Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966) Poster

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7/10
Extermination is not an Option
Bogmeister3 September 2005
When I first saw this on TV as a kid, I was really taken with the fanciful far-out concepts of a conquered Earth. For a 12 year-old boy into sci-fi, this was and is the ultimate escapist fare. I had no knowledge of the British TV series at the time so my intro to Dr.Who was Peter Cushing (playing older than he is), the movie version of the old-time traditional Doctor. I probably saw this film before the previous one "Dr. Who and the Daleks" as I was puzzled by the Doctor's recognition of his old foes, the unforgettable Daleks. Yes, who can forget those frog-like voices, warped by metallics, usually screaming for the death of humans. The British cast is really keen, especially Cribbins as an out-of-place copper and Andrew Keir as a hobbled resistance fighter. They bring a curious reality to the fantastic setting.

The picture has a decidedly British flavor and, of course, is filmed in the British countryside. Though I didn't reason this out at the time when I was a kid, it had an obviously different taste to it; I was mostly familiar with U.S. low budget sci-fi pics of the '50s and '60s at the time. The scope of the picture seemed really huge back then: London in a destroyed state, humanity decimated. There was that really cool flying saucer, looking fully functional and detailed. And there were the creepy Robo-men, in their slick black bodysuits and far-out helmets, like some futuristic Nazis or space zombies. All of this stuff really just took me over and I couldn't wait for the next time the local TV channels would run it again (not very often, as it happened). Some years later, I realized the title, 2150 AD, sounded cool, but the invasion by the Daleks must have occurred only a few years before the events of this movie, and the dilapidated buildings all looked like they'd been wrecked in the sixties. Ah, no matter. Many years later, I got the DVD and the thrill, tho muted by the long passage of experience and adulthood, is still there. They really knew how to make 'em back then.
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7/10
Surprisingly entertaining!
Leofwine_draca28 January 2013
I sat through, and was utterly bored by, the first of the Peter Cushing/Dr Who movies, DR WHO AND THE DALEKS. It was a chore to sit through in places, a resolutely twee attempt to transfer the TV series to the big screen for children to enjoy. The good news is that this sequel is a different beast entirely, even though it brings back much of the same cast and crew (including the director).

Put simply, DALEKS INVASION EARTH: 2150 AD is an action-packed romp. If you think that scenes of Dalek war-bands patrolling the streets of a post-apocalyptic London sounds like a good time, then you'd be right. This is a film that sacrifices character set-up in favour of all out action, and it works a treat.

Cushing plays the crusty old buffoon once more, and the only reason he's not as irritating is because he's given far less screen time here. For most of the time his character is a mere observer, watching a guerrilla war between Ray Brooks (THE FLESH AND BLOOD SHOW) and his rebels and the Daleks and their goons. Bernard Cribbins contributes some comedy schtick, but he's nowhere near as irritating as Roy Castle was in the last one.

The technical effects are surprisingly decent, from the Dalek spaceships to the explosions, firefights, and large-scale destruction. Scenes of buildings collapsing are vivid and exciting and the Daleks are more of a menace here (and thankfully their voices aren't irritating anymore). There are lots of great visual moments, like the solitary Dalek rising out of the Thames or the humans vs. Dalek fight scenes. A rousing score and decent supporting cast serve as the icing on the cake here.
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7/10
Who do you love ?
clover-cat13 January 2008
Warning: Spoilers
When I first saw this on Television as a child, and now and again at Saturday morning cinema shows, I was really taken with the whole thing having been born too late to see the original Television version. And being about 20 years too early for the inevitable DVD and Video release.

For a young boy into Sci-Fi and horror this was an amazing piece of cinema and I would think about what I would do if the world was invaded by Daleks - the image of the Dalek rising from the Thames was wonderful.

The fact that these Daleks could go anywhere when only the week before I had seen them trapped in a metal city on the planet Skaro brought a new level of threat and where the Daleks could not go their Robomen could.

The film is very much to me linked in with British Sci-Fi that I was watching at the time I first saw it UFO, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet and the use of primary colours and actors that I knew from television helped a great deal.

It is nice to think that years later Bernard Cribbins would return to Doctor Who and feature in the third Christmas Special of the show's revival in 2007 all very circular.

Andrew Keir brings in a link with Hammer films (Fathor Shandor) and Quatermass and I have a feeling that there might be a place for a Sci-Fi family tree book rather like the Rock Family Tree book that was all the rage a few years ago.

Mostly filmed in ruined parts of London and bleak areas of England it would probably take a major exercise like that for 28 DAYS LATER or CGI to get the same effect again.

Also nice to compare the idea of an alien invasion of Britain 1960s style to the novel WAR OF THE WORLDS and compare how similar the Daleks and Martians are in methodology of invasion.

One criticism of the film though must be that the film does not give a feel of the Daleks having invaded the Earth rather bits of Britain (and shabby bits at that).

Great to watch these days as a double bill with Doctor Who and The Daleks and wonderful to see Peter Cushing playing a very different version of the Doctor to that played by William Hartnell.

Recommended for too many reasons to list (but including Peter Cushing, Amicus, Andrew Keir, Bernard Cribbins and the Daleks of course).
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We Are the Masters of Earth!
hissingsid12 February 2003
Hurrah. Here come the daleks. Again.

But don't be scared. They're in fine fettle this time and while this film is just as daft as its predecessor it's far better-paced and the good guys don't have stupid eye make-up, instead resembling good old London Council Workers, circa 1955. It's a slight anachronism, but I like the idea of a sci-fi setting where the heroes are all unshaven working class 'Uncle Fred, Friend of Your Dad' types who wear jackets and caps that make them look like bin men. I suppose actually, given that the Daleks do resemble (and are referred to as) motorised dustbins, there's probably some poetry in this. Anyway, forget the title, this might as well be set in 1950 AD - it certainly feels a bit Ealing at times.

