The Sontarans vs. Rutans saga continues with another enjoyable audio drama from Big Finish Productions. This time, the Doctor Who range pits the Sixth Doctor against the Sontarans again in Born to Die by Tiegan Byrne. Colin Baker is back behind the mic and is joined by India Fisher reprising her role as Charlotte Pollard. Jon Culshaw, Christopher Ryan, and Dan Starkey make up the guest past portraying various Sontarans.
This is the Big Finish era where Charley is keeping the rather peculiar secret that she has already traveled with the Doctor in his future. The TARDIS has brought them to the planet of Taxodon where they come across a Sontaran who dies under mysterious circumstances. The Doctor has a chance of prove their innocence, but he discovers that a race is in captivity due to the Sontarans experimenting with their natural ability to camouflage. He also finds another experiment which appears to be at the behest of the Rutans, and not every Sontaran may be as he appears.
This has been an interesting little mini-series. Colin Baker is quite engaging as usual. India Fisher still sounds great as Charley Pollard even though she is over twenty years older than when she started playing the role. The story is pretty good as well. Byrne is at least a competent writer who knows how to run with an interesting idea. It was kind of fun to hear the Doctor paired with a Sontaran who is acting in a kind of Watson-esque role.
The episode itself isn’t necessarily a stand-out, but the performances and the overall idea of examining some aspects of the endless war between the Sontarans and the Rutans does make it worthy of collecting and revisiting from time to time.
Big Finish Productions returns to Tom Baker’s era Doctor Who with the audio drama release Storm of the Sea Devils, which turns out to be quite enjoyable, which is not surprising with this version of the Time Lord. Nicholas Briggs returns to the director’s seat. There are actually two stories in this audio set. Baker is joined by Christopher Naylor as Harry Sullivan, who was originally portrayed by the late Ian Marter. Eleanor Crooks is a recent addition to the TARDIS crew in this range as Naomi Cross.
Storm of the Sea Devils is written by David K Barnes. The guest cast includes Tracy Wiles, Silas Carson. Nicholas Briggs, and Satnam Bhogal. Although some previous audio dramas have included Harry Sullivan and Naomi Cross, this one actually sets up their meeting. For Harry, he also is reunited with the Fourth Doctor. He is supposed to be in holiday in Calcutta, but Naomi Cross intercepts him and wants him to look into the sudden cancellation of a new hotel’s opening. There have also been sightings of strange figures that appear familiar to UNIT. The Doctor is also on hand conducting his own investigations. There is a mysterious prisoner at the hotel, and its continued internment may have dire consequences for the human race.
The fact that Tom Baker is in the lead is already going to give this story a huge advantage, but the episode does get even better than that. The Sea Devils are an interesting adversary because, like the Silurians, they are part of a civilization that thrived on Earth well before the humans came along. The Sea Devils are not necessarily driven by the most evil of motivations, but they are still dangerous, especially when one of their number is in captivity. Naomi Cross is becoming one of the better creations by Big Finish as a companion to the Time Lord. Crooks has an interesting voice and is developing some nice chemistry with Harry. There is also a fantastic scene with just her and the Doctor in which the Doctor uses a bit of subterfuge to convince the Sea Devils that not all humans operate out of a sense of fear or bigotry. That was really well written and of course performed brilliantly by the pair.
I have to say that Naylor is doing quite well capturing the essence of Ian Marter’s portrayal of Harry Sullivan. I am a little ambivalent about Harry’s presence in the television series, but the writers for Big Finish make him more interesting as a character.
Storm of the Sea Devils does a great job of blending some of the traditions of the Fourth Doctor’s era with something fresh, most notably the inclusion of Naomi Cross.
Then we get to Worlds Beyond written by Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky. The guest cast is comprised of Anthony Howell, Amaka Okafor, Oscar Pearce, and David Shaw-Parker.
Naomi Cross gets her first trip in the TARDIS with Harry Sullivan and the Doctor. They find themselves in a resort world where the holidays are custom-made after a brain scan. The Doctor has a stimulating chess match with Alan Turing while his companions find other diversions. Since they are traveling in the TARDIS, this idyllic getaway has a terrifying secret, and the Doctor will have to fight for his mind to keep it from being fed upon by a dangerous alien presence.
