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Enjoyable Romp \u2122, anyone?<\/p>\n
The previous adventure was a harrowing one for both the Doctor and Amy, as well as\u00a0the audience, and so a light run-around in 16th century Venice, with added Rory for comedy relief would seem like just the ticket.\u00a0 The pre-credits sequence is possibly the funniest ever, showing that after 900 years the Doctor may never quite \u2018get\u2019 humans, an aspect which Matt Smith is using beautifully in his portrayal.<\/p>\n
Taking Rory and Amy to Venice as a pre-wedding gift is a commendable gesture and it does ultimately repair the couple\u2019s relationship, in unexpected ways. Personally, I\u2019m uneasy with the concept of the Doctor as a galactic gooseberry, and the fact that even though Rory appears to be the most ineffectual of all TARDIS boys, he also seems least likely to fall into line.\u00a0 Even the irrepressible Jack quickly learned his place in the space of one story.\u00a0 But we all know that the essence of good drama is conflict, so I suppose I\u2019ll just have to accept \u2018Mickey 2\u2019 and see how this plot strand plays out.\u00a0 Perhaps I\u2019m suffering Rory-resistance for the same reason that most of us disliked Adric \u2013 he seems a little too familiar for comfort.<\/p>\n
As a life-long Hammer horror fan I loved the various nods to this genre \u2013 the vampire girls are wonderful, particularly in the \u2018Jonathon Ross Show clip\u2019 \u2013 but I do wonder if\u00a0 revealing them to actually be \u2018terileptils for the digital age\u2019 really added anything.\u00a0 It seems uncomfortably akin to the late and unlamented Van Helsing<\/em> \u2013 only able to present Dracula as a \u2018proper threat\u2019 by transforming him into a CGI demon.\u00a0 Taking a wider view, I don\u2019t suppose debutantes with fangs would really cut it for younger viewers wanting their \u2018monster fix\u2019, and at least alien crustacean\/fish appear at home in a Venetian canal?<\/p>\n Rosanna Calvierri is perfectly played by Helen McCrory, bringing the memorable RTD villainesses of the past to mind.\u00a0 At the same time, she also manages to be a sympathetic character \u2013 one city in exchange for the continued survival of a race does seem perfectly understandable from a certain point of view.<\/p>\n There\u2019s plenty to enjoy here, but nothing especially deep \u2013 at times it\u2019s difficult to really care about the various predicaments the characters find themselves in.\u00a0 Venice is going to get really wet?\u00a0 Hardly a reality bomb.\u00a0 The Doctor strolls through this one as if he\u2019s untouchable – the climactic outcome of his first confrontation with the villains is the Time Lord being shown the door. Even Rory manages to fend off a skilled sword attack with a broom handle.<\/p>\n Perhaps it\u2019s churlish to make criticisms like this when the story is so much fun, and so beautiful to look at (thanks to Trogir for being more like Venice than the real thing).\u00a0 I suspect there may be angst ahead for our heroes so we should maybe try what most declined to do with Planet of the Dead<\/em> \u2013 join in the spirit of fun and laughter while the option still exists for Amy and \u2018her boys\u2019.<\/p>\n AH<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Enjoyable Romp \u2122, anyone? The previous adventure was a harrowing one for both the Doctor and Amy, as well as\u00a0the audience, and so a light run-around in 16th century Venice, with added Rory for comedy relief would seem like just … Continue reading