So, how is this rather entertaining nonsense an improvement on the cinematic war-crime that was the first film? Well, just that, it's entertaining. The Daleks are still quite funky, despite their ongoing choice of fire-extinguisher weaponry. They're also much more enthusiastic these days - we even see one going for a swim at one point (I can't think of a better explanation! You'll see what I mean...).

Anyway - the plot? Well, I suspect the title might give it away. In fact, I'm not sure it even IS the title. Maybe they just wrote the plot-summary in the wrong box. Whatever, I don't feel I'll be spoiling anything if I give you the following outline: Daleks have invaded Earth because they felt like it, and are now constructing a large Roller Disco/Cinema Multiplex/Dodgem park in Bedfordshire.

Okay, they're not, but it's entirely as likely and sensible as what they ARE doing there (or as the swimming Dalek). There are some great British actors having fun in this - Philip Madoc from Wales, Andrew Keir from Scotland, Peter Cushing from England. A truly unified effort - all silly together.

People who smashed their television set in an effort to survive the first film will be pleased to see that Roy Castle is not reprising his role as Ian (for those who didn't see it, I rather suspect George Lucas got his idea for Jar Jar Binks from Castle's performance), and has been replaced in the light relief stakes by the altogether defter and more endearing Bernard Cribbins (for non-British readers, Cribbins is one of the most highly regarded and acclaimed English actors of the last forty years, and his profound performance in The Wombles is still remembered by many people of my generation today).

For that matter, even Peter Cushing's mad professor is rather good this time round, and provided one doesn't expect more than robot monsters, rubbish flying saucers, and huge armies of (toy miniature) Daleks, not to mention quite a few laughs, then this will pass 80-odd minutes in quite an agreeable manner. Not as effectively as becoming an alcoholic, but more so than banging your head against concrete. I suppose this is the bottom line really - watch this film too many times and it remains preferable to headbutting a concrete wall, which is painful. Watch the first film too many times and you'll find the experience of headbutting a wall strangely comfy on account of all the padding it will have acquired.
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6/10
WHO did you say Peter Cushing is playing?
AlsExGal29 September 2020
In this British science fiction adventure, London policeman Tom Campbell (Bernard Cribbens) enters what he thinks is a police call-box only to discover that it's the TARDIS, the physics-defying home/ship of Doctor Who (Peter Cushing). Campbell is brought along as the Doctor, along with his granddaughter Susan (Roberta Tovey) and assistant Louise (Jill Curzon), travel through time to the year 2150, only to discover a London in ruins. The nefarious alien race known as the Daleks have conquered the Earth, and is rounding up the few surviving people to work as either slave labor, or even worse, as mind-controlled Robo-Men. It's up to the Doctor and his companions to free the human race from bondage.

This is the sequel to 1965's Dr. Who and the Daleks, which had also starred Cushing in the title role, although neither of these films are considered part of the ongoing Dr. Who canon. From what I've read, most true-blue Who fans detest these movies, although I don't have any special feeling toward the series so these movies didn't bother me in that respect. They are both slightly dopey, with a comical undertone and definite targeting of the younger members of the audience. I've always found the Daleks to be quite silly, and their accented, screamed statements ("Exterminate!") a source of much amusement. However, the movie is generally entertaining, and it doesn't overstay its welcome. Plus, I always like to see something I haven't seen before with Peter Cushing.
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7/10
Fun Futuristic Sci-Fi never to pass its Sell by Date.
Cinema_Fan26 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
With the help of Special Effects expert Ted Samuels and fellow Cinematographer John Wilcox (1905 - 1979), who having both worked on the 1965 Dr. Who and the Daleks, have brought us, along with a great Art Department, a futuristic, barren wilderness landscape that is the concrete jungle of a war torn London. This is pure 1960's melodramatic pomp, with its, sometimes colourful but delightful aesthetic workmanship, making this a timeless classic.

From the Production and movie making team, once more, that was Max Rosenberg (1914 - 2004), and Milton Subotsky (1921 - 1991), who released Oliver Stone's first feature length movie Seizure (1974), bought a bigger budget, Aaru Productions, via Amicus, had given the green light for a £286,000 worth of a second sci-fi escapism flick. The money is extremely well spent, particularly for a movie that is classed in the low-budget category, with greatest of detail to the dead City, a derelict City of abandonment with its rubble streets, ghostly dwellings and dangerous alleyways that are patrolled by the dreaded Robomen and Daleks alike.

To advance the gross budget, we see an early example of what is so common for today's movie standards: Product Placing. Here we see posters for the cereal Sugar Puffs. Also, if you do spot it, there is also a banner advertising Castrol Oil, the vehicles couldn't really run on thin air.

Directed, again, by the late Gordon Flemyng (1934 - 1995), he has given the lead role back to Peter Cushing O.B.E. (Officer of the British Empire), who, allegedly, asked for the return of Roberta Tovey, playing the young Susan, as supporting actress, and reprising his role as the lovable and adventurous time travelling grandfather. The support cast differs from the first instalment, with character and comedy actor Bernard Cribbins, as Special Constable Tom Campbell, with a more mature and involving perspective, Tom Campbell is a character that can be relied upon should trouble arise. Retrospectively, there is just one scene that does have our time travelling companion looking rather inept and foolish, put in no doubt to appease to the actors comic appeal, it gives the impression of lampooning slapstick, this is the wrong time and the wrong place for such silliness.

The other trait of the negative persuasion that Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. has, considering the huge budget, is one of worst musical soundtracks ever to stumble across the movie screen, by Barry Grey (1908 - 1984), and Bill McGuffie (1927 - 1987). It gives this movie no atmosphere, the electronic music used here is simply dreadful, be more afraid of hearing this than the cry of the Daleks, "Exterminate".

