Peter Capaldi's Doctor gets another litmus test after the experiment of his debut episode, as he comes beak to stalk with the Daleks. The challenge of any Dalek story is to put the show's most famous monsters in an interesting context and while this tale doesn't break new ground for long term fans it does provide an unusual angle on the trundling menace. Crucially it uses the foe as a mirror for the Twelfth Time Lord and gives us an idea of how he's going to shape up over the coming weeks.
I had little idea what was going to happen in this one aside from the obvious, so it was a pleasant surprise to see Into The Dalek is literally just that. The innards of the machine are well-realized, a good combination of the functional and fantastical. Returning director Ben Wheatley has some fun with trippy slow motion and proper splattery explosions. The opening sequence of an escaping ship is a dazzling spectacle, taking us light years away from Deep Breath's Gothic claustrophobia.
Wheatley brings his old collaborator Michael Smiley into proceedings but the standout guest star is Zawe Ashton, who uses her tough but vulnerable persona to strong effect. Capaldi becomes a part of the action, rather than the swaggering presence guaranteed to yank something out of the hat. Writers Phil Ford and Steven Moffat certainly serve up something to chew over as the Doctor saves a life then discards one within the space of the first half. Having met Moffat's bold redefining of Clara head on last time, Jenna Coleman runs with it and proves a solid match for Capaldi's fractured hero.
The script also introduces us to Samuel Anderson's Danny Pink, a lucky chap who has Coleman throwing herself at him during his first morning. This element couldn't hope to compete with the main action, though Anderson looks like he'll make a refreshingly low key addition to the cast.
No comments:
Post a Comment