Science Fiction & Fantasy Reviews (Page 1)

Klaatu arrives in America in his spacecraft (like you do!) to persuade the peoples of Earth to change their violent ways or risk annihilation. With atomic power capability utilised for bomb-making, the Earth is perceived as a threat to the peace and stability of other worlds. When the world leaders fail to agree on a venue, Klaatu melts into the populace to learn a little about everyday life and opinion. He approaches a renowned professor, who agrees to collect together the leading minds on the planet. Coupled with this, Klatu organises a worldwide demonstration of power. But has he reckoned on the primitive fears of mankind?...

This is arguably the best of only a handful of classic science fiction films to emerge in the fifties. Cold war paranoia spawned a veritable hoard of tales blaming the Russians in all but name - and their own atomic testing - for even the smallest petty ills. However, The Day the Earth Stood Still (from 1951) is the only example to expose this paranoia for the foolish and dangerous fright-mongering it truly is, and to leave the audience with a feeling of positive hope for the future. Even so, it takes threats on a massive scale to force the leaders of the world to consider change on a global scale. Who can blame poor Klaatu; if you were shot on your arrival and suffered worse before your exit, wouldn't you resort to threats to get your message across? Sometimes you have to talk to people in the only language they can understand.

The main strength of this picture is its simplicity of style, which lifts it well above period films of its ilk and ensures that it still stands up well today. It's a straightforward story intelligently realised.

Michael Rennie's portrayal of the visitor Klaatu is beautifully understated. He looks and fundamentally acts the same as other men, and yet he is subtly different. The odd comment here and there threatens to betray him, but he never seeks to hide his true feelings and the fact that the citizens of Earth are gearing towards their own destruction. Everybody is suspicious of their own shadow; when Klaatu first makes his appearance as Mr Carpenter at the boarding house, even the boy Bobby believes him to be a government agent searching for the alien.

Also wisely kept simple are the special effects which, particularly in this era, can make or break the project. The spacecraft as it approaches its landing point is shown as a disc of light, and the model shot of the touchdown is filmed in distance overhead perspective. The saucer set and its extending ramp are impressive, and GORT, the robot guardian, is mainly kept to longshots and extreme close-ups, rendering its presence large and oppressive.

The movie is full of defining moments, such as Klaatu completing complicated mathematical equations on a blackboard as a way of gaining the professor's attention. There is the poignant visit to a military graveyard, and the scene where the boy persuades Mr Carpenter (Klaatu) to take him to see the spacecraft. Not realising his companion is the ship's operator, Bobby asks about propulsion. A man in the crowd overhears Klaatu's "hypothetical" explanation and ridicules him, to the amusement of others close-by. The fact that nothing is actively played for laughs or is overtly ridiculous, means this film succeeds on all levels. It is undeniably a genre classic.

There's some nice dvd extras: Commentaries, Remastering Comparisons, Theatrical Trailer, and Movie Tone News of the time, reporting on the multi-nation Japanese peace alliance. This might very well have gained maximum points, but the sound quality could have been better, and the Region 1 version contains a making-of documentary, curiously absent from this release. But don't let these quibbles turn you off.

Invest in a copy now, or your world will be annihilated.

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2003) 

There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all you see and hear. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to... The Outer Limits...

I know more than a little about the original version of The Outer Limits. Believe it or not, I'm too young to remember its first airing in 1964, but it was sporadic at best. In 1980 BBC2 showed every episode. They were out of sequence, and moved from a regular early evening slot to a late night one for no explicable reason. But I didn't care. I couldn't get enough of them. I've loved this quality anthology series ever since, and it has for years sat in my all-time top five TV programmes.

Okay, so I appreciate the show. But why is it so good? Well, first and foremost the scripts are so strong; even those considered to be weaker knock spots off other shows of this format. Although The Outer Limits was devised by producer Leslie Stevens (he also wrote the pilot The Galaxy Being), the show's major success was undoubtedly down to Joseph Stephano, one of the best scriptwriters of his time. Not only did he write many of the best episodes, but also received co-credits for many others for his tightening of those scripts, making them compatible with the show.