This story is pretty good as well, but not quite as engaging as the first one. The cast, as usual, are up to the job. The Doctor encountering historical figures is almost always a delight. Of course, when that Doctor is played by Tom Baker, one is not quite certain how the entertainment will be enhanced, but it never becomes a disappointment. This one may take another play for me to grasp some elements of the plot better. Still, it’s a solid contribution for the range, but it’s not just that uniquely memorable.
The release as a whole is well worth the time. The sound effects are beautifully realized, but one is always able to predict that when Big Finish puts something out. Crooks is likely going to turn out to be one of my favorite casting decisions. I have heard some other Naomi Cross episodes and have grown to like her more with each episode. It is great to have Harry Sullivan continue to be represented, even with the original actor no longer able to step to the mic.
Storm of the Sea Devils is likely to be a favorite of mine of the 2024 Big Finish releases.
Revolution in Space, the latest Doctor Who audio drama to feature the Third Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith, is quite entertaining even though it does seem to drag on a little too long sometimes.
Big Finish Productions continues its efforts to bring new adventures for the Third Doctor, who is continued to be performed by Tim Treloar. Sadie Miller takes on the role of Sarah Jane Smith, who was originally portrayed by her mother, Elisabeth Sladen. Prolific Doctor Who contributor Jonathan Morris brings another solid script to the range with Nicholas Briggs returning to the director’s chair. The guest cast includes Juliet Aubrey, Richard James, Barry Aird, and Charlie Norfolk.
The story takes place on a colonized asteroid in the furthest reaches of Earth’s solar system. While the asteroid is being mined for vital minerals, a prisoner with growing and terrifying psychic powers is planning her escape. The denizens are also plotting a revolution to break the control that the Earth government exerts on them. The Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith arrive just in time to get swept up into the maelstrom of fear and discontent. The psychic abilities that some of the people, including Sarah, comes at a fatal price, and the Doctor has his hands full in his efforts to stop an unhinged prisoner from wreaking havoc and saving Sarah’s life.
There is a lot to appreciate about this release. Tim Treloar’s impression of Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor continues to improve. Sadie Miller is able to emulate her mother as well, while showing her own acting abilities. Juliet Aubrey is perfect casting as the villain, Zyla Kalstein. The sound effects are, as usual, quite effective. The effort to emulate the Third Doctor’s is quite successful.
Big Finish Productions usually are quite successful with the quality of writing, and Morris is certainly one of their more reliable contributors. Revolution In Space is a solid addition to the range, and many elements work nicely, but it is not really a unique adventure. In some ways, I rather wish Big Finish would not necessarily stay devoted to the somewhat cheesy, grating musical score of the Third Doctor era.
This story has six episodes and does feel a little strained at times, which was often a problem noted in the television series. Still, there is a good chance I will appreciate it more when I listen to it again. Once again, the performances and some of the dialogue really helps with forgiving the downfalls here. Doctor Who does require some forgiveness and grace in order to properly enjoy it, but Revolution in Space, in spite of its flaws, is still one of the better adventures. Jonathan Morris still proves himself to be an interesting and capable writer, and I hope he still has plenty of time to bring many more ideas to the table of Big Finish.
Haunting of the Queen Mary has many elements I enjoy in a supernatural thriller, but this thing just turned into a confusing, gory mess of wasted potential. Gary Shore directed this piece which he also co-wrote the screen play with Stephen Oliver. Tom Vaughan shares the story credit as well. Alice Eve is in the lead as a young mother who wants to write a book and direct some virtual tours of the well-known, haunted luxury ship. The cast includes Joel Fry, Nell Hudson, Will Coban, and Lenny Rush.
The film starts off as a family aboard the Queen Mary in 1938 sneak into a rather posh party that has Fred Astaire in attendance along with many other celebrities of the time. There are some strange costumes and a disturbing confrontation between the disfigured father and a director. It actually looks to be an interesting party. The focus shifts to the present day to a couple with a young, disabled son who are also aboard the ship to make a film to be used as a virtual tour. The woman, played by Alice eve, wants to write a book. The two stories are unfolding at the same time. The 1938 timeline culminates in a brutal mass murder with an axe.