The late Welch born Terry Nation had conceived the original idea for Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. from the television series from the nineteen sixty-four The Dalek Invasion of Earth series, which, controversially, at times, is known as World's End.

There are differences, of course, between the original television series and the 1966 movie, each works well in their respective genres, where Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. does shine is the magnificent intricacies of the set pieces and their design that give the movie a true concept of realism. The script is passable and the overall story is fine and basic, but as a money-spinner. This one failed to exceed the anticipation of the first movie; maybe the excessive hype from the first movie had taken its toll. This was bigger and bolder, and it shows, it really is a shame that it never triggered of the third movie in the pipeline The Chase, but that's history now, and this is still a great little movie, time again and again and again.
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5/10
In 2150 AD, Earth will look just like 1966.
BA_Harrison10 September 2013
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...
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7/10
Surprisingly Good
boblipton28 December 2011
I am a fan of the Doctor Who TV show, both in its original incarnation and in modern dress. I've also seen the two earlier movies and thought them odd and sad. I was therefore shocked and pleased to find this movie version of "The Dalek Invasion of the Earth" serial to be excellent. The pacing is better, the color photography by John Wilcox has its moments of beauty -- even the Technicolor Daleks have a peculiar beauty.

Working with only minor variations from the television serial, this demonstrates something I have long maintained: the writing on the TV DOCTOR WHO was often first rate. It was the cripplingly tiny budgets that often made it seem ridiculous, with its impossible shooting schedules, cardboard sets and monsters that frequently seemed to be a man lurking under a cast-off shag rug.

The memories of children often play them false in later years. People report on seeing a particular favorite DOCTOR WHO serial from childhood and being shocked at how much better it is in memory than looking at it as adults. Children assume the lovely details that the adult mind demands. How very pleasant for this adult to see them filled in here!
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5/10
The Timelords Cricket Club's Twelfth Man
JamesHitchcock4 March 2011
Hartnell, Troughton, Pertwee, Baker T, Davison, Baker C, McCoy, McGann, Eccleston, Tennant, Smith.

To the "Doctor Who" fan these names trip off the tongue as easily as do the Kings and Queens of England to the historian or the current England batting line-up to the cricket lover. Yet there is one name missing from the Timelords Cricket Club First Eleven: Peter Cushing, who doesn't even make it onto the scorecard as twelfth man. Although Cushing played the Doctor in two films from the mid-sixties, of which this is the second, he is generally omitted from the "official" sequence; the current incumbent, Matt Smith, is regarded as the Eleventh Doctor, not the Twelfth.

Although William Hartnell was the British television Doctor at the time, for some reason he was not asked to play the role in the films, even though both were based upon television episodes which he had appeared in. The films make no mention of the Doctor being a member of the alien Timelord race; he is presumed to be a human scientist and inventor, and this deviation from one of the key premises of the television series is doubtless the reason for Cushing's banishment from the official canon. Something else missing from the film is the television version's very distinctive electronic theme tune.

Yet in many ways the films remain faithful to the original concept. As in the original the Doctor has the ability to travel through space and time in his Tardis, a time machine which from the outside appears to be a police box. (In the sixties police boxes were a common sight on the streets of British cities; since 1969 they have largely been phased out, but the Tardis has always retained its original design). As in the original the Doctor is accompanied on his travels by female companions, in this case his niece Louise and his granddaughter Susan. (Susan also appeared in the early Hartnell episodes, although there she was played by Carole Anne Ford as a young woman in her early twenties; here she is played by Roberta Tovey as a young girl). Both films feature the Doctor's most iconic enemies, the Daleks.

In some ways, in fact, the films look forward to the future of the franchise. In 1965 when the first film, "Dr. Who and the Daleks", came out, only one actor had played the Doctor on television. Cushing's interpretation of the role is quite different to Hartnell's. Both Doctors are elderly, but whereas Hartnell's was impatient and testy, Cushing's is eccentric but kindly, a well-spoken English gentleman. Cushing may have influenced the development of the television series; after Hartnell was replaced by Patrick Troughton it became a feature of the franchise that whenever the Doctor "regenerated" himself his new incarnation was quite different, in both looks and personality, to the previous one. In his personality Cushing seems to prefigure Jon Pertwee's Third Doctor and in his dress Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor.

The title, "Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D.", effectively summarises the plot. The Doctor, Louise and Susan, accompanied by a London policeman named Tom Campbell, travel forward in time to the year 2150. They find that the Daleks have invaded Earth and imposed their rule on the human population. London has been reduced to ruins and its surviving inhabitants forced underground, where resistance to Dalek rule is forming. The story tells how the Doctor assists these movements to liberate the planet from the Daleks. Although the story ostensibly takes place nearly two hundred years into the future, the recently-ruined city bears a much closer resemblance to the London of 1966 than to anything futuristic. Perhaps the film should have been titled "Daleks' Invasion Earth: 1967 A.D." We even see an advertisement for Sugar Puffs, a popular breakfast cereal of the time; this was, apparently, a piece of product placement as the manufacturers were sponsoring the film. They obviously liked the idea that their products would still be popular in the mid-22nd century.

Objectively speaking, this is not a very good film. The acting is generally undistinguished, although Peter Cushing's interpretation of the Doctor is as good as any, and in my view better than Hartnell's. The attempts at comic relief, mostly involving Bernard Cribbins's Tom, are never really successful. Like a number of science-fiction films, the "science" involved is pure fiction; the Daleks' master-plan, apparently, is to remove the Earth's core and replace it with a giant motor, thus turning the planet into a gigantic spaceship which the Daleks will use to return to their home planet. (It's easy when you know how). There are some curious permutations of geography; Bedfordshire, one of England's least spectacular counties, has suddenly acquired mountains far more spectacular than the Dunstable Downs, and Wren's famous spire of St-Dunstan-in-the-East seems to have relocated itself from the north bank of the Thames to the South. And the film suffers from that frequent curse of sixties sci-fi; cheap, dodgy-looking special effects. It was not a success at the box office and a planned third Doctor Who film was cancelled.

