order to feed life into the fictional characters. The fictional characters therefore depend on the Master's imagination for their very existence. The Master has brought the Doctor there so that he, a timeless being, can take his place for eternity. This creates a confrontation that, in episode 4, makes for some fascinating political commentary.
There are two things that are often said about the character of the Doctor, across all his incarnations: 1) He is the embodiment of the Enlightenment ideal. Unlike Spock, who in Star Trek is portrayed as being inferior to humans because he is a being of pure reason and logic, the Doctor is very blatantly meant to be superior because of his total embracing of scientific thought and reason. 2) Politically, the Doctor is a libertarian. This latter description, which I've heard several people make without referencing any particular story, really becomes apparent in The Mind Robbers. The Master tells the Doctor that the fictional characters are dependent upon him. The Doctor's only reply is that this means the Master is their prisoner. The Master tells the Doctor he needs to set aside his will for the greater good. The Doctor states that to do so and to work for the benefit of those dependent upon your work is the definition of slavery. He refuses. The Doctor sees that those who preach altruism and selflessness are trying to subjugate you. This is not said in the episode but is still made very clear when, even after it is made obvious to the Doctor that his choice will kill Jamie and Zoe as human beings (they will exist only as pure fiction), he does not change his mind. He will not subjugate himself to the greater good even if that means losing his companions. What does the Doctor do? He rebels! "I've never seen a robot...that can climb!" he says, as he escapes.
Watch and enjoy this story that deserves repeated viewings. Many scenes will likely stand out in your memory for some time to come. For me, the image of a forest whose trees are tall letters making up familiar sayings is unforgettable, as is the scene where a group of children harass the Doctor with riddles. "What can you make out of a sword?" "Words!" the Doctor replies, as the sword turns into a dictionary. The Doctor, dictionary in hand, then stumbles upon a safe and a wishing well, both a part of his next riddle. He looks in the well and says, "I wish...huh, huh...I wish I believed in wishing wells," and nonchalantly tosses the dictionary into the well. The Master laughs sinisterly. Unforgettable. |
Top-Notch Troughton And Company
|
| Review Date: February 19, 2008 |
| Reviewer: K. Fontenot, The Bayou State |
Growing up, I viewed very few of Patrick Troughton's adventures as the Doctor. For this reason, he was always an afterthought in my little "Who" world. After watching a number of his tales, however, he's quickly become one of my favorite incarnations of the good Doctor. I love his rapport with his companions and anybody else who happens to stumble on to the wobbly sets of "Doctor Who." In this particular adventure, he really shines, making me rank "The Mind Robber" as one of the best "Who" serials in the entire series' long run. It starts out with the Doctor, Jamie (Frazer Hines) and Zoe (Wendy Padbury) in a TARDIS that's about to be engulfed by molten lava. With no real idea as to what will happen to the TARDIS in this state, the Doctor (with a little help from Jamie) executes an emergency exit feature on the TARDIS' console. Where they end up is nowhere, literally. They are out of reality, time and space altogether. Jamie has visions of his home, Scotland. Zoe sees the city she was raised in. Zoe, against the Doctor's orders, leaves the safety of the TARDIS to see her home. What she finds is a void that shows her what she wants to see. Jamie goes to save her and gets caught up into the visions as well. Once the Doctor seemingly saves them, all three end up trapped in a world where fiction is reality and riddles help you find your way home. Who or what is behind this "nothing" that has the trio trapped? Can the Doctor save them? You'll have to watch to find out.
This tale features some wonderful characters from literature. From Gulliver to Rapunzel to D'Artagnan, history's best stories get a nod in this engaging adventure written primarily by Peter Ling, who we find from viewing the retrospective, "Fact Of Fiction," questioned his own ability to write science fiction.
This story seemed doomed from the beginning. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Episode One was thrown together to stretch the adventure into five episodes. It's actually one of the highlights of the story. Also, when Frazer Hines became ill, another actor was cast to portray him in one of the episodes. What's great about this is the rather funny way that a different looking Jamie came to be. Spare robots from a previous BBC production were used as well. This story is a shining example of chaos becoming classic.
As far as the actual disc is concerned, the crew at the BBC have outdone themselves once again. This is an excellent DVD transfer with only a few blemishes visible throughout the episodes. The audio is wonderful as well. As with the other classic "Doctor Who" DVDs, this one is chock full of special features. Including the aforementioned retrospective, there's also "Highlander," which looks at the career of the highly likeable Frazer Hines. There's a fun "Basil Brush" sketch featuring the dapper fox and his run-in with the Yeti, a photo gallery, a "Who's Who" gallery, excellent audio commentary and an easter egg as well.
This is a great "Doctor Who" tale and I highly recommend it to any and every fan of the classic series, the new series or science fiction in general. Fans of mysteries and thrillers may also like this story. It's got a fresh and different (for "Doctor Who") story, an excellent cast, a solid villain who shares his name with another, legendary arch-villain of the Doctor and even a little bit of classic literature education. It's simply wonderful. Highly recommended.
And one other completely chauvinist note: Although the Doctor has had his share of beautiful companions, I must admit that few of them have ever looked as smokin' hot as Wendy Padbury as Zoe in this particular adventure. |
Watch it with the lights turned out!
|
| Review Date: December 22, 2007 |
| Reviewer: The Cougar, Australia |
Well, with the first episode at least. Even though Peter Ling (the author) didn't write this episode, as it was a last minute addition, it has to be the best of the five. A subtly creepy opening as The Doctor is forced to take the TARDIS out of time, space and reality, in order to escape being smothered by a volcano (from the previous adventure), and a mysterious voice inside their heads beckoning them to come out... but where do you go when there's... nothing?
The next four episodes are no slouch either. "Out there" is a land of fiction, characters from books such as Gullivers Travels and Rapunzel, but even creatures from mythology, Medusa, unicorns, etc. How do you escape Medusa? How do you escape a stampeding unicorn? When it doesn't exist?
And I don't want to hear any more talk about Rose being a revolutionary companion who "doesn't just scream." The new series was NOT the first to have a proactive companion who wasn't a cardboard cutout. Zoe is fantastic in this, taking down a futuristic superhero (Karkus) that she read about in her own time, and even saving the day as she destroys the computer controlling the fiction world.
An easy recommend. Patrick Troughton seems incapable of having a bad serial, and it's not just due to the writers. The Second Doctor's friends seem to have an impish excitement about each adventure, and that's conveyed through to you in every scene. And when you're watching TV to escape, that's almost impossible to resist. |
|
No video reviews found for this product.
Leave a Reply