Customer Reviews

Doctor Who - The Web Planet [VHS]

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

"What have we got? Echoes, interference, gold, and now acid. Yes, similar properties to formic acid. It's strange, isn't it?" says the Doctor on the planet Vortis, on which the TARDIS has been forced to land. It's a dark and forbidding place, dotted with mesas and plateaus.

The Zarbi, gigantic ants, with larvae guns, sowbug-looking creatures with a long snout that shoot lethal bolts of electricity, terrorize the Doctor and his friends. Trying to regain their planet are the Menoptera, gentle butterfly-like creatures.

Controlling the Zarbi is the Animus, whose deep, malevolent female voice, is one of the well-realized aspects of the show. The Doctor is forced to discover the plans of the Menopteran invasion force so the Zarbi can defeat them. Young Vicki helps him and her actions here, unintended or not, shows her to be more resourceful compared to his wimpy granddaughter Susan. One piece of dialogue that'll make one either cringe or laugh is the Doctor's demand to the Animus re its ceiling-built tube-like communication unit: "Drop down this hairdryer or whatever it is."

The reason why some may consider this story to be one of the worst is the realization of the Zarbi, but these steel and fibreglass-constructed insects are great, unless you have to be one. The rearmost legs, closest to the tail, are the actors, and John Scott Martin, who played one of them, said that one couldn't stand upright because the tail was longer than the actor. The only way to stand upright was to get on a one-foot riser block and place the tail over the block's end. The subterranean grub-like Optera are clearly laughable, the actors jumping up and down and grunting away, but their pale makeup indicate their time spent underground, and the hopping showing their evolutionary regression.

But the Menoptera costumes are simply wonderful, black bodysuits with strips of yellow fur, and wings with the veins painted black that could flap a full five feet from wingtip to wingtip with a hidden mechanism. The actors playing the Menoptera adapt mime-like hand gestures hinting at a more feeling aspect of the race.

In looking at the name of the giant insectoids, it's clear the storywriting team looked to entomology. There are the Zarbi, who are giant ants, the Menoptera, who look like butterflies, but have bee-like stripes, and then their subterranean evolutionary offshoot, the Optera. Well, ants and bees are all under the insect order Hymenoptera.

Another interesting aspect is the name of the enemy. It's called the Animus, which means bitter hostility or hatred. However, the Menoptera see it more medical terms, by calling its headquarters the Carcinome. Vrestin tells Ian that the Animus appeared and grew like a fungus. In other words, they see it as a malignant cancer on the world of Vortis. And the Living Cell Destructor, or Isop Tope, is analogous to an isotope that kills cancer.

For people raised on Star Wars or Jurassic Park, the visuals may seem lame, but as an experimental story, it works wonders. One of the most imaginative stories, and an attempt to see how weird Dr. Who could get. Ratings for this story averaged 12.5 million viewers, and Episode 1 charted at #7, the lowest-rating one at #14, so not bad at all!

To judge a story made 40 years ago using today's standards is absoluely unfair. Some people are clueless. Of course it's gonna look inferior. It was made in 1966. They didn't have the artsy effects that they currently have. DUH!!! The truth is that Web Planet was considered ground-breaking at the time. The effects used had never been tried before. Had it come out today, it would be labeled innovative and win many Sundance movie awards for independent film making, or whatever it is they call that festival. The preceding rant was brought to you by me. If you don't like it dial 5477-69-277 on your phone pad (or simply click on the "no" button). I've stated this in a previous review but here it is again. If the story is bad, that is one thing, but to knock a 1960s story for using the special effects of the 1960s is utterly ridiculous. The Web Planet will keep the viewer enthralled throughout.

As you can see from the entries below, "The Web Planet," is one of the most debated Dr. Who episodes of all time, evoking a true "love it or leave it" feeling with all who see it.

William Hartnell is one of my favorite Doctors and his adventures have always been a great deal of fun to watch. If you love Hartnell, along with Ian and Barbara, buy this video. If you hate Vicki...buy this video...you'll hate her even more.

The story, although very strange and 2 episodes too long, is commendable for the lengths it tries to go to to create more than just an ugly, evil alien species on an "Earth-Normal" world. One of the series' greatest faults is that it too often made you hate the 2-D monster. Here, seriously constrained by production vaulues and the f/x of the time, the author tries very hard to paint the picture of a 3-D world with interacting species who are trying to survive. The Zarbi are not bent on world conquest...they are mindless slaves. The Menoptera and the Optera are silly, but interesting allies for the TARDIS crew.