Yet like most Britons of my generation who grew up in the sixties and seventies I am quite unable to be objective about "Doctor Who". This film has not dated well, but I doubt if many of the television adventures of the Doctor, which we spent so many hours eagerly discussing in our school playgrounds, would stand up well in the cold light of day of 2011. For the pleasures of nostalgia, if for no other reason, even a "non-canonical" Doctor Who adventure is still worth watching. 5/10
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6/10
"Detective Inspector Campbell – OBE!"
The_Movie_Cat28 May 2000
The On Her Majesty's Secret Service of the Doctor Who world, the two Peter Cushing-Dalek films have seen occasional reappraisal that labels them as "coolly kitsch" or "lovably camp". In reality, of course, they're complete pants.

The Doctor Who TV series actually had a considerable integrity, despite being made on a budget of 50p and never managing to shake off the "Kid's Telly" tag. Here Cushing plays the Doctor of the title, his surname actually becoming "Who". The Tardis, his sophisticated space-time machine, is now "Tardis", a naff-looking thing with a Yale lock on the door. Around the time this was made a "Carry On" actor would do his only television work in the Doctor Who series – Peter Butterworth as the Meddling Monk. For the film we got Bernard Cribbins as P.C. Tom Campbell, a similar character to the one that married the Doctor's granddaughter on TV. Though as the film Susan is only ten that would be inappropriate here.

Both films (the other – Doctor Who and the Daleks, Cushing joined by Roy Castle) were based directly on actual TV stories, the novelty being they were in colour. By the time the second came around the novelty was over and it didn't do the business of the first, despite being someway the better film. Perhaps this is because the original serial – The Dalek Invasion of Earth – was an attempt to mount a film's epic scale on a TV budget. To this end it transfers better to the medium, and its setting (future Earth as opposed to the first film's alien planet Skaro) is more accessible to audiences.

The big failure is, of course, send-up. Some of the series' b-movie concepts (mutated nuclear war victims get robot-armoured shells and invade Earth to steal its core) are ludicrous, but played straight can be rewarding. The films make a mockery of the whole concept, showing a total lack of respect for their source material. My advice is: if you don't like 'em, don't make 'em. Bearing in mind the Daleks were hot merchandise properties at the time, this is a cynical cash-in on the nation's youth. There's even a shameless product placement for Sugar Puff Cereals.

All involved are capable of better. Peter Cushing, respected in adult horror films, here opts for a no-effort parody of TV Doctor William Hartnell's performance. There is no trace of depth or consideration for the part he has chosen. Full credit does go to Ray Brooks, Andrew Keir and Philip Madoc for at least trying to take it seriously. Madoc was rewarded with four seperate roles in the television series, most notably as mad scientist Solon (1976) and The War Lord (1969). On the plus side, direction in terms of camera angles is actually very, very good, but is offset by incidental music so loud and outdated that it works against the mood entirely. Think SF drama with Carry On music and you're almost there.

Bright and colourful, (including a funky red Dalek) the film certainly has visual appeal. But the Daleks' voices, their volume increased considerably, are extremely grating. They also lack their trademark warmth and charm, being little more than robots. Their weaponry was scheduled to be flame-throwers, but was disallowed due to the young audience. This is perhaps fortunate as their gas sprays aid the Nazi allegory. Best bit? The exploding shed.

Trite jazz, lame comic setpieces and binliner outfits, the film is on TV virtually every Bank Holiday in England. And you know the strangest part? As bad as it is, come next Bank Holiday I'll probably be tempted to see it again.
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3/10
Oh, the badness of it! It was hilarious.
siderite30 August 2021
In the same year when Fantastic Voyage was released, this piece of garbage was trying to bank on the success of the Doctor Who series. Completely unscientific, starring Peter Cushing acting incredibly bad and other actors who couldn't act at all, it portrays the future invasion of London by the Daleks in 2150. Of course, they are defeated, by using something that didn't make any sense whatsoever. The only good bit of the film is Bernard Cribbins, who manages to lift the quality of the film mainly through his comedic body language.

Bottom line: I think this could be deliciously funny when drunk. It's really bad otherwise.
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8/10
Vastly superior sequel
Dock-Ock21 June 2001
Daleks-Invasion-Earth:2150 AD, is an enormous improval on the preceeding film. It is more exciting and enjoyable and there is an impending sense of fear throughout the movie wich was evident in the Television series around this time. Peter Cushing gets to grips with his role as The Doctor in this movie. Bernard Cribbins comes on board and is fantastic. Ray Brooks and Jill Curzon enhance the swinging sixties fell apparent in the previous film, and the action never gives up. The multi coloured Daleks are a more frightening sight in a future decaying London thatn on there own planet, and the set designs and designs of the vicious Robomen are again superb. This is a juvenile movie, but enjoyable at that. For a new Doctor Who movie, someone like Tim Burton or Steven Spielberg should remake this, and they would have an absolute goldmine on their hands.
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7/10
Fine sequel with more action.
grendelkhan2 December 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I must be the odd man out, as I greatly enjoy the Who movies, despite their bad reputation amongst the Who faithful. Granted, I was never a rabid fan of the series, though I enjoyed much of it. These things are a bit lighter, but equally thrilling.

