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

Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

A Major Disappointment

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

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.

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.

made at the height of "dalekmania" this was 2nd time we get to see the daleks in colour, the plot follows the original TV version, but in a bigger scale, i always find it a creepy movie, maybe because of its desolate smashed apart look - made more effective by the mass abandonment of buildings dilapidated in London, Peter Cushing plays an effective version of the doctor and is often criticised for his portrayal, the supporting cast work well, with Bernard cribbens Jennie linden and Roberta tovey a fine group, other actors who would appear with later versions of the doctor such as Philip madoc and Bernard cribbens also star. The big stars are the Mk3 travel machines, they steal the show and London, and I for one am glad that this movie is shown reguarly. I wonder what Peter cushing would make of it now....with the doctor, his tardis still running around 50 years later....

Well, it's nostalgic alright.And it looks quite good, if dated (comical to note the very early product placement for Sugar Puffs, a quid pro quo for their ponying up part of the finance).Cribbins does OK as the time-displaced policeman - not the most obvious action hero to spring to mind, but credible as an everyman.I can't believe I never spotted the flying saucer wires when I was a kid - the saucer itself is quite good, incidentally.Philip Madoc gets blown up. Pike's revenge, I say.For a film set 200 years in the future, there's some very dated motor vehicles knocking around.Don't expect Star Wars, and you'll probably be OK.