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petersimpson's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
thoroughlymodernreviewer's review
4.0
Even though I found the episodes themselves to be a bit of a mixed bag, I really like the concept of this set. It's a really fun idea to pair Classic Doctors with monsters from New Who. As evidenced by Fallen Angel, it can definitely work well, but some care has to go into the writing so the episode actually feels like more than just a gimmick. I appreciate the attempt by Big Finish and the writers of these episodes to try something new, and I applaud the results they were able to achieve. Hopefully following box sets will be even better. I do recommend this box set to anybody trying to get into either Classic Who or the Big Finish lineup of Doctor Who audios. It's a great jumping on point that requires very little in terms of any knowledge of the previous Doctors. The stories are mostly good and getting to hear these classic Doctors face these newer monsters is more than worth the price of the set.
(My full review can be found on my blog)
(My full review can be found on my blog)
iphigenie72's review
3.0
I find it very hard to give an overall star evaluation so I will give one for each story.
Fallen Angels by Phil Mulryne - 4 stars
A young couple is touring Rome for their honeymoon when they meet a bizarre cult to the Angels and, zap, they're in the past. Really liked this one, the reason how the Angels are in the created statues was clever. I thought this felt like a Fifth Doctor era episode and the ending was true to how the Angels work. Compared to the last two in this boxset, I thought the monsters weren't confined to what has been on the episodes featuring them maybe it has to do with the fact we've had the Angels more than once and so we can play with them more, but if you want an example of how to build on a monster appearance on the show listen to the next one in the boxset.
Judoon in Chains by Simon Barnard and Paul Morris - 5 stars
We've had only one complete Judoon story on the television Smith and Jones, the other times we've had Judoon on the scene, they've been a sort of backdrop and I can understand they might seem like a one note baddie. I didn't expect this one to be my favorite probably because of the limits I think the Judoons have as a species. This story though, it was a gem.
To set up the stage, we have a trial of a deserter, but with a Whovian twist... it is set in a London court of the 19th century, the deserter is a Judoon and the defence counsellor is the Sixth Doctor. We explore what it means to be human through the fact that you are not, I thought we saw all that we humans can be and how far or not that takes us. This one can be thought of for hours after the listening is done, there's a strong undercurrent of philosophy in there and I enjoyed the complexity of this story.
You got to love the Sixth Doctor on audio, Big Finish has made him so much more (so have the books and other media) and I always enjoy listening to Colin. This is a strong story for him.
Harvest of the Sycorax by James Goss - 3 stars
As much as the previous story expanded on the Judoon, this one just stayed exactly like the Christmas invasion, I'm all for recycling, but not in my fiction.
The Sycorax want access to a bank vault so they have taken hostages and they're executing them. The Seventh Doctor arrives on the scene and says on lot of what he will repeat in his Tenth incarnation.
What I didn't like about this one : like I said too much of the same events; the Seventh just doesn't cut it, he is ridiculing the Sycorax even when they are murdering lots of people; very easy to guess where the story is heading no big twist to save it from same old, same old.
What I did like (hey, I did give it a 3 stars after all) : how the author played on where we are going with our technology and how this could spell doom when married with our health fears, that was worth listening to this story all on its own.
The Sontaran Ordeal by Andrew Smith - 2.5 stars
The Sontarans want to invade a world where the Time War has made ravages, they see an in to the war in this planet. One of theirs though as dishonoured himself and so is sent by experimental teleport to the planet, that is his punishment because to date no Sontarans has survived this teleporting process.
I always enjoy the Eight Doctor, but I didn't find anything that made it distinctly his story, could have been the War Doctor and this would have worked as well; or even other Doctors in making the War not the Time one. The neohumans (well, not sure they were that) are pretty blah nothing really important or earth shattering happens either, fun to listen to, but not going to remember it long term, didn't love it or hate it enough for that.