This sequel finds the Doctor and family back on Earth, just in time to meet police constable Tom Campbell, who runs into the TARDIS (which appears to be a police callbox) to call in a robbery. However, we soon learn that the Doctor's granddaughter Barbara, and her boyfriend Ian, are now gone. In Barbara's place is a niece, Louise. I suppose if the series had continued, and actors continued to be unavailable, we might have had quite a brood of Whos. Louise isn't quite up to Barbara's standards, but Tom makes a fine addition. Our group soon find themselves in 2150, to find London in rubble and the Daleks in control, aided by their zombie-like Robomen. The Doctor and Susan fall in with a resistance group, while Tom and Louise find themselves on a Dalek ship. Louise succeeds in hiding while Tom, the Doctor, and a rebel leader are caught by the Daleks. They are about to be turned into Robomen when the resistance strikes. Unfortunately, Tom finds himself stuck onboard for a while, though he and Louise eventually make their escape. Susan flees with Wyler, a reluctant rebel. The Doctor finds his way to a mine, where it turns out the Daleks are have a shaft dug to launch a bomb into the Earth's core. The resulting explosion will propel the Earth like a spaceship, though it will likely kill all life on the planet. Eventually, everyone converges on the mine to stop the Daleks.

The returning Peter Cushing and Roberta Tovey are joined by Jill Curzon as Louise and Bernard Cribbins as Tom. Curzon is adequate, but the role isn't quite as rounded as Barbara and Curzon isn't quite as lively as Jennie Linden. Cribbins makes for a wonderful addition, bringing many comedic touches, while still managing to be a physical hero. Cribbins who later find himself in the TV Who, joining the revived series in recent years. Andrew Keir is Wyler, the reluctant rebel, who finds himself paired with the more resolute Susan. Keir specializes in terse authority figures and has a commanding presence. Philip Madoc is memorable in a small but pivotal role as Brockley, a turncoat. madoc is delightfully slimy and gets his just rewards.

The film is more down-to-earth (pun intended) with the more fantastic sets reserved for the Dalek ship and mine base. Otherwise, everything else looks like 60s Britain (though with London looking like after the Blitz). The Dalek ship is a great set, large enough to accommodate a great action piece, when the rebels attack the ship, while having a variety of chambers for various scenes. The exterior model is quite good and looks rather convincing (for the period). There is more action here than in the first film, which was more mystery driven. It's more mundane, but just as compelling.

The film is a fine adventure and makes for entertaining viewing. i suggest watching it as a double feature with Dr. Who and the Daleks, to really appreciate things. Keep in mind that it was aimed at children, so things are simpler than the TV series, but it is not childish. The story is streamlined but well constructed. If you are like me, you will end up wishing they had produced more films in the series. As it stands, these make for a fine alternate universe Doctor Who.
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3/10
A Dull Remake Of A Classic
timdalton00714 May 2007
Warning: Spoilers
So what happens when you take an episode of a classic science fiction series (Doctor Who: The Dalek Invasion Of Earth) and decide to remake it as the sequel to one of the campiest films of all time (Dr. Who And The Daleks)? The answer is Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. And despite everything it had going for it it is one of the dullest films I have ever seen.

Peter Cushing returns as the elderly and eccentric human scientist. There is virtually nothing new in terms of performance from Cushing and he lacks everything that made him so watchable in the first film. Not to mention he virtually vanishes during the middle of the film. And all he really does his just stand around and give orders during the time he is on screen. In short he is dull. And incredibly dull to say the least.

The rest of the cast isn't much help. Bernard Cribbins adds nothing to the film as policeman Tom Campbell and seems a poor substitute for the Roy Castle character of Ian. The same can be said of Jill Curzon's Louise who seems to substitute for Barbara. The only cast member who seems to live up to expectation is Roberta Tovey as the little girl Susan. And when the little girl is the best one in the movie, you know you've got problems.

The rest of the film doesn't help. The story is a remake of the classic Doctor Who serial "The Dalek Invasion Of Earth" just as the first film was a remake of "The Daleks". But while that serial featured all the classic dark elements that made it a thinly disguised Nazi invasion story, this film throws most of it out.

For example, in the middle of the film when Tom is trapped aboard the spaceship and is forced to disguise himself as a Roboman. Instead of a tension sequence we get a Keystone Cops style sequence. The sequence where the Dalek comes out of the Thames (taken right out of the serial) is ruined by poor production values.

The production values seem worse then the original, despite the fact that this film had a bigger budget. The ending in particular seems to show just how cheap this film really was. The question seems to be where did all the money go? I mean that it is hard to find any good special effects in this film. And that's saying a lot.

In virtually every respect, this is a poor film. From lackluster performances to poor visual effects, the film is hurt even more by a script that seems to be more interested in camp then in trying to be serious. This isn't a film that many people can either or enjoy. I especially don't recommend it for any serious fan of the TV serials. You ARE going to be very disappointed.
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An enjoyable yarn.
mcgoverngarrett25 June 2000
I first saw this movie as a kid back in the 70's.It was screened as a saturday morning feature during the easter holidays.In those days it was the only 'repeat' you were likely to get.I can never understand the general disdain shown to it by Dr Who fans.The production values are high and there's plenty to keep you entertained.I think fans are critical of it because of its comical element.Yes it's cheap,ham-acted at times and the special effects not-very-special,but so was the tv series.I love this movie because of,not despite,its cheesiness.
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6/10
Destroy Invaders! Destroy Invaders!
hitchcockthelegend29 August 2012
Daleks-Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. is directed by Gordon Flemyng and Milton Subotsky co-adapts the screenplay with Terry Nation and David Whitaker. It stars Peter Cushing, Bernard Cribbins, Ray Brooks, Andrew Keir, Jill Curzon and Roberta Tovey. A Technicolor/Techniscope production, with music by Barry Gray and Bill McGuffie and cinematography by John Wilcox.