The "Bear", which was what insiders called the monster of the week, was almost universally well-handled. Simple optical effects and good camerawork combined to make the creatures more threatening or otherworldly. One of the reasons why this series works so well is that everything is played straight. There is no underlying tongue-in-cheek "No, we're not convinced by the monster either!" attitude.

This first season DVD set incorporates 32 45-minute self-contained stories over eight discs (four titles on each disc). This differs slightly from the region 1 version which has been around for at least a couple of years now. That had four unlabeled two-sided discs, with only a microscopic A or B to distinguish each side. Don't expect any extras here (Isn't more than 27 hours of viewing enough, for goodness sake?!), and there is only the original mono sound. I surmise that to cleanup the picture would have significantly increased the cost of the set, but rest assured that only a couple contain minor scratches. On the whole, the picture is pretty much pristine.

If I were to list every good story it would take over this entire review, so here are just a few classic episodes. In The Zanti Misfits, a Zanti official contacts Earth saying that a penal ship will land and that they should not approach it. The area is cordoned-off, but a criminal and a runaway wife break through and end up stumbling across the craft. A Zanti creature emerges to warn them off and in the confusion the Zanti criminals make a bid for freedom. This is a well-written tale by Stephano, but the appearance of the Zanti turn it into a classic. The ant like creatures with humanoid features are creepy but make you smile at just how well they are realised.

In The Invisibles an undercover government investigator infiltrates a secret society where humans are hosts to parasitic creatures which are taking over positions of power. Again this is credited to Stephano, but shame on the producers for not crediting Robert Heinlein, because this is undoubtedly based on his novel The Puppet Masters.

In The Sixth Finger, a man volunteers to undergo a scientist's experiments in advancing man's evolution hundreds of years. He becomes much more intelligent, but to others his metamorphosis makes him so inhuman that he appears to them as a monster. Guest stars in this season include: Robert Culp (the ultimate jobbing actor), David McCallum, Martin Landau and a multitude of other faces many of whom you will recognise (Neil Hamilton, Commissioner Gordon in the camp sixties Batman series, is one of them).

In short, this is pretty near brilliant stuff. Go out and buy it. "We now return control of your television to you, until next time..."

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2005)

There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all you see and hear. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to... The Outer Limits...

Season two of this classic 1960s sci-fi/horror anthology series contains only around half the number of episodes of season one. The reason why we only get seventeen is because it was decided to abandon the show partway through due to reduced viewing figures. A tad short-sighted, methinks. You might say that Joseph Stephano was partly responsible for this. This superb scriptwriter and style-setter for the show had opted to leave the production at the end of season one, after being repeatedly refused permission to direct some episodes. Given today's attitudes that virtually any actor on a long-running series is given the opportunity to try their hand at directing, this is rather ironic.

The programme did suffer as a result of his missing influence. Although remaining of generally high standard, season two did wander from its original format. The music became more melodic, rather than eerie, and moral tales exploring every facet of the human condition were forgotten.

Having said that, season two does contain two classic episodes: Soldier (which was the root of James Cameron's idea for The Terminator) and Demon With a Glass Hand. Both were written by seasoned SF writer Harlan Ellison and both won the coveted Hugo Award. The former has two soldiers from the far future, bred only to hate and kill the enemy, being forced by an accident back to the past of the 1960s, where a psychologist attempts to teach one of them the concepts of love and family. In the latter, a future Earth is invaded by another race, only to discover the entire population has vanished. The answer lies with the last remaining man and his glass hand computer.

Another great episode is I, Robot, about a machine falsely placed on trial for murdering his creator. It explores whether an intelligent robot should have human rights, and is taken from an Isaac Asimov story, right down to the title. However, just like The Invisibles from season one, the original writer outrageously receives no credit. This idea has been used many times since, most notably on Star Trek: The Next Generation's The Measure of a Man, where the subject was the android officer Data. And talking of Trek, guest stars for this season included William Shatner, Robert Culp (again), and Leonard Nimoy.

