Degrees of Doctor Who

Ever sat down to watch a movie or perhaps your favorite new show only to do a comical spit take when you realize you know that characters face?

Just the other day, for instance, I happened to catch a few minutes of  a 1959 film; The Mouse That Roared in time to catch a glimpse of the legendary William Hartnell as Will Buckley. It's such good fun, but let's not make it so hard to play the game. Let's start with the big targets of genre film, shall we?

I've mentioned Tolkien's world previous in The Hobbit review. Sylvester McCoy- best known for playing The Seventh Doctor- here plays Radagast the Brown to kooky perfection. I truly hope we see more of his performance, either in the remaining films or on the home releases special features. Fingers crossed, aye? Check off Middle-Earth, then.

I've only touched upon the Alien universe very briefly when discussing artificial life. This next person is all too human. Alien 3 gives us Golic- a convict turned convert- who is very much out of touch with reality, played by the inimitable Paul McGann, aka The Eighth Doctor. His role is unfortunately cut rather short in the theatrical release, but an entire sub-plot revolving around his character unfolds in the so-called 'Assembly Cut' of the film available in the box sets. Aliens, check.

Christopher Eccelston aka The Ninth Doctor has had a commendable career on the big screen as well as the small. Some people may remember him as the baddie from Gone in Sixty Seconds, or as that guy from 28 Days Later, or even McCullen from the GI Joe flick. Heck, if you watched Heroes, you will remember him. Adding yet another notch in his genre belt, however is the up-coming Marvel film follow up, Thor: The Dark World. Marvel? Big ol' check.


I'm a big Harry Potter fan. I'm a big Doctor Who fan. So, it was both surprising and with much glee that I watched David Tennant-who played the creepy and loyal Death Eater Barty Crouch Jr- cast as none other than The Tenth Doctor. Stange then, isnt it, that in his run on Doctor Who he mentions reading the Potter series and crying through 'book 7'. How does that work, then? The Wizarding World of Harry Potter? Yes, ma'am.
 

Any more? Give it a go, you might find more than you bargained for.

Until Matt Smith is cast in the new Star Wars films, I remain

frogoat

Tales of Who's Past: Rose

That is a nice jacket.

Rose Tyler traveled with both the Ninth Doctor and the Tenth Doctor. Rose was both a companion to the Doctor and, for (almost) the first time ever, a love interest. The story of Rose and the Doctor is written as a love story, 'without the shagging' as David Tennant would say. I both enjoyed and despised the new take on the companion in Doctor Who. Here's why:

Rose is a Mary Sue, the blank slate for the audience to latch onto and identify with; she is us, we experience the series through Rose's eyes first (check out the very first new series episode, aptly titled 'Rose'). Trouble is, Rose is perfect. Well, okay, to be fair, Rose has flaws, it's just that in language of the series she doesn't ever have any negative consequences. Rose is a cypher, in the sense that she does everything the audience wants to do....it's almost like reading a fan fiction sometimes.

Don't misunderstand me, I adore Rose. Rose was my first companion, and she holds a special place in my heart as a fan of the series, however she does get a bit arrogant and even blasè by the time you get half way through series 2, laughing at danger. Rose saves the Doctor -just like the audience at home wanted too- in The Parting of the Ways, brings Captain Jack Harness back from the dead (the sexy devil!) and destroys the Daleks. But she also treats Mickey (her boyfriend) rather badly and admits to her mother she made a decision long ago, choosing the Doctor over her mother. Try telling Amy that when she traveled with her boyfriend/fiance/husband, daughter and father-in-law. And a mad man in a blue box, naturally.

Rose, I loved you, I missed you when you left, but I also remember the down side to being such a blank slate character. It's a mixed blessing, this Mary Sue business.

Until Captain Jack makes out with the Face of Boe, I remain

frogoat

Tales of Who's Past: Martha

Last time, I talked about Donna. Poor, doomed, Donna. But for rough treatment, let's not forget Martha, the martyr, the rebound Who-Girl. I like Martha, but it always seemed like she was replacing Rose, rather than being given her own place in the Who-niverse. Martha is introduced brilliantly; a doctor in training, with a family that's both falling apart and relying on her emotionally. Martha's very different from Rose, but ends up literally filling her place in the Doctor's eyes, or rather, not filling her place.




The Doctor never realized what a wonderful woman he had right in front of him Running for their lives, hiding from the darkness, fighting the most vile monsters imaginable and the Doctor never stops to think what a genuine bastard he can be to those around him. Not until it's too late.

Martha saved the earth and along the way realized this man, this legend, this Doctor was never going to return her affections. So, standing up and facing forward, Martha does the hard thing and tells him 'no'. Martha's got enough faith in herself, enough self respect and enough moxy to walk away. Quite right, too.


Dr Martha Jones, here's thinking of you!

Until Martha get's cloned....again (meow!), I remain

frogoat

Tales of Who's Past: Donna

Less than hour before I can sit down with mates and watch the latest Doctor Who Christmas Special, I've just finished watching 2006's The Runaway Bride Christmas episode. You know what I realized? I bloody love Donna.

Donna Noble is so brash and...well, she can be a bit thick. But here's the thing: She's so easy to wound. Just in the one episode, I think they summed her up. Here, tell me what you think:

Donna: But...we were getting married.

Lance: Well, I couldn’t risk you running off. I had to say yes, and then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new-flavoured Pringle! Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that yap-yap-yap. "Brad and Angelina, is Posh pregnant, X Factor, Atkins diet, feng shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me!" Dear God, the never-ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia! I deserve a medal.

The Doctor: Oh, is that what she’s offered you, the Empress of the Racnoss? What are you, her consort?

Lance: [glances at Donna] It’s better than a night with her.

Donna: But I love you.

Lance: That’s what made it easy! It’s like you said, Doctor. The big picture. What’s the point of it all if the human race is nothing? That’s what the Empress can give me. The chance to...to go out there, to see it, the size of it all. I think you understand that, don’t you, Doctor?

Donna's got a lot of heart. She's wonderful. She's brave. She's wounded. It's why she's so brash. It's why you have to love her. Here's to you, Donna Noble. Merry Christmas.

Until they bring her back, I remain

frogoat