The cinematography is actually quite well done, but that’s the only element that is consistently worthwhile. The plot was confusing in both time settings. There is a pretty good dance sequence between this little girl and the actor portraying Astaire. That was kind of fun. The film looks gorgeous in many ways.
The story falls apart, and the gore that was displayed was just too distracting and unnecessary. I don’t normally mind occasional bloody scenes, but some of the violence just felt too gratuitous and distracting. The film would have been more impactful if the gore was merely implied.
There was what should have been interesting twist at the end, but I was too annoyed to understand or appreciate the cleverness the writers were attempting.
Haunted ships and past eras are kind of my bag these days, so I normally would enjoy a spooky ghost story on the high seas. Also, I am not terribly squeamish when it comes to movies of this sort, but there was still too much blood and dismembering even for my ghoulish tastes.
The Retirement Plan is a comedy action film written and directed by Tim Brown. Nicholas Cage is in the lead role as a seemingly aging beach bum named Matt, who lives in the Cayman Islands. Other cast members include Ashley Greene as Matt’s estranged daughter, Ron Perlman, Jackie Earl Haley, Ernie Hudson, and Grace Byers. There’s a cute kid played by Thalia Campbell, who may actually be the best thing in this film.
Ashley and her husband run afoul of some ultra powerful crime syndicate, and she sends their daughter to the Cayman Islands to meet her grandfather for the first time. When Ashley is forced to take some of the bad guys to her father’s doorstep, she finds that he had a secret past that led to their rift. It seems Matt is not as inept as he first appears and was at one time a government assassin. When the granddaughter falls into the hands of one of the henchmen, Matt dusts off some of his old skills to make sure he does not lose another opportunity to reconnect with his family.
There are some actors that can make eccentric characters rather charming and fascinating. Cage didn’t hit that mark here. Matt just seems a little weird, although the fight scenes were pretty good. The film kept getting interrupted by this one second flash card effect every time a new character was introduced. The villains were more like caricatures. Byers had a couple of almost chilling moments as a crime boss lady named Hector. Haley and Perlman were the peculiar killers sort of in the lead of those actively hunting for this elusive hard drive with some unspecified important information that is supposed to change the world or upset lots of people. I sort of lost track of what was so significant about this thing.
Thalia Campbell plays the granddaughter who gets caught up in this caper involving her sketchy parents. Her scenes with were her newly met grandfather were kind of charming. Most of the film has her in the company of Ron Perlman, who plays the lead henchman who kind of kidnaps her. I think I would have preferred her to have more scenes with Cage.
Anyway, the film is pretty campy but falls short on overall charm. It was supposed to be somewhat comedic, but it was kind of dull. The dialogue wasn’t all that creative. The bungling antics of the bad guys were just a little too stupid for my liking. Somehow, Cage’s character, who could have been more interesting, just didn’t hold my attention.
Overall, there are a couple of very mild amusing scenes, however this is another exercise in relentless mediocrity. That really is a shame because there is some real talent here that ended up being wasted. Hopefully, Brown isn’t kicking around the idea for a sequel.
Lady Ballers is a comedy film that is produced by The Daily Wire and is directed by Jeremy Boreing, who also co-wrote the script alongside Brain Hoffman and Nick Sheehan. Much of the cast and cameos consist of Daily Wire personalities such as Boreing himself, the guys from Crain & Company, Matt Walsh, Michael Knowles, and Brett Cooper. Other cast members include Tyler Fischer, Daniel Consadine, Billie Rae Brandt, and Lexie Contursi.
Boering is in the lead as a hapless basketball coach who was once quite successful and finds himself missing the days when he could have a reliably winning team. Coach Rob is fired for being too coaching his latest high school team too aggressively and has been unable to navigate some of the new inclusive expectations mandated by the school system. In other words, Coach Rob just isn’t “woke” enough. Rob ends up accidentally employed at a drag bar where he encounters a former star player, played by Consadine. Since the athletic administrations have broadened the qualifications for competing in women’s sports, Coach Rob convinces the perpetually puzzled Alex to proclaim himself to be transgender and compete in women’s track events. An unscrupulous reported named Gwen convinces Coach Rob to take this further, which leads to the reunion of his star basketball team from fifteen years prior. Then, the absurdity kicks into overdrive when the team members branch into other local women’s sports leagues while being lauded for their bravery as they stop their way through victory after victory.