A sequel to Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965), plot finds Cushing once again playing the Doctor, who after getting transported to 2150 A.D. finds London ravaged by the Daleks. The Daleks are turning humans into slave Robomen, but an underground human resistance offers hope. Can the Doctor and his companions aid the resistance and save Earth from Dalek damnation? Even though Dr. Who and the Daleks irked the Dr. Who fan base, understandably so since Amicus' version of the good Doctor is some way from the TV series version, it was enough of a success to warrant this sequel. You pretty much get a retread of the first film with the characterisations, Cushing's Doctor is a lovable old eccentric prof, two of his lady female relations are along for the ride (Tovey returning as the same character) and Cribbins has replaced Roy Castle as the light relief companion accidentally thrust into a chaotic world. The Daleks remain a unique and devilish foe, their voices unnerving and their colours vibrant in Technicolor.

Plot follows a familiar trajectory, much running, puffing, capture and escape histrionics, the good versus evil core booming throughout. The sets remain cheap, the effects basic but quaint, and the acting just about passes the test because everyone seems to be enjoying themselves and therefore performing it to the required standard. The music score is truly out of sync with the picture, at times it sounds like it belongs in a Carry On movie, at others an episode of The Avengers; in fact John Steed would have been a good addition to the plotting! But there is some darkness in the story, making it more potent than its prequel.

This wasn't as successful as the studio hoped, so a third film was shelved. If you aren't a hardcore Dr. Who fan and you can accept it on its own daft and fun terms? Then Daleks-Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. is an enjoyable enough time filler. 6/10
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6/10
Sort of fun in a 60's camp sort of way.
poolandrews3 October 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. starts late one night in London as constable Tom Campbell (Bernard Cribbins) witnesses a theft at a jewellery store, he rushes to find help & stumbles across a police box. He ventures inside & finds it much bigger on the inside than the outside, inside he is greeted by an old scientist named Dr. Who (Peter Cushing), his niece Lousie (Jill Curzon) & his young granddaughter Susan (Roberta Tovey). The police box turns out to be a machine which can travel through time & space & Dr. Who decides to take Tom with them as they travel to the year 2150, just because they can I suppose. Once there they find London in ruins, they quickly discover that the evil Daleks have invaded Earth & plan to turn it into a giant Dalek spaceship. Dr. Who & his companions join a resistance group on Earth in an effort to defeat the Daleks & save the planet...

This British production was directed by Gordon Flemyng & is an improvement on it's predecessor Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) if nothing else. The script is credited to producer & Amicus founder Milton Subotsky with an 'additional material' credit to David Whitaker & is a pretty fun sci-fi adventure that is both different & similar enough to the BBC TV series to be enjoyable, this was actually a remake of the black and white six part Doctor Who story The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964) staring William Hartnell. First off I have to say the comedy sequence where Tom tries to impersonate some Robomen is just plain embarrassing & frankly stupid although I'm glad the makers decided to have everyone call the Doctor simply 'Doctor' rather than the annoying 'Dr. Who' as in the first film, the film certainly moves along at a nice pace & is never boring, the Daleks themselves make for very colourful villains although there are several plot holes. First if the Daleks can control people's minds & make them into guards why couldn't they control the miners minds? Surely that would have been safer than trying to force them to do their bidding? Then there's the notion that they want to take control of Earth & fly it across the galaxy to their home planet so they can occupy it, right well why don't they just occupy Earth where it is at the moment? If this is indeed set during the year 2150 why does a rebel have to try & escape London in what looks like a van from the 1940's? Wouldn't have technology moved on in 200 odd years? Having said that the plot holes don't really matter that much as this is a fun romp that makes for perfect Saturday afternoon viewing with the kids of all ages...

Having directed the original Dr. Who and the Daleks the previous year returning director Flemyng does OK here although I'd have liked him to have tried to make the Daleks themselves a bit more menacing, they are OK & no worse than their TV incarnations but they are a little slow & cumbersome looking. The special effects are OK actually, the shots of a half destroyed London are very effective, the Dalek spaceship looks a bit naff though. The sets are very colourful in the Irwin Allen tradition of banks of flashing lights & computer equipment with huge dials & buttons that look horribly dated these days, personally I think they give the film some charm & add to the fun. There are some decent action scenes as well. This film was apparently part financed by a British company who made a breakfast cereal named 'Sugar Puffs' (yeah, I remember the adverts with the Honey Monster! I never liked the actual cereal though, I was more of a Coco-Pops man...) & as such there is a long lingering shot of a poster advertising them in what must be one of the earliest examples of product placement!

Technically the film is fine, it has brightly coloured garish sets which look dated but are fun to look at. Shot at Shepperton Studios in Surrey here in England & on location. The acting is OK, Cushing is always watchable, Cribbins is better known for his roles in the Carry On films while Tovey as Susan isn't as annoying as I'd thought she would be.

Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. is a fun 60's sci-fi romp which isn't the best film ever made but is entertaining none the less. I've certainly seen worse, worth watching if you like the TV series or just want some light hearted sci-fi fun. A third film in the series based on the six part Doctor Who story The Chase (1965) was planned but never got made.
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5/10
Another enjoyable Dr Who movie starring Peter Cushing!
samog-982891 April 2023
I also got the BluRay for this movie on my birthday this year, I just finished watching it & I liked it! As usual, I'll be talking about my thoughts, revisiting the classic series once again and my conclusion/rating! Peter Cushing is charming & brilliant as the Doctor he kills it in this performance! Roberta Tovey returns as Susan Foreman as well as some new characters like; Louise played by Jill Curzon and Tom Campbell played by the late great Bernard Cribbins! The last movie was a remake of the Daleks arc from Season 1 of the original series this one is a remake of The Dalek Invasion of Earth only this time some things are the same & others are different! Overall this was a fun Dr Who film with Peter Cushing and is going to look so much better than Modern Dr Who! That's why I'm giving this a 5/10! Hopefully, you'll enjoy it just as much as I did! ;-)
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6/10
Terrific British Cornball Sixties Sci-Fi
ShootingShark17 May 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Dr Who and his companions travel to London in the far-distant future and discover a crumbling wreck of a city with a handful of survivors hiding in an underground base. The Daleks, evil machine creatures, have invaded and subjugated all before them, and are concentrating their operations on a mine in Bedfordshire. They plan to bomb the earth's core and send the planet spinning off into space. Can the Doctor save humanity ? The sequel to Dr Who And The Daleks is an even better movie, with a bigger budget, a great story (again based on one of the BBC TV serials by Terry Nation), terrific special effects and lots of delicious scares - the first shot of the Dalek emerging from the Thames is wonderfully creepy. The whole of the deserted-London first half in particular is excellent, as our heroes wander through rubble streets and dusty tunnels whilst Dalek flying saucers rumble overhead. Cushing and Tovey reprise their roles with aplomb, and Cribbins is excellent as the policeman who stumbles unwittingly into the adventure, giving just the right mix of google-eyed bewilderment, comic pratfalls and square-jawed no-nonsense action. The rest of the cast are great, particularly Madoc (who went on to appear in several of the TV shows, notably The Brain Of Morbius in 1976) as a hard-hearted, ill-fated mercenary. A highly enjoyable Saturday matinée sci-fi flick, featuring terrific photography by John Wilcox - check out the nifty camera moves in the Dalek control room. My one and only complaint; the trumpeting score by Bill McGuffie is way too loud - turn it down. Beautifully produced by Milton Subotsky and Max J. Rosenberg and well directed by Flemyng, this is a classic British fantasy movie. Exterminate !!
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5/10
It's alright but I prefer the '65 movie
utgard141 July 2023
I seem be with the minority opinion on these films. The first film I enjoyed for what it was. I liked the aesthetics - the colors, sets, etc. I thought it was bright and fun. Most reviewers here hated it. Now this one reviewers seem to think was better than the first and I'm of the opposite opinion. I do like this one but not nearly as much as the first one. The drab color palette, limited setting, and more "serious" tone aren't fun for me. Peter Cushing is also in this less than I would like. Anyway I guess if you thought the first Amicus Doctor Who film was too cheesy or campy then you'll probably enjoy this more. It's a little more in line with the tv series tonally, which I'm sure is part of why some people prefer it.
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6/10
Second big-screen spin-off from the TV series with the magnificent Peter Cushing as the uncanny Dr. Who
ma-cortes25 March 2019
Daleks , invasion Earth 2150 AD is an acceptable rendition and sequel to ¨Dr Who and the Daleks¨ about title mutants who are trying to take over Earth and from classic British TV serial with an agreeable Peter Cushing playing the popular British role along with some guest stars . He is a mysterious profesor travelling throughout time and space by a phone booth : the Tardis . They're transported to a future world and end up on an destroyed Earth . Wherein The Daleks' fiendish plot in 2150 against Earth . There people fighting the mutants named Daleks who are robotising the inhabitants , they are robot-like and belong to kind of war-mongering mutant creatures who have hidden their brittle bodies in armour shells . But their scheme is foiled when Dr. Who and friends arrive from the 20th century and to figure it out , as well as endeavouring to save the future world from the robotic threat .

Here the eccentric doctor Who (the always watchable Peter Cushing) takes his familiars , a little girl (Roberta Tovey) and a young woman (Jill Curzon replacing Jennie Linden) along with a cop (Bernard Cribbins) on a trip throughout space and time . This is second and last to date of the big screen Dr. Who spinoffs .The plot is plain and simple : the planet has been devastated by an atomic war and they must help the humans facing the Daleks , living various adventures through wasteland , starking landscapes , strange aircrafts and deep mines .

This is an enjoyable cinematic adaptation about the interminable British television series with the Daleks unsurprisingly coming to grief after invading a ruined London of the future . The ever popular Peter Cushing is excellent reviving his classic interpretation as Dr. Who , furthermore the veteran Andrew Keir , the little girl Roberta Tovey and Ray Brooks . And plodding through a shopworm screenline in which the good Doctor Who helps an outcast team of surrounded inhabitants , a singularly camp crew against their Dalek opressors . Very tame and marginally better than the first outing . Really variable special effects and often excruciatingly cheapo sets , though alien aircraft is pretty well , in spite of being a miniature or scale model in toy-alike . The settings are moderately imaginative in a tacky sort of way , even tackier on the side of Bernard Cribbins chasing delinquents while are robbing . The film displays a a rare electronic music by Bill McGuffie and colorful and glimmering cinematography by John Wilcox , Hammer's ordinary . It's preceded by ¨Dr Who and the Daleks¨ (1965) also directed by Gordon Flemyng with Cushing , Jennie Linden , Roberta Tovey and Roy Dotrice . Others Dr. Who for television in the long-running serial are the followings : Tom Baker , William Hartnell, John Pertwee , Patrick Troughton , Paul McGann , Christopher Eccleston , David Tennat , Matt Smith , Peter Capaldi . Being produced in medium budget by the usual producer couple : Milton Subotsky and Max J. Rosemberg . The motion picture was uneven but professionally directed by Gordon Fleming . He was a fine director such as : ¨The split¨ about a blaxploitation heist , ¨Philby , Burgues and McLean , spy scandal of the century¨ , a chilling tale about tree of Britain's most notorious spies , ¨Catherine the Great¨ , ¨Cloud waltzing¨ and ¨The last granade¨ . He also directed episodes of known TV series such as : Avengers , The Bill , The baron , Taggart , The odd man , until his early death at 61 . The flick will appeal to Sci-Fi fans and juvenile public and OK for undemanding kids .
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2/10
Just a painful watch
jthaule27 August 2021
In this film the Daleks, who can be foiled by being pushed around by unarmed civilians, have somehow captured Earth. They romp around in London, whose fashion and technology has been unchanged for the last 150 years, and turn humans into mindless rubber fetishists with scooter helmets.

