Sunday 11 April 2010

The Beast Below Review *** 1/2 (Three and a Half Stars)

Best bit: The Star Whale  flying the people of Starship UK through space because it wanted too. Awwww...
Worst bit:The Smiler/Humans what was the point of that?
Best Character: Liz Ten! "I'm the bloody queen mate!" 
Line of the episode: The Doctor: Sorry, checking all the water in this area; there's an escaped fish.

 So we're off and straight into the action with a trip into the far future on board the Starship UK. My rating may seem a bit low but i gave last weeks four stars and i didnt think it was as good so thats why. Anyway first off the story and basically its a bit like Torchwood's Meat crossed with Doctor Who's Gridlock. In Meat some dodgy butchers were using a space whale as a food product and selling it off and a simular theme in The Beast Below was the Star Whale being used for human needs.The Gridlock connection is just the beast being hidden like the Macra and lots of people oblivious to whats going on. Also i got a feeling of Planet Of the Ood with the whole brain buisness and the sound the beast was making. I mean it was a good story but i think there were a few missed oportunities like futher exploration of the ship and a few more action scenes. Now onto characters and Liz Ten was brilliant! I also liked the little girl helping The Doctor and Amy and it seems to be a bit of a theme to the series. The Smilers were seriously underused and they werent as scary as they could have been. The Star Whale was the highlight for me. I felt sad  for it and we hadnt even seen it properly at that stage. I thought it ws brilliant the parallels between it and The Doctor helping people in need. A nice ending with Amy truly understanding The Doctor better than any other companion and another crack ( not that kind of crack ) sighting! So next week the daleks are back and its going to be brilliant! Until then GERONIMOOOOO (Told you i'd get a catchphrase i know its The Doctors but too bad its mine now!)

3 comments:

Vortex said...

I've got mixed feeling about this episode. Sophie Okonedo as Liz Ten was brilliant, and sounded like an Eastenders character (LOL), as were Matt Smith and Karen Gillan.

The Smilers were a bit rubbish, and the angry Eleventh Doctor is nowhere near a good as the angry Tenth Doctor! The Whale's tongue scene was hilarious!

Overall, a great episode, bring on the Daleks!

Great review. :)

Mr Dalek said...

yeah the angry Eleventh doc isnt as good as tenth! I think he needs to calm down a bit or he could get bit annoying. Anyway thanks for you comment its always a pleasure to have your opinion!

Blink said...

It was also very much like the sixth Doctor story 'Vengeance on Varos', where the residents watch interviews on TV, and then have to vote whether to let their leaders live or die.