Doctor Who & The Daleks Movie Review

One of popular culture's biggest and most influential icons without a doubt, is the man in the flying Tardis disguised as a British phone box, 'Doctor Who'. 'Doctor Who' has spanned over 6 decades, with the first Doctor portrayed by William Hartnell back in 1963. Over the years we have seen 13 actors play the character on the small screen, with Peter Cushing taking on the role in two feature films, 1965s 'Dr Who & The Daleks' and 1966s 'Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 AD'. Both of these films were made to reach international audiences and expand into America. The first film 'Dr Who & The Daleks' has now been released on 4K UHD as part of Studio Canal's 'Classics Remastered' collection this month with 'Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 AD' releasing in August. Both of these films are a lot of fun and jammed full of nostalgia.

'Dr Who & The Daleks' possesses a lot of the qualities that have made the TV show stand the test of time. From the great lead character of Dr Who, to the fun science-fiction premise. The film sees our titular hero, played by Peter Cushing, who travels to the planet Skaro to duke it out with his arch nemesis the 'Daleks'. The design of the Daleks still holds up to this day, the characters are iconic and remain an icon of popular culture. They remain one of the most recognisable villains in film and television history and for good reason.

The biggest takeaway from revisiting this film is Peter Cushing's performance as the title character of Dr Who. At the time, many fans were outraged, as a different actor was currently playing the Dr on television, however the studio thought that Cushing would draw in international audiences as he was a more recognisable figure to American audiences. Regardless of this fact, I thought Peter Cushing made for a great Dr Who. He is funny, quirky and everything we have come to expect from the character. You can see from future portrayals of the character that influences were taken from Cushing's performance. 

The 4K UHD remaster of the film also looks fantastic. A large problem that re-releases face, is the way that the transfer will look when it comes to the updated format. Studio Canal does a magnificent job with their 'Classics Remastered' collection, ensuring that the right amount of detail and care is taken with the films to ensure that they look great and remain intact from their original negatives. The visuals are improved, with improved colour grading and the sound of the film is also enhanced for modern 4K viewing capabilities. I think the film looks incredible and this is easily the best release the film has ever seen. 

Overall, I think 'Dr Who & The Daleks' is a lot of fun. It helps if you are already attuned to the mythology of Dr Who, but the film also doesn't rely on the films extensive mythology as well to tell its story. I had a great time with Dr Who & The Daleks and would highly recommend it to Dr Who fans and those who are after a fun sci-fi flick, from a bygone era of Hollywood. Head on over to your local Sanity or online to pick up your copy of Dr Who & The Daleks on Blu-Ray or 4K UHD today.