While true that this set of episodes is not as strong as season one's, the divide is not as wide as you might expect. The quality remains true, so it is well worth picking yourself up a copy of this set. The retail price reflects the reduced content.

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2005)

The year is 2278. Centauri Prime burns. In the palace an elderly Londo - now emperor - watches like Nero. Two children wander into a forbidden area of the palace, and Londo tells them a story: As a young man he is asked by Earth Alliance diplomats what he knows about the Minbari. The Earth military are arrogant after winning a war against the Dilgar. They propose to send ships to Minbar to see if they propose a theat. Londo recommends they send one ship, because even when the Centauri were at their height they would not cross the Minbari.

Lenonn is a Minbari who protests at the decision to disband the Rangers at a time when the prophecy says they are needed most. He meets with the Grey Council, invoking the name of Valen, who formed the Council of Warrior, Worker and Religious castes and led a great victory against the Shadows. Delenn is standing in for another in the Grey Council. She is allowed to speak by her master, Ducat, and suggests confirming part of the prophecy by travelling to Z'Ha'Dum to see if the Shadows have returned to their homeland. It is said that the Vorlons will come forward when it is time. No contact has been made publicly, but Kosh the Vorlon ambassador, and Ducat have been meeting privately. Delenn is initiated into the Grey Council.

Sheridan is assigned as First Officer on the Prometheus, the frontline Earth ship investigating Minbari space, but he declines the promotion, remaining loyal to his Commanding Officer and proclaiming the commander of the Prometheus to be a loose canon. The Prometheus goes in too close in an attempt to obtain information on a Minbari warship and is scanned in turn. In a traditional open-handed approach the Minbari move in with gun ports open. The captain of the Prometheus sees this as a prelude to an attack and so orders all guns to open fire. Ducat is killed and Delenn is distraught. When told that the Grey Council is divided on whether to strike back, she reacts with great anger and instructs the Council to kill all the humans. "No Mercy." So began the Minbari holy war against Earth.

Delenn regrets the slaughter and seeks to find an end to the madness of this war - a war which the humans can't hope to win. There can be no satisfaction in genocide, but the Warrior caste has embraced the situation. Delenn visits a reconstruction of Valen's old living quarters and is surprised to meet two Vorlons, one of whom gives his name as Kosh. A hologram message from Ducat is projected, asking for the Vorlons to be trusted. They are here to prepare for the coming war with the Shadows and to announce that the humans will be needed as allies. They are the Key.

The Earth military discovers that Doctor Franklin had previously treated sick Minbari people long before the war. A general demands he hand over DNA data gathered at the time, but Franklin refuses, invoking the medical code of practice which dictates he save lives. He will not give information that will lead to the creation of a bio-genetic plague that will kill-off an entire race. He is arrested.

The Lexington detects a short-range Minbari ship and dispatches a fighter to follow. It is a trap. Minbari warships arrive suddenly through jump gates, and many of the Earth cruisers with the Lexington are quickly destroyed. The Lexington itself is heavily damaged and the captain killed, leaving Sheridan in command. The Lexington is adrift. Sheridan sends a distress signal, knowing that a Minbari ship would arrive to finish them off. But Sheridan plays dead before releasing tactical warheads at the enemy. This constitutes the first major victory in the difficult war.

Delenn seeks a way to stop the war. She sets up a meeting to negotiate, and Sheridan is sent to a neutral planet with Franklin, and G'Kar (the Narn ambassador) as mediator. Londo orders a Centauri ship to destroy the Narn ship and attack their location on the planet surface. A Minbari is killed in the attack, after whispering something to Sheridan. The Minbari arrive quickly and take Sheridan, Franklin and G'Kar, but Sheridan shouts to a cowled Delenn he knows what is in Lenonn's secret place - and utters a Minbari word which means 'the future'.

