Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) - A blast from the past

I grew up with 'Dr. Who' in the late seventies to early nineties, therefore I never quite 'got' how this film fitted in with the timeline.  I'm guessing the short answer is: it doesn't.  It's sort of a Hollywood-friendly interpretation of the overall 'Dr. Who mythos' which tells a science fiction story without the need to have watched any of the TV show.  And, for what it is, it's actually pretty good.

Of course it's even less like the 'Dr. Who' show of 2020 than it is of the 'Who' I remember from my childhood.  If seeing women in short skirts offends you then you may want to write this one off as a 'dinosaur' and stick with Jodie Whittikar's portrayal of the titular character.  It's also a kind of remake of one of the T.V. shows where the Doctor lands on the planet of the Daleks and has to help out the locals with their fight against those dastardly oversize pepperpots on  wheels.

Instead of sticking to the 'current' actor who portrayed the Doctor (William Hartnell, I believe), the main star has been replaced by someone the producers clearly thought would help self the film overseas, i.e. Peter Cushine - an actor mainly known for his numerous dabblings in the 'horror' genre.  Luckily, he's able to muster the required 'quirkiness' required for the role, without ever being annoying.  He's helped along the way by his 'companions.' And, when I say 'helped,' I basically mean they get captured the moment they set foot outside the T.A.R.D.I.S.  Another change from the TV series is that the Doctor now has a family he takes with him on his adventures, i.e. an adult and a child granddaughter.  And, if you're British you may know Roy Castle as the boyfriend of Dr. Who's elder granddaughter.

So, there may not be much that's revolutionary in terms of the plot, but this film is definitely worth a watch.  For a start, the producers succeed in making this story accessible for anyone and it's something all the family can watch as there's little in the way of real violence and definitely no bad language.  Plus it's such a delight on the eyes - literally.  It's filled with sixties camp, glam colours and it really is a rainbow-feast on the eyes.

I never quite got why some people (back in the day!) were so afraid of the Daleks themselves.  I never found them that threatening then and I doubt today's children will either.  However, they're such competently-bad baddies that they work perfectly in terms of sheer villainous intentions and you'll find yourself rooting the the good guys here with no problem.  About the most scary thing in this movie is the make-up the male aliens wear!  I kept thinking the Doctor had landed on a planet of Julian Clareys!

You don't have to be a die-hard 'Dr. Who' fan to appreciate this, just sit back an enjoy a colourful, campy science-fiction film from yesteryear.

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that