At least it was better than the Rise of Skywalker, but apart from that it's quite horrendously bad. And does Peter Cushing try, or is that look of bewildered derpiness on his not even acting?
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10/10
Great Doctor Who
eusuf98720 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
With Peter Cushing at the helm, the movie succeeds on every level. The post-apocalyptic look and feel is perfect. The Daleks are fantastic, look the part as evil conquerors. The flying saucer is perfect. Louise is perfect. The premise of the story becomes real with the setting of it in the commonplace. The four travelers are split up into pairs that then become trios in their trip to Bedford losing nothing in the process. The pairing and the de-pairing are nicely done. The Tom-Louise pair-up has great humor. The scene where Louise accidentally turns on the food dispenser and the subsequent scenes involving the disposal chute are from humor heaven, not to mention the scene where Tom acts as one of the robo-men. Subsequently they are joined by the worker at the mine and the three together play a moment to remember. Basically not one character in the movie is without its share of memorable moments. Tom carrying a comb and the Doctor using it to escape is another gift of the gods not to mention his 'back in the cell' question when stopped by the Daleks. Susan's encounter with the two women at the cottage is a special segment in the movie as it adds a fairy-tale feel to it for a moment. When they are betrayed, it is a huge relief not to have to listen to a lecture on morals. The pace throughout the movie is spontaneous. The Doctor putting on the hand gloves is a nice touch, as is Susan's large-print message right in front their eyes all the time they are arguing about where she is. The wheel-chair-bound leader knows exactly what he is doing and is immune to the self-righteous syndrome. His final scene is the closing of a chapter. The mercenary is a cameo. There are no heroes. The action sequences are absorbing, particularly those involving the van and the Daleks closing ranks to spray explosive gases. The scene where the Doctor walks out of the cottage to find himself surrounded by Daleks is gorgeous as is the Doctor's speech to the Daleks towards the end. In this movie it is easy to believe that the Daleks are anything but motorized dustbins. There is chemistry whenever the Doctor and the Daleks meet. The Daleks' first appearance in the movie, slowly rising out of the water, is another gorgeous touch. Susan being pulled both by the Doctor and the resistance fighter with a Dalek hurtling towards them is a delightful touch. Daleks helplessly hurtling to their doom is surprisingly poignant. The sets and the lighting are as good as anything today. Inside the Dalek stronghold, the colors of the Daleks and the bomb and the consoles are mixed and matched to perfection. Returning full circle to the stick-up in London as if nothing had happened in the interim was wonderful.
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6/10
The Naive and Funny Sequel
claudio_carvalho31 March 2018
When there is a shop´s heist, policeman Tom Campbell (Bernard Cribbins) runs to a police station that is indeed the TARDIS. He encounters Dr. Who (Peter Cushing), his niece Louise (Jill Curzon) and his granddaughter Susan (Roberta Tovey) that are departing to the year 2150. They find London completely destroyed and discover that the Daleks have invaded Earth. There is a resistance movement but most of the survivors have turned into soldiers called Robomen or have been forced to work in a mine for the Daleks. What will happen to the travelers?

The naïve "Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D." is another funny entertainment for children and for adults in a Saturday afternoon. The art direction is also very poor, the plot is also silly but the film is colt for many viewers. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Ano 2150 - A Invasão da Terra" ("Year 2150 - The Invasion of the Earth")
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5/10
Not particularly good but compared to the prior WHO film, it's a major improvement
planktonrules20 December 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This film probably will hold little interest for anyone who has never seen the Dr. Who series. Let's face it--the show and the movies are in many ways very cheesy. Fans love this or ignore the bargain-basement production values, but others will probably laugh at the writing and plot.

As for the die-hard and radical "Who-sters" out there, some will love the movie simply because it's Dr. Who. There are also some who will enjoy it because this version of the Doctor is pretty similar to the character as played by the original Doctor, William Hartnell. Both were apparently human and had a granddaughter that accompanied them on their time traveling adventures. And, both often fought the dreaded Daleks. But, I cannot understand why the film studio chose to use Peter Cushing in the lead instead of Hartnell--especially since Hartnell was still the only Doctor the series had ever seen up until the two movies starring Cushing. This isn't to say Cushing did a bad job--he was an excellent actor. But, still, I and practically every fan out there really wanted to see Hartnell.

Now you need to understand that although I've seen a lot of Dr. Who episodes, I never was a rabid fan and I haven't watched any of the TV shows since the late 1980s. And, since I am not a rabid fan, I tend to be more critical than they would normally be. And this isn't just because Cushing was in the film or that they actually had the nerve to call him "Dr. Who" in the films (something they never did on the shows). No, I am critical because so many of the supposedly dangerous and evil races on the show were downright stupid. And I am SURE that many Who-maniacs will think I am an idiot for saying this, but the Daleks are the dumbest villains any sci-fi series has spawned! They look like giant salt and pepper shakers and seemed more a source of laughter than scary enemies of mankind!! Fortunately, though, they talk a little faster and less robot-like in this film than the previous one and they also were a bit more mobile--but they still were silly enemies and who could believe that they conquered the Earth in this film--particularly when they captured the Doctor and let him destroy them so easily! Come on--this DEFINITELY could have been handled better! There were so many plot holes that the film script resembled Swiss cheese more than anything else!

Despite it being a cheesy film, why did it still merit a 5? Well, the special effects were light years ahead of the last film even though both starred the Daleks. The budget was twice the original film and most of the special effects were sufficient. Even the giant Dalek ship was pretty cool and the wires supporting it weren't super noticeable. Also, the film was a very interesting time capsule into the 1960s.
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