The Menoptera dancing always comes under attack. I think that this movement was an attempt to come up with a style and cultre that was alien to Earth...that was odd and off-putting. It succeeds.

When you watch this video...do it in the spirit with which it was presented. Think about the ideas they are trying to convey and the scope they tried to embrace. If you do that...you'll have fun and enjoy it.

If you want it all to be wrapped up in a pretty picture with incredible effects and superb acting...you may want to reevaluate whether or Doctor Who is for you...you'll never quite get that.

Well, depending on your taste, "The Web Planet" is either vintage wine or soured vinegar. Opinion is dramatically divided on this one, and while I guess I'm in the "vintage wine" camp let me just make clear that I see where the detractors are coming from. I'm not sure how the special effects appeared to viewers in 1965, but age has not been kind to them and they look pretty fake today. Yes, I have to admit, when I first saw the Zarbi on the screen, I laughed despite myself--and this was by no means the last occasion I did so during this DVD. And the pacing is slow as snails by today's post-MTV standards and is bound to make the contemporary viewer feel at least a bit antsy.

For me, the epic storyline and the ingenuous conceptualization of the insectoid inhabitants of the planet Vortis more than make up for these problems. Especially the latter. In the 1960's how revolutionary it must have been to have "bug-eyed monsters" as the good guys, but the writer (Bill Strutton) goes way beyond that, endowing the characters with plausibly alien mannerisms, thought patterns, and cultural traits in a way unmatched by much science fiction even today. This is especially so of the Menoptra with their poetically alien turns of phrase almost sung rather than spoken, their gracefully moth-like body language, and their religion of Light-worship along with the cocoon-like organic, weirdly expressionistic design of their temples. And then there's the unusual idiom of the grub-like Optra, which makes them seem convincingly non-human (even if the actors' costumes don't): for instance, coming to a barrier in an underground passage, their leader says "A silent wall. We must make mouths in it with our weapons, then it will speak more light." Fascinating, imaginative, and original--speculative in the best traditions of science fiction.

Oh, and of course there's the Doctor. As usual, William Hartnell's rendition of the character is classic, and his long, tense battle of wits with the Animus is a high point of the story. Much of the suspense of the story lies here, in fact: how long can the Doctor con the villain into keeping him and his companions alive while not completely giving away the attack plan of the Menoptra "cavalry" (as it were). Hartnell pulls this off brilliantly, projecting stern resolve and intense intellectual agility with just a sparkle of mischief in his eye.

For all of these reasons, "The Web Planet" transcends its limitations and succeeds as vintage TV sci-fi a la BBC. To help with the (now) slow pacing, I might suggest watching only one or two of the six episodes at a time instead of watching it all in one go. Like a fine wine, it must be savored slowly, not gulped down. As for the effects, sit down and watch this DVD in the right frame of mind, disbelief suitably suspended and with a willingness to see past to the great story and fascinating ideas beyond the surface. Doctor Who fans should be well used to doing this anyway--in this case they might just have to work a bit harder at it, that's all.

This story was originally broadcast between 13 February and 20 March 1965 and is renowned for being one of the most scary Doctor Who stories.

Not since 'Them' which postulated giant ants careering around the desert in Nevada had a story involving insects generated so much excitement in Britain at least. No-one likes bugs, which is one of the reasons audiences cheered at 'Starship Troopers', but our hostility is directed at small ones. We know that ants in particular, are highly intelligent creatures but that does not mean that they have to be our friends.

This story is one where the idea of a central, superior intelligence is again utilised. It is a device which was used quite a lot throughout the Doctor's travels and hear it appears as a metaphor for big government. Doctor Who has always been an anti-authoritarian, libertarian figure and this story is one which draws those characteristics into sharp relief. The Zarbi are controlled by the intelligence as unlike earth ants they are described originally as peaceful, mindless creatures. Transformed by the intelligence into mindless drones they capture and enslave through the use of a thought control device and tearing the wings of the Menoptra. Clearly they represent government forces while the Menoptra, thrust into a warlike role in order to regain their planet from the forces of darkness represent the light. Butterflies are the beloved of nature. We admire their light wing structure and the varieated colours. They stand for liberty and creativity, of arts and intellectual persuits.

Despite their weapons being no match for those of the Zarbi and the intelligence the Menoptra engage the enemy and with the Doctor's help overcome.

The story has some surreal moments and is slower paced but we should not forget that this is drama after all. Unlike some of the Pertwee stories where there is a case for more ruthless editing, in this case the pace is used to establish and build on the concept of the passage of time and to help create a bigger scale than the studio dimensions would allow.

