Excellent, Without a doubt!!

A Disappointing Continuation

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

The acting in this movie is really good.

In this first episode of a two-part conclusion to the terrific stint of David Tennant as the Doctor has him having to deal with a reborn John Simm's The Master, insatiably hungry and intent on global control. Before you know it a wealthy London citizen (David Harewood) has provided him with alien technology (a type of "transporter" that "mends whole planets", a type of medical device that can perhaps provide David's daughter with eternal life if it can be fixed) in the hopes that The Master will repair it so it can benefit him. Harewood's Naismith had kidnapped The Master after he was in the middle of tormenting the Doctor. The Master has attained the ability to fire off immense beams of intense lightning and can uncannily leap high into the air. The Master seems compelled to feed in order to survive but his condition, according to the Doctor, is tearing him apart. How is The Master alive yet again? Well, he has an order dedicated to him, and they recovered his signet ring after the Doctor had burned his body to ash. The signet ring and "biologicals" from the lips of The Master's wife, Lucy Saxon (Alexandra Moen), held prisoner until needed, were able to resurrect the Doctor's arch nemesis. Lucy does try to destroy The Master within the prison as he is being reborn, failing to do so, as the Doctor surveys the remains of the building which is gutted and skeletal. The Ood feel a "great darkness", a "shadow" about to come across the universe, and what this refers to is actually not The Master, but something even more dangerous…the Doctor's own Time Lord brethren (led by Timothy Dalton, of all people, who also narrates this special Christmas episode) plan to "end time itself". So to say the Doctor has his hands full is an understatement. To use an alien medical device to transform the entire human race into the likenesses and personalities of The Master himself is enough of a huge plot problem fit for the annual Doctor Who Christmas special, but for the close of the first part to have Dalton encouraging support from his Time Lord army on destroying time itself sets a grand stage for the second part to come. It was nice to see Wilfred (Bernard Cribbins) assisting the Doctor in catching and stopping The Master, and the use of Donna (Catherine Tate), unaware of anything regarding the "Man in the Blue Box" any longer, proves to be quite a dramatic device as everyone changes around her and all the suppressed memories return. This episode was your basic set up for the slam bang finale of Tennant as the Doctor, allowing Simm to rabidly devour the scenery as his character does a turkey or meat that passes before him. This could be quite a pop culture item in the future as Barak Obama, the current Pres, is mentioned as a potential salvation to the burgeoning recession, turned into The Master during a press conference like the rest of the planet! Tennant's approaching end as the Doctor is hinted at in quite an emotional scene as the actor does seem to be speaking from his own heart through the character acknowledging his own end was near, close, while speaking with Wilfred in a diner.

This episode is a total mess. It has plots here - more plots there - and more over there - and none of them make sense. For example, there's the resurrection of the master and the whole thing with Lucy Saxon and all those people...what happened to them. Then the master's superpowers...where did they come from. Basically I think the point of the episode was to get as many people and special effects into it as possible. I mean, the superpowers aren't even needed for the story - they just ruin it. The whole episode cannot be described as anything more than little odd ideas stuck together by little bits of loose tape that just marginally form the shape of a story.

Its the end for DT and RTD, and they are throwing the book at this one. Actually I think RTD is putting in everything he can, just because he can. He wont have to tie up loose ends, so leaves a bit of a mess for the successor. There are far too many special effects, and a long wait for any plot. The Gates are much like the ghosts cybermen episode when Rose left. The green spiky alien is just like the red alien on the Xmas Titanic. The warnings from the Ood are a bit like the warnings from the face of bo. Eternal life for the PMs daughter, bit like Lazurus/captain Jack. The Doctor watchers was a bit like the man in the shed in Rose, and Elton in love&monsters. The lady in white seems familiar but wait for ep2. The Master just keeps returning, despite being killed many times, he is becoming a bit supernatural, having here some superpowers (superman/spiderman). He sends energy bolts and leaps tall buildings. John Simm is fantastic mind. How does the masters ring and an imprint of the lips of Lucy bring back the master? Bit Harry Potter, with voldermort returning. I hated the throwaway lines at the start, particularly his getting married to Queen Elizabeth 1? Reminds me when they decided to give him a daughter, just more baggage for future writers to cope with, or perhaps ignore. For 5 years he has been telling us the time lords are finished, so guess who makes an appearance? He rushes about but whats the hurry, he is a TIME LORD. He has a Tardis. Dear dear. Good to see Wilfred and Donna. June Whitfield was wasted (so far). It is still entertaining, but after such a long wait it is disappointing. Please please new writers, bring back plot, and some science too.

I won't give spoilers other to then to say I was damn surprised about how good it was. I have been a fan for over 30 years and this episode was in line with some of the greatest of ages past, such as War Games, Deadly Assassin, Trial of a Time Lord, etc. It takes 5 years of of the series and wraps it up beautifully. The episode, plus the preview for the following week make this the most amazing thing I have seen on TV that I have seen in years. I was amazed at what they did. Any of the other reviewers who complain about the episode I say those peeps are whiny little bitches. I'll say it again, they are whiny little bitches, its a fantastic episode that will go down in history. Screw all of the nay-sayers!!!!UPDATE: After watching Part 2...I am disappointed.