Customer Reviews

Invaders from Mars (Dr Who Big Finish)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love bad comedy.
Invader's from mars is not your typical Doctor Who. It's story and dialog harken back to when Douglas Adams was script editor back in the 70's. Lot's of humor and fun all around.
You can tell by listening to the actors that they must of had a grand old time performing this piece, because they are all doing some of the most over the top American accents I've ever heard a British actor attempt.
It takes place during Halloween 1938, during Orson Welles infamous transmission of War of the Worlds. The Doctor get's involved (as usual) in an alien invasion that coincidentaly is happening at the same time as the fake one that Mr. Welles was broadcasting.
Lot's of fun over all. Special kudos for Simon Pegg who performed the best steriotypical American Mobster voice of the bunch. Had I not read the credits I would have had no idea it was him.
It was also a nice surprise that the used copy I purchased was autographed by india fisher, the voice of Charly. But don't expect that every time you buy a copy.

This audio has a fantastic concept: As Orson Welles' War of the Worlds broadcast sends New York into a panic, the Doctor and Charley are faced with a real alien invasion.

Sadly, it doesn't live up to its full potential.

The story, complete with bad film noir dialog, is played for laughs. The script is loaded with stereotypes, but the cast (which includes Simon Pegg) has the comedic chops to just about carry it off.

Bottom line, it is rather silly and not as nearly good as it could be.

3 stars.

Invaders from Mars is a bit of a comedy and a bit of a standard adventure.

In their quest to get to Singapore the doctor ends up 8 years and half a world away from target, getting himself and Charley mistaken for a late NY PI as they chase alien technology, missing scientists, gangsters , grifters and Orson Wells.

The story and acting get a bit over the top on occasion but the comedic nature of the episode, including its conclusion make it all work.

All in all a pretty average episode but still a lot of fun.

This story has a fairly interesting premise...the Doctor and Charley visit 1938 and find out what really happened behind the scenes at Orson Welles' infamous "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast.

If you're going to write a fantasy story about history, you need to make it either very entertaining, or accurate enough that you gain some insight into history, or both. Aside from an actor who does an excellent imitation of Orson Welles, I don't think this story quite makes it on either count. If you're going to change history, it better be because it is fun, and not because you don't feel like doing any research.

Not to spoil anything, but toward this story's end there is a sitcom-like revelation that one of the characters is a member of the CIA. This plot point was tedious enough on its own, but the fact that the CIA did not exist as such until after WWII made me consider the whole thing very tiresome indeed. As they used to say on Mystery Science Theater, they just didn't care.