VHS : Dr Who - The Mutants [1972]

Rating: - Evolving and changing
I have extremely fond memories of the Target novelisation of this Third Doctor and Jo Grant adventure, set on the misty jungle planet of Solos and the Skybase on which its Earth `Overlords' rule. The malignant Marshall and his pet scientist Jaeger are conducting experiments in order to change the climate of the planet Solos and thereby make it more suitable for human habitation. This inevitably brings the Overlords into conflict with the Solonians - and their main progtagonist Ky. When Ky is framed for murder, he escapes the skybase using Jo as a human shield and The Doctor is faced with the task of rescuing his companions and thwarting the Marshall's sinister plans.
Whilst the story is essentially a thinly-veiled allegory concerning British imperialism and South African racism, it is also a great action adventure with a host of memorable characters. Two of these are Sybase guards `Cotton' and `Stubbs', genuine humans who gradually tire of the Marshall's bullying and eventually come over to The Doctor's way of thinking. I remember them being brilliant characters in the novel and Rick James and Christopher Coll bring them to life admirably. The eponymous mutants are very well-realised `monsters' for the period and Christopher Barry's direction allows the story to flow nicely. Another classic release that's screaming out for DVD treatment, the story is a definite highlight after several Earthbound adventures for the Third Doctor.

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Rating: - My favourite of the Pertwee era
I thought this a fantastic story. It had an excellent well-paced and rather menacing build-up of "what's going on"-ness with the sense-of wonder of a strange world. Pretty good acting overall, and reasonable effects / production values (at least for the time). Jo gets a quite good part in this, driving some of the action rather than just being useless. Superb story, with several intertwined sub-plots. Various moral dilemas of progress versus the "savages", post-imperialist politics, and even the Martial (an imperialistic Viceroy figure)is misguided rather than evil to start with, though he's evil by the end after going bonkers. Good ending too, with something of a twist, albeit a little convenient. This was the high spot of the first series I was ever allowed to watch as a little boy, though Day-of the Daleks which began this season also great. I watched it again nearly 40 years later and found it stood up well - obviously given the production limitations of the time.

Great stuff.

Hywel

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Rating: - treading water.
I have a lot of time for Jon Pertwee. Like Peter Davison, he is a moral and serious Doctor with a humane and caring quality I always enjoy. He also shares Davison's heroic streak. And as one of my favourite Doctors, I find I can happily watch most of his stories, and enjoy them, even the most derided efforts, like The Time Monster or Monster of Peladon. But The Mutants is a tough one to sit through, I have to confess. The acting and production values are no worse than usual and in some parts is quite good. There's an intelligent SF plot about a race who change drastically to adapt to their environmental changes. There's a socal satire with a potent point to make about the black and white seperatism in South Africa, another worthy element. Paul Whitsun-Jones, who guest stars as the Marshal, is a top actor and makes a distinctive character of the main villain. But...and this is a hard thing to have to admit, the Mutants somehow comes accross as tedious and boring, long winded, uninvolving and flat, not all the time, but most of the time. Many of the supporting characters are singularly uninteresting and fail to engage or be likeable, the action, while competent, is all routine and lacks any kind of suspense. There is little or no wit and no sense of cliff hanging suspense or danger. It is sad, but true, that this is a workmanlike and worthy story which largely fails to entertain or engage on almost any level at all. The writers have a great idea, but they are just treaing water in the shallow end of the pool, and six episodes is way too long!

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Rating: - This is good stuff!
Its episodes like these that remind you of two things: why Dr Who was so popular in its prime and also that science fiction these days doesn't hold a candle to the classics! The story starts with a fantastic premise - the Time Lords giving the Doctor a device to deliver to someone, but without explanation, and the story just peels out from that with twists, turns, a downright bad villain, and some classic dr who monsters. At six parts long in one video its also a great value buy. There are a few ropey special effects but for dr who fans this should not be a problem! Jon Pertwee shines as the Doctor once again, acting like its all actually happening and making the whole thing entertaining and believable. A great story and one to add to the list of the best. Recommended.

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Rating: - Underrated 3rd Doctor story
Not one of the best remembered 3rd Doctor stories, but still a lovely slice of nostalgia for those weaned on Jon Pertwee's portrayal of the Doctor.