So, the point of this film is to highlight and mock the absurdity of men competing in women’s sports, which at times gets a little too obvious. That means not all of the jokes land with pointed precision. That’s not the say that I never laughed out loud. The overall film is a little uneven at times, but The Daily Wire is still pretty new at this type of content, and I am in agreement with the intended message, so I am willing to view this with a little more forgiveness in my admittedly cold, biased heart.
In spite of some elements not quite working as smoothly as I would have wanted, some of the performances were surprisingly effective because much of the cast had no acting experience. Jake Crain, Blain Crain, and David Cone are The Daily Wire sports commentators in real life and have an onscreen chemistry that translated pretty effectively in this endeavor. The Crain brothers got a little too hammy at times, but that is probably to be expected considering the genre of this film. Matt Walsh, who played the very affectionate boyfriend of Coach Rob’s wife, actually was a little better than I expected. Now some of the praise he has received from colleagues and other viewers may be overselling it a little, but her did threaten to steal the scene a few times. Also, it almost never fails to have someone play a character who is well-known to be the polar opposite of tbe performer’s real persona. In short, Walsh pulls it off here.
Ben Shapiro as a very ambivalent and short-tempered referee was also pretty amusing. There quite a few inside Daily Wire jokes, but they knew this would not have a typical mass release, so most of those worked.
There were times when the film falls into the same trap as others trying to promote an obvious political or social agenda as in coming across as a little too heavy-handed at times. Also, the writers took some swipes at other social concerns The Daily Wire often comments on, and not all of those efforts fit easily into the film. They did sneak in an advertisement for a new line of women’s products from Jeremy’s Razors that was pretty funny.
Comedy is one of the most unreliably subjective things in human existence. There has to be an acceptance that any effort in this space is not going to appeal to everyone in spite of someone’s overall popularity. In a film, it can work almost all of the way through, have a few high notes, or just faceplant hard. In my not so humble opinion, Lady Ballers doesn’t work perfectly, but it also doesn’t fail miserably. In spite of some fairly glaring missteps, I did find some enjoyment in this film and applaud The Daily Wire for taking the risk in broaching this subject and giving the proponents of having men compete in women’s sports the mockery they so profoundly deserve.
The Box of Terrors is a Doctor Who audio novel released by Big Finish Productions. Lizzie Hopley is the writer while Jon Culshaw steps up to the mic to perform this eight-hour behemoth of a story. It’s a really a behemoth by Doctor Who standard. Culshaw is a well-known impressionist in the UK and does quite an uncanny impersonation of both Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee.
The Doctor’s third and fourth incarnation unite against a threat that could release several powerful and malevolent forces into the cosmos. Also, the Doctor’s companion, Sarah Jane Smith, has the rather unique experience of encountering herself. The Master and Omega are at the heart of the chaos as well. They turn out to not be the only dangerous Time Lords to cause an intergalactic mess for the two iterations of the Doctor to unravel. Hopley throws quite a bit, including a metaphorical kitchen sink, into this story.
The release has some pretty fun elements to it. Culshaw is a fantastic narrator as well even when he isn’t slipping into the vocal impressions of the two Doctors featured in this story. His enthusiasm for the franchise and Big Finish is infectious and really helps out when listening to even the more average of stories. Big Finish always does well with the sound effects, and this one is no exception.
Hopley is a competent writer, and she had some interesting ideas, however the story here sometimes felt bloated with so many villains and different versions of the same characters running around. The basic idea is intriguing to fans sometimes, but this felt a little too busy at times and bit too challenging to keep everyone straight. Some of the descriptions and events were a little hard to picture in the mind’s eye, which was distracting at times. Fortunately, Culshaw’s performance really makes the experience worth the time.
To be fair, I am not a Doctor Who fan who just relishes multi-Doctor episodes. Big Finish usually handles these stories better than the television producers for the BBC, and this contribution is still better than what we would have gotten onscreen, more than likely. Fans now have an experience with these two particular Doctors, and that’s fine. I just wish I had found a bit more enjoyment out of it.
Reviews, Musings, and Other Things... 