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mrcoldstream's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
✅75/100 = 👍🏼70 ✊🏼19 👎🏼5 = Great!
This past week saw the release of the fourth volume of the popular Classic Doctors, New Monsters set, but before delving into it, I decided to revisit the first three sets. Next up: Classic Doctors facing killer shadows, talking crabs, and Shakesperean witches!
❤️90/100 = 👍🏼27 ✊🏼6 👎🏼0 = Great!
This is NIGHT OF THE VASHTA NERADA, aka HEY, JOHN DID IT AGAIN!
This story has a wonderfully tense atmosphere from the onset, like a take on Alien or Predator. This even means that the basic premise and flow of the story are familiar, albeit effective. The Funworld amusement park setting is effectively creepy (it makes me think of Nightmare in Silver), and the small but contained cast carries the story beautifully.
Tom Baker is fun, witty, and energetic in the lead, and the hunting team members are overconfident, a bit selfish, and not too smart, which makes them satisfying victims. Lorelei King is easy to dislike as the dismissive Funworld owner who goes from a pretty unlikable character to a tragic hero, while Emma Lowndes brings a creepy quality as the opsychic Phelan, the only truly likeable character in the hunting team.
John Dorney keeps the cards close to his chest and the mystery of the Vashta Nerada a secret to maintain tension, and it works well even if you are familiar with the aliens. This audio remains surprisingly engaging, even if there isn't a whole lot of action or actual killing.
The deeper aspects of the plot kind of mirror similar points in Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, which is a pity.
Dorney sticks the landing with a tense and action-filled finale.
****
✅80/100 = 👍🏼12 ✊🏼6 👎🏼0 = Good!
This is EMPIRE OF THE RACNOSS, aka THEY HAVE AN EMPEROR AS WELL?!
I've never been a huge fan of the Racnoss, but this story makes them interesting by having them involved in a war with Gallifrey, with the Doctoe stuck between the two sides, as per usual. Five is a good choice for this type of story, as he tries to prove to the Racnoss that all Time Lords aren't the same.
What I do like is how Scott Handcock fleshes out the Racnoss and their part in this war.
This ends up being a surprisingly character-centred and engaging drama. Having said that, I found the second half a bit disappointing, as it didn't seem to be building towards a thrilling finale.
The Racnoss voice actors are superb, considering the strain they put on their voices. Andjoa Andoh voices the Empress, reprising her role from The Runaway Bride. The human characters aren't all that interesting this time around.
****
✅70/100 = 👍🏼19 ✊🏼2 👎🏼0 = Okay!
This is THE CARRIONITE CURSE, aka SEMIOTICS IS THE SHIT!
The opening scene is a fun little reintroduction to the Carrionite witch sisters from The Shakespeare Code. The setting in Birmingham in the 1980s sets this story apart from the previous one. A slow build-up throughout the first third of the adventure follows the promising opening scene before the Carrionites reveal themselves in full force.
After the introduction of the initial premise, the story doesn't grow or evolve much, and until the climax, it feels a bit longwinded and empty.
The action scenes with the witches come alive pretty well, and I also like how a big chunk of this forced Doctor and his friends to do some research to find out the truth behind the Carrionites. Semiotics, history, and the power of words play an important part in the narrative. It also ties pretty nicely to The Shakespeare Code and the fact that it is in the Doctor's future but the Carrionites' past.
Colin Baker is a great choice for this story, and he sounds very eager throughout. The Carrionite actresses are lovely as well, and I grew to like Katy and her father, Douglas.
****
🙏🏼60/100 = 👍🏼12 ✊🏼5 👎🏼5 = Okay!
This is DAY OF THE VASHTA NERADA, aka THEY ALSO COME IN LIGHT!
Following a fake distress call, the Doctor arrives on a satellite station in the midst of the Time War, only to find a team of scientists who have imprisoned Vashta Nerada in order to research them. We quickly learn the connection to "Night of the Vashta Nerada" and how the Time Lords hope to use the Vashta Nerada as another deadly weapon against the Daleks (a bad idea, needless to say).
The basic story is pretty much a standard Time War fare, but I appreciate that they try to do something slightly different with the Vashta Nerada. This encompasses their altered counterparts, the Nerada Vashta, whose full potential remains untapped.
Paul McGann and Jacqueline Pearce are great as per usual, and the other actors do a good job as well. The sound design helps bring the moments of action to life.
The atmosphere here isn't as tense as in Night, and the plot remains a bit too streamlined to easily remain engaging, and it doesn't grow in intensity or stakes as much as I'd hoped.
This past week saw the release of the fourth volume of the popular Classic Doctors, New Monsters set, but before delving into it, I decided to revisit the first three sets. Next up: Classic Doctors facing killer shadows, talking crabs, and Shakesperean witches!
❤️90/100 = 👍🏼27 ✊🏼6 👎🏼0 = Great!
This is NIGHT OF THE VASHTA NERADA, aka HEY, JOHN DID IT AGAIN!