Earth struggles for two years, making the Minbari fight for every inch of space, but eventually it stands on the edge of destruction. The final conflict becomes known as 'The Battle of the Line', a last defence of Earth to allow transport ships to flee the planet. Sinclair is leading an Earth fighter squadron on the Line. A multitude of jump gates open admitting Minbari attack cruisers, and all hell breaks loose. Sinclair's fighter is disabled, and he attempts to ram a Minbari ship. Delenn suggests that a human be brought on board her Minbari ship, on the pretence they should learn about Earth world defences. Sheridan is brought aboard and, when probing his mind, they discover he has a Minbari soul, the soul of Valen. Delenn tells the others this is a sign from Valen that the humans are important in the coming Shadow War, and that they should not be killed. A telepath will remove this memory from Sheridan's mind so he cannot tell anyone else. The order is given to surrender when they are on the eve of victory, and this decision confounds a hundred worlds. The war is over.

The Earth president orders the construction of the Babylon Project, a place where races can work out their differences peacefully. They can never afford to make another mistake like the one which began the Earth-Minbari war.

When TNT became the new production financers of Babylon 5  for Season 5, they wanted something to launch it, and suggested a prequel. Writer and Co-Executive Producer J. Michael Straczynski considered how he might tackle this in an original way, and eventually decided on the notion of shooting forward to the future to have an elderly and guilt-laden Londo (now Emperor of Centauri Prime) tell a back-story about the Earth Minbari War to two small children - which fits in with the continuity of the entire serial. We learn how Sheridan got his Minbari nickname of 'Starkiller' when we see him destroy their biggest ship, the Black Star, in a hopeless war. We discover what happened to give Sinclair the "hole" in his mind, and that the order to attack the humans was first given by Delenn, after her teacher and friend Ducat was killed in a misunderstanding with a curious (and somewhat arrogant) Earth ship. The Prometheus (which from legend brings fire) was the first Earth ship to fire on the Minbari. There is also Londo's confession that the war was partly his fault.

Babylon 5 - In The Beginning fills in all the storylines we have wondered about by employing the prose rule of "show, don't tell", without ever seeming like exposition. Long-time fans will know about these situations through the episodic format and will enjoy seeing them unfold on-screen, whilst for newcomers it serves as a good back-story without ever going over old ground. All of the main characters are well-employed (with only G'Kar not so prominent) and the acting in some parts is breath-taking, particularly Peter Jurasik as the aged Londo and Mira Furlan as Delenn. Considering (like Revenge of the Sith) much of what happens is expected, this TV movie works remarkably well. I urge you to re-experience it on the Region 1 Movie Boxset version - in Dolby Digital Widescreen.

(Review by Ty Power 2020. A shorter version of this review appeared on my original website in 2005)

Commander Lochley, who was the first officer which replaced Ivanova around eleven

years before in this timeline, is faced with a Babylon 5 worker who seems to be possessed by a demon - or maybe the Devil himself. A priest is caught in a dilemma of whether or not to perform an exorcism, as the incarcerated man debates theology with them. But Lochley

discovers the demon is tied to the Earth and, in an attempt to escape, is trying to trick the priest into performing an exorcism in space...

Technomage Galen appears to President Sheridan as he travels to Babylon 5 for the tenth anniversary celebrations of the Interstellar Alliance. He shows Sheridan the destruction of New York and says that in 30 years Prince Ventari of the Centauri Republic will destroy the Earth in his quest to return his race to their former glory. This can only be prevented by Sheridan killing Ventari.

Having decided the time was right for more Babylon 5, and to cater to a fanbase crying out for more, after the hugely lucrative DVD box set sales of seasons one to five, Warner approached writer, creator and visionary J. Michael Straczynski with the idea of perhaps making a feature film version. JMS reportedly told them he couldn't imagine a movie without G'Kar (Andreas Katsulas) and Dr Stephen Franklin (Richard Biggs) - both of whom have died since the series ended - and instead proposed a number of short, straight to DVD stories concentrating separately on major characters from the series.