I believe that the passage of time since these shows were broadcast has not been good to them. It is hard to understand their impact on viewers who were young at the time and had no prior knowledge of some of the special effects. Also, I believe that most of us have been so exposed to second by second action and a dizzying array of special effects over the last twenty years or so, that they have become almost like a drug such that we crave them all the time, and slower paced action shows do not meet the need.

For it's time this was an excellent Hartnell story and a favourite for many of the viewers at the time.

I hated this story the first time! I saw those ants and those butterflies and I thought what in blazers is this! The dark power this, the zarbi that.

But not long ago I watched it a second time. I loved watching the long first-scene sequence where Barbara (and the young woman, can't remember her name) are fiddling around in the tardis and it's starts moving about and Barbara tries to look after her... And then you see Ian and the Doctor outside and it echoes... and then the story breaks! :)

When you watch it the second time, you just realize how unique it is. You think to yourself they don't make shows like this anymore! And they can even make a good story about ants and butterflies intriging! The plot is good and it's just total fantasy. It all ties in well.

I like the slow movingness of the early era where they seemed to spend more time discovering things.

Only if you are not so keen on pure fantasy-like story lines you may not like it. But even then you may still find it interesting.

Don't judge by appearances. Watch it a second time. You'll love it, I am sure.

Only thing I didn't like was the sound quality. Maybe it's the age of the video casettes, but the sound kept "booming." I wonder if other people have had this similar problem.

When I watch the old, classic "Doctor Who" show, I don't watch it for great special effects or costumes. Any "cheap-looking" effects & costumes found in the old "Who" I think adds to the charm of the show, really. I watch the original "Doctor Who" solely for the stories, the colorful characters, and just the wonderful imagination behind the whole thing. The William Hartnell serial "The Web Planet," in which the Doctor and his companions Ian, Barbara & Vicki get involved in a war between insectoid races on an alien planet, has a marvelous story, memorable characters, and plenty of imagination to spare. I love the whole look and feel to it, too, and I think the story is a very delightful one. This is also a great story for the principle cast of the show, as they all get to shine in their roles, including William Hartnell as the tetchy but still-loveable First Doctor, the grandfather we'd all love to have. If you want great special effects & costumes, you can watch the new "Doctor Who" show (which is also wonderful). "The Web Planet" is a classic, greatly entertaining "Doctor Who" story for all ages. I'm very grateful that it survived in the BBC vaults, and I highly recommend it for your "Doctor Who" DVD collection.

This is an excellent example of an idea far ahead of its time.
The costumes are extravagant, yet simple in design; actually,
having a quaint charm contrary to today's overly "high-tech" film offerings ( the way the old Godzilla suit is preferred over the computer animated version, or the way the first Star Wars movie is still one of the best). The Story is very focused, and truely has the quality of a BIZARRE DREAM -- the whole thing is EXTREMELY DREAM-LIKE ! It has a eeriness still unmatched today
due to the fact that the alien's lives are the primary focus,
and the three humans are peripheral ! A MUST to the collector
of old films ( of course, anyone expecting modern special effects
will be disappointed ). If you realize what you are watching, and
try to get into it, YOU WILL LOVE IT ! It remindes me very much of a Twilight Zone or Outer Limits classical film.

I was really glad to see Web Planet enter the resoration team's list to be released. I had never seen it but had read the book adaptaion and found it to be a solid story overall. The costumes are amazing for the time ( amazingly Cheesy today but Hey it was 1965). Turn a blind Eye to the sets that move or the one time the Zarbi (giant ants) actually runs into the camera. THis is Dr Who we are talking about the show didn't have time for retakes due to flubbed lines ( hartnell has a lot) or errors on set. Close enough was usually Good enough for the BBC.

commentary track was good overall. Special featurette as ok but nothing special. overall for a William Hartnell first Doctor story this is a 4 but make another one like Inferno or Geneisis of the daleks you first exposure to classic who if you have only seen the new series

Phew! This one is rough-going. Some people seem to be able to overlook the 'Lost in Space' laughability of the costumes, but I can't. There would be many more cheesy costumes in years to come but these are the worst. Although he was the originator of the character Hartnell would never be as effective again as he was in his first few stories. His ever-increasing cackling and clucking to cover the fumbling of his lines is often painful to watch. This may be Doctor Who sacrilege but I almost prefer the performance of Richard Hurndall as the first Doctor in 'The Five Doctors' since his lines are delivered crisply and you get more of a sense of a formidable intellect than you often got from Hartnell. If you want Hartnell Who at its best go all the way back to An Unearthly Child and The Daleks (Doctor Who - The Beginning Collection).