This story has a wonderfully tense atmosphere from the onset, like a take on Alien or Predator. This even means that the basic premise and flow of the story are familiar, albeit effective. The Funworld amusement park setting is effectively creepy (it makes me think of Nightmare in Silver), and the small but contained cast carries the story beautifully.
Tom Baker is fun, witty, and energetic in the lead, and the hunting team members are overconfident, a bit selfish, and not too smart, which makes them satisfying victims. Lorelei King is easy to dislike as the dismissive Funworld owner who goes from a pretty unlikable character to a tragic hero, while Emma Lowndes brings a creepy quality as the opsychic Phelan, the only truly likeable character in the hunting team.
John Dorney keeps the cards close to his chest and the mystery of the Vashta Nerada a secret to maintain tension, and it works well even if you are familiar with the aliens. This audio remains surprisingly engaging, even if there isn't a whole lot of action or actual killing.
The deeper aspects of the plot kind of mirror similar points in Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, which is a pity.
Dorney sticks the landing with a tense and action-filled finale.
****
✅80/100 = 👍🏼12 ✊🏼6 👎🏼0 = Good!
This is EMPIRE OF THE RACNOSS, aka THEY HAVE AN EMPEROR AS WELL?!
I've never been a huge fan of the Racnoss, but this story makes them interesting by having them involved in a war with Gallifrey, with the Doctoe stuck between the two sides, as per usual. Five is a good choice for this type of story, as he tries to prove to the Racnoss that all Time Lords aren't the same.
What I do like is how Scott Handcock fleshes out the Racnoss and their part in this war.
This ends up being a surprisingly character-centred and engaging drama. Having said that, I found the second half a bit disappointing, as it didn't seem to be building towards a thrilling finale.
The Racnoss voice actors are superb, considering the strain they put on their voices. Andjoa Andoh voices the Empress, reprising her role from The Runaway Bride. The human characters aren't all that interesting this time around.
****
✅70/100 = 👍🏼19 ✊🏼2 👎🏼0 = Okay!
This is THE CARRIONITE CURSE, aka SEMIOTICS IS THE SHIT!
The opening scene is a fun little reintroduction to the Carrionite witch sisters from The Shakespeare Code. The setting in Birmingham in the 1980s sets this story apart from the previous one. A slow build-up throughout the first third of the adventure follows the promising opening scene before the Carrionites reveal themselves in full force.
After the introduction of the initial premise, the story doesn't grow or evolve much, and until the climax, it feels a bit longwinded and empty.
The action scenes with the witches come alive pretty well, and I also like how a big chunk of this forced Doctor and his friends to do some research to find out the truth behind the Carrionites. Semiotics, history, and the power of words play an important part in the narrative. It also ties pretty nicely to The Shakespeare Code and the fact that it is in the Doctor's future but the Carrionites' past.
Colin Baker is a great choice for this story, and he sounds very eager throughout. The Carrionite actresses are lovely as well, and I grew to like Katy and her father, Douglas.
****
🙏🏼60/100 = 👍🏼12 ✊🏼5 👎🏼5 = Okay!
This is DAY OF THE VASHTA NERADA, aka THEY ALSO COME IN LIGHT!
Following a fake distress call, the Doctor arrives on a satellite station in the midst of the Time War, only to find a team of scientists who have imprisoned Vashta Nerada in order to research them. We quickly learn the connection to "Night of the Vashta Nerada" and how the Time Lords hope to use the Vashta Nerada as another deadly weapon against the Daleks (a bad idea, needless to say).
The basic story is pretty much a standard Time War fare, but I appreciate that they try to do something slightly different with the Vashta Nerada. This encompasses their altered counterparts, the Nerada Vashta, whose full potential remains untapped.
Paul McGann and Jacqueline Pearce are great as per usual, and the other actors do a good job as well. The sound design helps bring the moments of action to life.
The atmosphere here isn't as tense as in Night, and the plot remains a bit too streamlined to easily remain engaging, and it doesn't grow in intensity or stakes as much as I'd hoped.
thoroughlymodernreviewer's review against another edition
5.0
So, is volume two of the Classic Doctors, New Monsters series good? God, yes. It's even better than the first volume was, and the first volume was pretty good. This one just really upped the game. They learned from the mistakes that were made in the first box set and improved on them in every way. Each Doctor was perfectly represented in their respective stories, the monsters were accurately written and portrayed, and the episodes themselves were just really good ones. All of the supporting actors delivered very strong performances, as did the four Doctors themselves. The sound design was superb and Barany Edwards' direction was spot on. I can't recommend this set enough. It's a great jumping-on point for anybody new to the Big Finish line of Doctor Who audios, or anybody new to any of the classic Doctors in general. A+, Big Finish. This was truly spectacular.
(Full review on my blog)
(Full review on my blog)
tenthplanet1's review against another edition
4.0
Night of the Vashta Nerada - 4
Empire of the Racnoss - 4
The Carrionite Curse - 3.5
Day of the Vashta Nerada - 4
Empire of the Racnoss - 4
The Carrionite Curse - 3.5
Day of the Vashta Nerada - 4
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