The first of The Lost Tales consists of two stories loosely connected to form the TV movie Voices in the Dark (a typically poetic JMS title). The Lochley (Tracy Scoggins) tale is lacklustre at best, and would barely have passed as a stand alone episode in the old first season. Aside from Lochley, who hasn't got the presence of Ivanova as first officer in the series, the priest is convincing, but the whole fails to carry as a story in its own right. The second tale is much better. Bruce Boxleitner slips easily back into his role of Sheridan like he's never been away, and Peter Woodward, briefly in Babylon 5 and a main character in the spin-off series Crusade, is engaging as the sometimes dangerous, sometimes humorous technomage Galen. Of course, this dramatic plot dilemma has been played-out several times previously, but it is well-handled here.

The potential continuity problem of the Babylon 5 station exploding at the conclusion of the five-year story arc is overcome here by rolling back time a few years, setting these tales before that momentous event. Credit should be given to returning music composer Christopher Franke, who creates effective fresh dramatic enhancement rather than relying on any of his major themes from the series. The visual effects are utilised to their best order within the obvious confines of the budget (exterior views of the station appearing somewhat darker and more sinister), but haven't the same impact as the groundbreaking CGI seen on the series. Having recently re-watched all of Season One, the old effects hold up remarkably well considering we are now more than ten years down the line. The dialogue, as you would expect from JMS, is one of this release's strong points, with lines like "I've never known hope when it wasn't on a diet," from Sheridan.

On the menus we are given the option of watching Voices in the Dark as a TV movie, or selecting one or the other of the two half-hour segments. Extras include: Fireside Chats (18 minutes of questions posed by fans which are answered by JMS); The Straczynski Diaries (21 minutes of production information and nonsense about glove puppets); Memorials (JMS and cast talk about Andreas Katsulas who played G'Kar, one of the best characters from the series, and Richard Biggs who played Dr Stephen Franklin). Some interesting snippets of information can be collected here, such as the fact JMS would watch his main actors off-set and then incorporate the witnessed traits into their characters. JMS also mentions what I remember as being one of the strongest scenes in the entire Babylon 5 series. Londo is trapped in a broken-down lift with G'Kar. G'Kar is happy to die because his sworn enemy will die too. Andreas Katsulas introduced the madness of laughter into the scene, which JMS okayed because it made the moment so powerful.

I could probably talk all day about Babylon 5; it was after all one of the greatest TV serials of all time. However, The Lost Tales is quite obviously a nostalgia trip for established fans, of which I'm certain there are plenty. This feels like Babylon 5 but is missing the interaction of its loved characters. It's rather like saying this is a good stew because there are potatoes - even though there's nothing to go with them. There should be more of these releases to come, whereas I would personally prefer one release with as many of the ensemble that can be collected together.

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2007) 

"Roll up, roll up, roll up, and see these funny little creatures in their natural 'abitat. Watch 'em go through their funny little tricks. Poke 'em with a stick and watch 'em jump!"

I consider the Pertwee years to be the most innovative in Doctor Who's history. In the five seasons between 1970 and 1974 more risks were taken in attempts to raise the visual quality of the programme. Many failed - most apparent being some of the Blue Screen and monster effects - but without this passion for progression there would have been considerably less of an improvement in production values with seasons twelve to fourteen. However, it wasn't simply costumes and special effects. Tom Baker has been reported as saying that he loved the childish naïvety of his character; always believing the best in individuals until proved wrong. The third Doctor beat his subsequent incarnation to this attitude. A good example of this is an early scene in Carnival of Monsters, in which he attempts to communicate with some chickens as representatives of the local intelligent life forms, despite Jo's insistence that they are only poultry.

