So what happens when you take an episode of a classic science fiction series (Doctor Who: The Dalek Invasion Of Earth) and decide to remake it as the sequel to one of the campiest films of all time (Dr. Who And The Daleks)? The answer is Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. And despite everything it had going for it it is one of the dullest films I have ever seen.
Peter Cushing returns as the elderly and eccentric human scientist. There is virtually nothing new in terms of performance from Cushing and he lacks everything that made him so watchable in the first film. Not to mention he virtually vanishes during the middle of the film. And all he really does his just stand around and give orders during the time he is on screen. In short he is dull. And incredibly dull to say the least.
The rest of the cast isn't much help. Bernard Cribbins adds nothing to the film as policeman Tom Campbell and seems a poor substitute for the Roy Castle character of Ian. The same can be said of Jill Curzon's Louise who seems to substitute for Barbara. The only cast member who seems to live up to expectation is Roberta Tovey as the little girl Susan. And when the little girl is the best one in the movie, you know you've got problems.
The rest of the film doesn't help. The story is a remake of the classic Doctor Who serial "The Dalek Invasion Of Earth" just as the first film was a remake of "The Daleks". But while that serial featured all the classic dark elements that made it a thinly disguised Nazi invasion story, this film throws most of it out.
For example, in the middle of the film when Tom is trapped aboard the spaceship and is forced to disguise himself as a Roboman. Instead of a tension sequence we get a Keystone Cops style sequence. The sequence where the Dalek comes out of the Thames (taken right out of the serial) is ruined by poor production values.
The production values seem worse then the original, despite the fact that this film had a bigger budget. The ending in particular seems to show just how cheap this film really was. The question seems to be where did all the money go? I mean that it is hard to find any good special effects in this film. And that's saying a lot.
In virtually every respect, this is a poor film. From lackluster performances to poor visual effects, the film is hurt even more by a script that seems to be more interested in camp then in trying to be serious. This isn't a film that many people can either or enjoy. I especially don't recommend it for any serious fan of the TV serials. You ARE going to be very disappointed.
Peter Cushing returns as the elderly and eccentric human scientist. There is virtually nothing new in terms of performance from Cushing and he lacks everything that made him so watchable in the first film. Not to mention he virtually vanishes during the middle of the film. And all he really does his just stand around and give orders during the time he is on screen. In short he is dull. And incredibly dull to say the least.
The rest of the cast isn't much help. Bernard Cribbins adds nothing to the film as policeman Tom Campbell and seems a poor substitute for the Roy Castle character of Ian. The same can be said of Jill Curzon's Louise who seems to substitute for Barbara. The only cast member who seems to live up to expectation is Roberta Tovey as the little girl Susan. And when the little girl is the best one in the movie, you know you've got problems.
The rest of the film doesn't help. The story is a remake of the classic Doctor Who serial "The Dalek Invasion Of Earth" just as the first film was a remake of "The Daleks". But while that serial featured all the classic dark elements that made it a thinly disguised Nazi invasion story, this film throws most of it out.
For example, in the middle of the film when Tom is trapped aboard the spaceship and is forced to disguise himself as a Roboman. Instead of a tension sequence we get a Keystone Cops style sequence. The sequence where the Dalek comes out of the Thames (taken right out of the serial) is ruined by poor production values.
The production values seem worse then the original, despite the fact that this film had a bigger budget. The ending in particular seems to show just how cheap this film really was. The question seems to be where did all the money go? I mean that it is hard to find any good special effects in this film. And that's saying a lot.
In virtually every respect, this is a poor film. From lackluster performances to poor visual effects, the film is hurt even more by a script that seems to be more interested in camp then in trying to be serious. This isn't a film that many people can either or enjoy. I especially don't recommend it for any serious fan of the TV serials. You ARE going to be very disappointed.