Peter Cushing returns as Doctor Who for a second cinematic battle against the Daleks, this time in the year 2150 AD (although it looks suspiciously like 1966), where the metallic menaces are trying to turn Earth into a giant spacecraft by detonating a bomb in the planet's magnetic core. Also along for the adventure are the Doctor's niece Louise (Jill Curzon), grand-daughter Susan, and the obligatory comic relief, London police constable Tom Campbell (Bernard Cribbens).
The good news is that this Dr. Who adventure is better than the first; the bad news is that any improvement is marginal. The livelier storyline means that the film isn't quite the endurance test that was Dr. Who and the Daleks, but there are still plenty of reasons to feel disappointed by this more ambitious movie, including totally unsuitable jazzy incidental music, Daleks that use fire extinguishers to 'Ex-ter-min-ate!', and unconvincing sets, matte paintings and models (eg. the Daleks' flying saucer, which is suspended from clearly visible wires).
The film ends in a similar manner to the previous year's Dr. Who and the Daleks, the good guys narrowly saving the day thanks to a ridiculously drawn out countdown from the Daleks; next time, they really should just count to three and push the button...
The good news is that this Dr. Who adventure is better than the first; the bad news is that any improvement is marginal. The livelier storyline means that the film isn't quite the endurance test that was Dr. Who and the Daleks, but there are still plenty of reasons to feel disappointed by this more ambitious movie, including totally unsuitable jazzy incidental music, Daleks that use fire extinguishers to 'Ex-ter-min-ate!', and unconvincing sets, matte paintings and models (eg. the Daleks' flying saucer, which is suspended from clearly visible wires).
The film ends in a similar manner to the previous year's Dr. Who and the Daleks, the good guys narrowly saving the day thanks to a ridiculously drawn out countdown from the Daleks; next time, they really should just count to three and push the button...