Once again we welcome another offering from the prolific pen of the late Robert Holmes. Not generally regarded as being one of his better scripts, it is nevertheless a competent tale of two intertwined plots. The Doctor and Jo Grant arrive on a ship bound for India in the 1920's, to discover that the same actions are being played through continuously. Eventually, they escape through a plate in the floor into an area of circuitry, and the Doctor realises they are inside a Miniscope - a mini live galactic zoo - which he had persuaded the Time lords to ban. Searching for an exit from the machine, they stumble into the territory of the Drashigs, the dragon-headed monsters of the piece which move like caterpillars, and are tracked back into the circuitry. The illicit scope is owned by Vorg and his assistant Shirna, who are planning to show the exhibits for profit, but instead get caught up in the schemes of Kalik and Orum, two of the grey-face locals who wish to overthrow the President by releasing the Drashigs from the scope.

What's unusual about this story is that the majority is told using only two major sets: that of the ship, and the Inter-Minor arrivals area. The internal circuitry set of the Miniscope is filmed from different angles to give the impression of immensity, and there is a short marshes scene which introduces the Drashigs.

The Drashig's fail to leave a lasting impression, unlike so many memorable monsters before them. They are let down by a few careless scenes. The group shot of them on the marshes can only be grouped together with that Skarasen in the Thames moment from the otherwise excellent Terror of the Zygons. The terrorising sea monster in Carnival fails to convince in the same way. Having said this, the close up scenes - one featuring a Drashig breaking through a metal plate into the circuitry, and another displaying the concertina-like body of one such individual - pass inspection better than the distance shots, that resemble exactly what they are: glove puppets.

The acting performances are all top notch. Jon Pertwee is as solid as ever, effortlessly commanding the centre of attention of every scene he is in. Katy Manning is bubbly, but wonderfully devoid of Elisabeth Sladen's occasional over-acting. Leslie Dwyer as the flamboyant showman Vorg, manages to convince despite being garbed like a Liquorice Allsort. Ian Marter portrays an early example of the nautical pomposity, to be later endorsed in his Harry Sullivan character.

"One" Kalik and "one" Orum, and other local dignitaries formally discuss every slight detail of each situation as it arises, sounding like the Prince Charles chorus. It is a pet hate of "one" to conduct "oneself" as "one." What's wrong with "I" or "My?" Perhaps Robert Holmes' intention was to highlight just how ridiculous it sounds. Or more likely it was supposed to explain that these are high-ranking officials or of noble birth. This leads me to two minor quibbles regarding the plot.

In such a politically correct society, is it likely that slaves would be utilised, regardless of their intellect? These slaves are seen as being mindless grunts without two brain cells to rub together, and "Ugg" and "Urgh" their way through the relevant scenes. Is it likely, then, that the powerful Eradicator would be left in their care? As there is such an evolutionary distance between the slaves and the dignitaries, I prefer to think of the unseen common populace as the midway point. The plot itself is good but, in places a little long-winded, making me think this story would have worked better as a three-parter, although the looping storyline on the ship makes for some inventive reactionary replies.

There are some great one-liners which are made all the more amusing for being played straight. When the TARDIS is picked up by a giant hand, Jo says, "Where's it gone?", to which the Doctor replies with conviction, "Up there." When Vorg is frantically working to repair the Miniscope, he asks Shirna, "Put your finger on there a minute." When sparks follow with a small shock, he finishes, "Good, that must be the live switch."

So in conclusion, as far as Robert Holmes contributions go, Carnival of Monsters is no Spearhead from Space or The Talons of Weng-Chiang, but it sure beats The Space Pirates hands down!  

(Review originally written by Ty Power for DreamWatch Magazine 1995)

I have mixed feelings about this story, and the down side is almost totally down to the length. Six parts is an obvious exaggerated format for Frontier in Space which, unlike Jon Pertwee's premiere season, fails to be enhanced by significant character progression. It would have been much better served - certainly made tighter - as a four-parter.

