Series 4 Boxset:
Series 4 Part 1:
Series 3 Boxset:
Director:
Colin Teague
(TV: Doctor Who: The Fires of Pompeii, The Last of the Time Lords, The Sound of Drums, Torchwood: Meat, Ghost Machine, Greeks Bearing Gifts, Sleeper)
Screenplay:
James Moran
(Severance, TV: Doctor Who: The Fires of Pompeii, Torchwood: Sleeper)
Cast:
The Doctor: David Tennant
Donna Noble: Catherine Tate
Caecillius: Peter Capaldi
Lucius: Phil Davis
Metella: Tracey Childs
Soothsayer: Karen Gillan
Stallholder: Phil Cornwell
Spurrina: Sasha Behar
Evelina: Francesca Fowler
Quintus: Francois Pandolfo
Thalina: Lorraine Burroughs
High Priestess: Victoria Wicks
Majordomo: Gerard Bell
Synopsis:
The Doctor and Donna arrive in Pompeii, on the eve of Mount Vesuvius' eruption, and argue about whether to change the course of history...
As is almost customary now, the second episode is an historical adventure; this
time focusing on the real-life disaster of Pompeii in 79 A.D, but with fictional
links to alien goings-on beneath the surface.
Writer James Moran (who penned Torchwood's excellent Sleeper) crafts a
far more expansive story here; in size, scope, emotions and impact.
The episode's big theme is something Doctor Who has touched on before: whether
or not The Doctor (David Tennant) should change history, if it means saving
lives. The Fires Of Pompeii did a much better job of answering
that question; as Donna (Catherine Tate) is amazed The Doctor just wants
to leave everyone to their doom, as some things are "fixed events" in time.
A later speech, revolving around a Time Lord's intrinsic ability to know
which events are in "flux" or "fixed", is also a handy explanation of how The
Doctor operates – and the burden he's constantly under.
As is typical, an extra-terrestrial explanation is offered for Vesuvius' eruption,
in the form of dormant creatures called Pyrovillians; secretive "underworld
Gods" local soothsayers are being controlled by. One such "seer" is Lucius (a
scowling Phil Davis, right), while another girl called Evelina (lovely
Francesca Fowler) also has the gift, and is destined for recruitment by
a fanatical group called the Sibylline sisterhood -- a group of psychics led
by a High Priestess (Victoria Wicks), hidden behind a curtain.
There's an invigorating mix of pace, comedy and action throughout this episode,
which is indicative of Doctor Who at its most playful, deceptively emotive,
best. Some of the gags worked into the script are cheesy ("he's armless enough!"
exclaims The Doctor, after ripping someone's stone arm off), while others are
acknowledged as naff by its characters ("don't get yourself in a lava!")
But it's all good fun, and there are some genuinely amusing japes -- from
Donna and The Doctor claiming they're both called Spartacus, to a Fawlty Towers
reference when The Doctor apologizes about Donna, explaining "she's from
Barcelona..."
In the dramatic stakes, the connection between the psychics and subterranean aliens
isn't obvious from the start, and the mystery managed to unpeel logically -- with
a mounting sense of urgency and peril. When the knockabout story shifts into
full-on action spectacle mode -- with The Doctor and Donna battling creatures
underground and the (inevitable) city-wide destruction -- the scale and ambition
of the episode becomes second to none...
Yes, visually it's a sumptuous treat for the eyes. The production design is exemplary
(they filmed on the awesome sets built for the HBO/BBC series Rome), the
special effects are magnificent -- from Balrog-like rock-beasts (in Roman helmets?),
to a climactic volcanic eruption that's usually beyond a TV budget. Its superficial
in some peoples' eyes, but well-polished visuals always enrich episodes of Doctor
Who – making it easier to invest in the world being presented.
Catherine Tate wasn't too bad, although the way Donna suddenly lurches into an
aggrieved caricature undermines a few scenes. But generally, Donna's involvement
in the storyline was well-handled, and her viewpoint on how to deal with the situation
was nicely at odds with The Doctor's. It was particularly great how everything
boiled down to a big decision for The Doctor: to save the world, but at the cost
of 20,000 lives, all with the throw of a lever.
That dilemma reminded me of the classic moment with Tom Baker's Doctor, deliberating
about whether or not to commit genocide by wiping out the Daleks, by just connecting
two wires...
While there a few gripes with minutiae (especially an unnecessary and silly denouement
set 6 months later in Rome, and contemporary "yoof" in Ancient Rome), the general
sweep and urgency of the episode was a welcome tonic after last week's simpleminded
start. The comedy and dramatics were balanced well, and there were even some
nods to season 4's "masterplan" in a scene of combatative prophesizing: "She
is returning" The Doctor is told (Rose, surely), and Donna has "something
on her back" according to Lucius. Interesting...
The Fires Of Pompeii was a very strong episode, visually one of
the best in Doctor Who's history, and yet no slouch when it came to telling a
fast-paced, dramatic and funny adventure story. The guest cast were all good
(especially Davis as Lucius and Peter Capaldi's patriarch Caecillius - above-right), and the
pace never let up for one second – delivering humour, thrills and gorgeous visuals,
with a potent moral dilemma at its core.
DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV
connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and
played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
Since Nov 2005: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0Ghz, 1Gb RAM, 128Mb nVidia GeForce 6700XL, Windows XP
Since Aug 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.66Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb GeForce4 MX440 graphics, Windows XP
Since May 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.6Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb ATI Radeon 9600TX graphics, Windows XP
Since Jun 2002: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, 64Mb ATI Radeon 8500LE
Since May 2000: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, Voodoo 3 3000 AGP
Series 4 Boxset:
Synopsis:
The Doctor and Donna arrive in Pompeii, on the eve of Mount Vesuvius' eruption, and argue about whether to change the course of history...
There's an invigorating mix of pace, comedy and action throughout this episode,
which is indicative of Doctor Who at its most playful, deceptively emotive,
best. Some of the gags worked into the script are cheesy ("he's armless enough!"
exclaims The Doctor, after ripping someone's stone arm off), while others are
acknowledged as naff by its characters ("don't get yourself in a lava!")