Okay, have to say having the Sontarans included in this boxset did get on my nerves. How are they a "New" monsters? They've been around since the Third Doctor. And if you want to argue that in the recent years they've been completely reimagined (which as much as I like how they have evolved physically in the new series, in truth, they think the same way they did in The Time Warrior all those years ago) then show it in having an original way to present them, but, no, nothing new about them in this story so I feel like another new monster (even one appearing only once in the television series) would have been more at home in this boxset. Probably me being unreasonable.
All in all and very enjoyable anthology, would recommend it.
Fallen Angels by Phil Mulryne - 4 stars
A young couple is touring Rome for their honeymoon when they meet a bizarre cult to the Angels and, zap, they're in the past. Really liked this one, the reason how the Angels are in the created statues was clever. I thought this felt like a Fifth Doctor era episode and the ending was true to how the Angels work. Compared to the last two in this boxset, I thought the monsters weren't confined to what has been on the episodes featuring them maybe it has to do with the fact we've had the Angels more than once and so we can play with them more, but if you want an example of how to build on a monster appearance on the show listen to the next one in the boxset.
Judoon in Chains by Simon Barnard and Paul Morris - 5 stars
We've had only one complete Judoon story on the television Smith and Jones, the other times we've had Judoon on the scene, they've been a sort of backdrop and I can understand they might seem like a one note baddie. I didn't expect this one to be my favorite probably because of the limits I think the Judoons have as a species. This story though, it was a gem.
To set up the stage, we have a trial of a deserter, but with a Whovian twist... it is set in a London court of the 19th century, the deserter is a Judoon and the defence counsellor is the Sixth Doctor. We explore what it means to be human through the fact that you are not, I thought we saw all that we humans can be and how far or not that takes us. This one can be thought of for hours after the listening is done, there's a strong undercurrent of philosophy in there and I enjoyed the complexity of this story.
You got to love the Sixth Doctor on audio, Big Finish has made him so much more (so have the books and other media) and I always enjoy listening to Colin. This is a strong story for him.
Harvest of the Sycorax by James Goss - 3 stars
As much as the previous story expanded on the Judoon, this one just stayed exactly like the Christmas invasion, I'm all for recycling, but not in my fiction.
The Sycorax want access to a bank vault so they have taken hostages and they're executing them. The Seventh Doctor arrives on the scene and says on lot of what he will repeat in his Tenth incarnation.
What I didn't like about this one : like I said too much of the same events; the Seventh just doesn't cut it, he is ridiculing the Sycorax even when they are murdering lots of people; very easy to guess where the story is heading no big twist to save it from same old, same old.
What I did like (hey, I did give it a 3 stars after all) : how the author played on where we are going with our technology and how this could spell doom when married with our health fears, that was worth listening to this story all on its own.
The Sontaran Ordeal by Andrew Smith - 2.5 stars
The Sontarans want to invade a world where the Time War has made ravages, they see an in to the war in this planet. One of theirs though as dishonoured himself and so is sent by experimental teleport to the planet, that is his punishment because to date no Sontarans has survived this teleporting process.
I always enjoy the Eight Doctor, but I didn't find anything that made it distinctly his story, could have been the War Doctor and this would have worked as well; or even other Doctors in making the War not the Time one. The neohumans (well, not sure they were that) are pretty blah nothing really important or earth shattering happens either, fun to listen to, but not going to remember it long term, didn't love it or hate it enough for that.
Okay, have to say having the Sontarans included in this boxset did get on my nerves. How are they a "New" monsters? They've been around since the Third Doctor. And if you want to argue that in the recent years they've been completely reimagined (which as much as I like how they have evolved physically in the new series, in truth, they think the same way they did in The Time Warrior all those years ago) then show it in having an original way to present them, but, no, nothing new about them in this story so I feel like another new monster (even one appearing only once in the television series) would have been more at home in this boxset. Probably me being unreasonable.
All in all and very enjoyable anthology, would recommend it.
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