The model shots are at best below average, with the spacecraft of one docking sequence quivering like a jelly on a plate, before locking on. The third Doctor's two space walks - one to conduct necessary external repairs, the other to reach the control room without passing the Master - are rather nonsensical, especially as he attaches no secure lines to the ship which is in both cases in flight. The wires used to make it appear he is floating, along with the orange suit, cause the Doctor to resemble an ageing Captain Scarlet!

Almost everything else I have to say is complimentary. These minor quibbles should be overlooked in favour of what is a very strong and extraordinary story. Writer, Malcolm Hulke was a great visionary in regards to investigating many aspects of human nature, in certain trying situations. Here he had a future treaty between Earth and Draconia saboutaged by a third party. Cargo ships from both sides are being raided, and each is recognising the perpetrator as the other party. However, the raids are being conducted by the Ogrons - last seen serving the Daleks - using a sonic hypnotic device (hypno-sound) which stimulates the fear centres of the brain, causing the victim to see what he most fears. The Doctor's theory is justified when Jo Grant sees a Drashig from Carnival of Monsters.

Without the cameras venturing into the general populace, the viewer in convinced of the brink of disaster situation by tele-newscasts received in the female Earth President's office, reporting widespread rioting and calls for all out war. General Williams, her aid, initially hovers close to insubordination with constant pressure for retaliation. Similar scenes are witnessed in the Draconian nobles court. We are also reminded of a future political society with population problems with the broadcast: "As an inducement for couples willing to live in the first two totally enclosed dome cities ..., family allowance will be increased to two children ..."

The length is used to a couple of good purposes. It incorporates several locations to inhibit lazy eye syndrome: the cargo ship, Earth, the Luna Penal Colony, Draconia, the Master's ship and the Ogron homeworld (Planet Quarry, I should think). Then there is the uncovering of consistently devious plot twists. The tentative alliance is utilised as the main stay, with the perpetrators being peeled away to eventually reveal the source. First there are the Draconians, then the strong but primitive Ogrons, and then the Master himself. What can you say about the late Roger Delgado's portrayal except chilling! By his very presence in a scene he continues to make nape hairs bristle everywhere. Sadly, this was his final performance for the programme.

There are a couple of nice lighthearted moments. When discussing their situation with the Doctor in a detention cell, Jo states, "All we've got to do is find out what's going on, who's behind the Ogrons, where they've taken the TARDIS, go and get it back, and then we can all go home. I don't know what I've been worrying about!" When the Earth battle cruiser announces that it will lock on in five seconds, the Doctor examines his watch. At least, I sincerely hope that was meant as a joke!

Jon Pertwee himself would undoubtedly endorse this release. He often praised the manoeuvrability of the Draconian half-masks, which admittedly are rather effective. The concrete walkways of the Southbank play host to some short games of cowboys and Indians between Draconians, Ogrons and Earth guards.

I do feel the notion of Ogrons worshiping a seldom seen native creature on their home world a valid one which was only touched upon rather than exploited to its full potential. Unfortunately, its nature and purpose isn't elaborated upon. Why exactly do the Ogrons pay homage to a huge blob?

The Daleks' appearance at the conclusion of the final episode will undoubtedly please casual viewers, but for me they only succeed in demeaning the entire plot at its climax. The Master, easily commanding his scenes, finishes up playing second fiddle to the unconvincing malevolence of the Daleks. Although he underhandedly insults the "tin pots", he concludes by pleading for Earth to rule over. The Daleks' introduction serves better as a simple link to the following story, Planet of the Daleks.

(Review originally written by Ty Power for DreamWatch Magazine 1995)

After a group of pregnant women become trapped in an overheated elevator (that's lift to us Brits!), resulting in a couple of premature births, ex-marine and present day lift engineer  Mark Newman visits the 102 floor New York Millennium Building to check out the systems. Everything seems okay, but this is only the first of a string of dangerous occurrences. A building security guard is decapitated, a blind man walks through the doors into an empty shaft, the bottom falls out of a lift full of people, and there is a near miss with a little girl. It appears that the express elevators have a mind of their own. Accompanied by Jennifer Evans, a beautiful but nosy reporter who initially gets him into trouble, Newman investigates. They discover that the designer of the elevator computer system was expelled from the military after disastrous use of organic technology involving dolphins. His illicit work continues, but this time it's not dolphins he's using...

