Movie review: Every Doctor has his day in 'Doctor Who' 50th anniversary entry

After months of hype, speculation and an accompanying media blitz usually reserved for Hollywood blockbusters, November 23 saw the release of “The Day of the Doctor,” the feature-length 50th anniversary episode of British sci-fi phenomenon, “Doctor Who.”

To commemorate the event, the episode was presented in a Guinness World Record-setting simulcast seen on television channels in 94 countries and released in 3D at over 1,500 cinemas across the globe—including the UK, US, Canada, Argentina, Germany, Russia, Scandinavia, and Australia.

As the latest entry in the ongoing saga of an alien known as The Doctor and his adventures throughout time and space with the people he meets along the way (known as companions), “The Day of the Doctor” had a lot to live up to—the show is practically a British institution. While the program’s current bout of popularity can be attributed to the revived series that began in 2005, the titular hero’s exploits have been enthralling viewers since the show's original near-continuous run from 1963-1989 (and a 1996 made-for-television movie that attempted to introduce the character to American audiences).

Mixing science fiction with a fair amount of whimsy and wit, along with the ingenious conceit that his alien form can regenerate into a new body—and with it, a new persona —the Doctor has demonstrated a pop culture longevity (and continuity) matched only by fellow Brit icon James Bond. Indeed, with 11 actors having officially played the role onscreen to date, the recent announcement of Peter Capaldi (TV’s infamously foulmouthed “Malcolm Tucker”) taking over as the Doctor this coming December was met with much the same fanfare one usually associates with the aforementioned secret agent’s various incarnations.

From the pen of longtime fan and current showrunner Steven Moffat (“Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn,” TV’s “Sherlock”), “The Day of the Doctor” wears its roots proudly on its sleeve, opening with a loving homage to the first moments of the pilot episode. As the black and white gives way to color, we are reintroduced to the Eleventh Doctor’s (former footballer Matt Smith) current traveling companion, Clara (Louise Coleman, who had a minor role in “Captain America: The First Avenger”), a schoolteacher in modern-day London. It isn’t long before she receives a message summoning her to the Doctor’s spaceship, the TARDIS—disguised, as ever, as a blue 1960’s-era British police call box, thanks to a faulty chameleon circuit—and the duo set off to unravel a mystery involving paintings come to life at London’s National Gallery.

Unbeknownst to the intrepid duo, the secret of the paintings will take them on an adventure involving a hitherto-unknown incarnation of The Doctor (played by “Alien’s” legendary John Hurt, known to current audiences as Olivander from the “Harry Potter” franchise) and his role in the destruction of our hero’s home planet.

If it sounds like a lot to take in (and it is)—drawing on elements introduced upon the series’ return in 2005—the execution is anything but, as director Nick Hurran (“It’s a Boy Girl Thing”) and Moffat handle the various plot threads with panache, delivering an enjoyable yarn that somehow never loses its audience or gets too complicated for its own good. Helping matters along are top-flight performances across the board, with Smith, Coleman, and Hurt, as standouts.

Of course, part of the fun of “Doctor Who” anniversary specials is seeing which characters from years past make appearances, and “The Day of the Doctor” delivers in a big way with the return of Tenth Doctor David Tennant (“Harry Potter’s” Barty Crouch, Jr.). A couple of extra wrinkles and a couple of extra pounds notwithstanding, Tennant effortlessly reminds the audience why his 4-year tenure remains a fan favorite. With his trademark pinstripe suit, Chuck Taylors, and nonchalantly quirky manner of delivering dialogue at a mile a minute all in place, Tennant gives Smith’s manic portrayal a playmate to bounce off of, and the result is fan bliss.

Brilliant as young guns Tennant and Smith may be, however, they are outshone by the theatrical chops of John Hurt as the ominously-named “War Doctor.” An older, wearier incarnation than any previously shown, Hurt’s not-inconsiderable talents allow him to earn our sympathy while convincing us that he is, indeed, playing the same character as his hyperactive costars. Amusingly, Hurt’s best moments see him putting his younger counterparts in their place with pointed one-liners and observations seemingly drawn from all the criticisms the revived show has received over the years, showing that, if nothing else, current “Who”-scribe Moffat has a wicked sense of humor.

Special mention must also be made of returning series star Billie Piper (former pop star and star of TV’s “Secret Diary of a Call Girl”), whose very presence and true nature here indirectly set the plot in motion in a manner sure to have fans debating for years to come.

Director Hurran and BAFTA-winning cinematographer Neville Kidd make the most of their television budget, fully selling the “epic” nature of the story, whether they’re showing us sequences of galactic warfare or taking us on a bird's eye tour of London’s skyline. Aside from a couple of moments of spotty editing that make it difficult to tell what’s going on, everything about “The Day of the Doctor” screams “labor of love,” not the least of which are the scores of winks, nods, and references (some more subtle than others) scattered throughout the film’s running time—this is an adventure well worth seeing on the big screen and one that will reward repeat viewings. The last twenty minutes alone are worth the price of admission, drawing cheers at the screening this writer was fortunate enough to have attended.

At its most superficial level, the “Doctor Who” series has always been almost Peter Pan-like in its depiction of a boy who refuses to grow up, running away to see the universe with pretty girls and having marvelous adventures. In “Day of the Doctor,” Moffat finally provides a method to our hero’s madness via an act of narrative audacity that simultaneously pays off and challenges everything we have come to know since the show came back on the air.

Thankfully, the narrative gambit works, making this one of those rare productions that satisfies while leaving the viewer hungry for more, all tied up with a stirring monologue and the mother of all closing shots right before the credits hit. Hands down, this is everything an anniversary show should be, and more.

In an age of internet spoilers and soulless, pre-packaged franchises, the fact that Moffat and co. have succeeded in crafting an entertaining—frequently funny, oftentimes surprising—anniversary special that honors the past while satisfying fans old and new is an accomplishment in and of itself. The fact that “The Day of the Doctor” also single-handedly sets the stage for adventures to come via a radical realignment of existing themes and concepts in a manner resembling any sort of sense only renders the accomplishment all the more impressive.

All told, if there’s anything fifty years of gallivanting around the cosmos have shown us, it’s that change is part of the game when it comes to The Doctor, and, if this film is any indication, there’s no reason to think the character won’t last another fifty.

At that age, we should all be so lucky. — VC, GMA News


Mikhail Lecaros is a professional magazine editor and freelance writer. The views expressed in this article are solely his own.