Down has a very much made-for-television feel to it. It's obviously fairly low budget, compared with most other modern cinema releases, and predictable in many areas. When regular film and TV bad guy Michael Ironside turns up as the villain of the piece, you instantly realise this was played as a safe bet. No casting against type here; Ironside is so established in this kind of role that the moment he makes his appearance you just know you should begin the booing and hissing, for no logical reason except that he's there.

Our hero fairs little better. He's a likeable enough chap, but too easy-going and weak for his supposed background. A tough ex-marine would surely push back when threatened. Here his military training is merely tacked on to explain how he can climb a lift cable and hang upside down to fire a rocket launcher. The reporter is the saving grace here: annoying, and yet good-looking and somewhat quirky.

However, the main plot strand makes little sense. Why would anyone want lifts to think for themselves? More importantly, after only a couple of major incidents, the building would have been closed to the public for a thorough investigation. In this age of political activists the police could not afford to take a chance of more people being killed, no matter how much revenue would potentially be lost. Keeping the entire building, complete with lifts with the hump, open is nonsensical, especially as the police and security all suspect terrorists.

A less than average film. On an even more ridiculous note, as the film ends Newman and Evans step straight into another building's lift. As they go down (!) the soundtrack kicks in with Aerosmith's Love In An Elevator. Yes, I groaned too.

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2003)

When an extensively damaged caravan and a little girl deep in shock are discovered on the edge of the desert, a professor and his doctor daughter show up at the local police department to begin their own investigation. As more deaths and damage occurs, the team is joined by an FBI agent and then the army. Their worst nightmares are realised when they are confronted with the horror of rapidly multiplying giant ants...

What is the difference between a 1950's b-movie turkey and a remembered classic? Happy accident or careful planning? A multitude of science fiction and horror films were turned out during that decade of cold war suspicion and uncertainty. Some were so bad they were good (Plan 9 From Outer Space and Attack of the 50 Foot Woman), most were just plain bad, and then there were the undisputed classics (The Day the Earth Stood Still and The Incredible Shrinking Man). While Them! is not quite in the league of the last two mentioned films, it is a very effective movie.

There is nothing accidental about its achievements; for the director Gordon Douglas, it wasn't simply a case of zipping up some men into rubber suits and pushing them in front of the camera. It's evident that the cast and crew care about the story and the very real impending peril that drives it.

Okay, so don't expect too much from the ants; they lumber and loom when they should be running around at breakneck speed. The mandibles don't move, and the antennae flop about like they've been injected with a local anaesthetic. However, the creatures are intelligently filmed in long shots or extreme close-ups, so as to conceal their failings.

The concept of giant ants is perceived as a major threat by the viewer through expert information imparted by the professor. Formic acid is pumped into the victims via a stinger. An ant can lift several times its own weight (perhaps throwing a few cars around was beyond the budget!). After a single mating, a queen can lay thousands of eggs; this can produce several more queens who fly the nest to other areas. Proof of this arrives when, after destroying the original nest, it's discovered two queens have escaped. One wreaks havoc on a naval warship, whereas James Arness, Joan Weldon and company trace the second to the storm drains beneath Los Angeles. The professor points out that within days ants could take over as the dominant species on earth.

I love films like this, because every so often the producers just let go and have fun. Enter the overly dramatic music, lines of jeeps (the same ones) speeding up and down roads, a major character saving two boys before accidentally-on-purpose flinging himself into the clutches of an ant for an heroic demise, and the professor quoting The Bible: "... and the Beast shall rule over the earth."

With a film as old as this you'd be excused for expecting no extra features. Here we get a lengthy trailer, a photo gallery and some test footage of the ants. Great stuff!

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2003)