Doctor Who: The Brain of Morbius

LABEL: BBC/2Entertain
RUNNING TIME: 100 mins approx.
RATING: PG
VIDEO FORMAT: 4:3 Non-Anamorphic
AUDIO FORMAT: English 2.0
SUBTITLES: English HOH, Production Notes
DVD REGION: 2
AVAILABLE: 21st July 2008


Synopsis
The fourth Doctor and Sarah find themselves stranded on Karn, a desolate planet with a dense magnetic field, apparently at the behest of the Time Lords. Seeking shelter from the rain, they stumble across a castle-like structure inhabited by Solon, a renowned neurosurgeon, and his gigantic disfigured servant, Condo. Initially charmed by the pair, the Doctor and Sarah soon discover that they have links to an evil Gallifreyan cult. Meanwhile the Sisterhood of Karn, a local religious sect who worship a Holy Flame, discover the TARDIS and become convinced that the Time Lords have sent the Doctor to steal the last of their life-extending elixir. Enraged, they make preparations to have him killed...

Review
“The Brain of Morbius” is one of those stories that every Who fan of a certain age remembers. Very much an homage to Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN, it is a perfect ambassador for Phillip Hinchcliffe's years as producer, featuring the hallmarks of brooding scenery, grotesque characters, gallows humour and a distinct flair for horror. Next to “The Talons of Weng-Chiang” it is perhaps the most memorable of the Hinchcliffe-era stories, and with very good reason; here Tom Baker is at the height of his powers as the Doctor, striding through the plot like a curly-haired Titan – always commanding, always in complete control of his performance. Having Sarah Jane Smith along for the ride doesn't harm things either; with a charming smile and a flick of her hair she brightens any scene, promptly screaming at the appearance of anything monster-like and bringing that much-needed touch of human warmth to a story that is, essentially, about cutting up dead things to make a flesh-puppet.

There's also the guest cast to be considered. Philip Madoc brings a definite gravitas to Solon, a part which a weaker actor would have almost certainly played as a raving, melodramic, nutty professor but Madoc goes in entirely the other direction, keeping Solon (for the most part, at least) measured, calculating and every bit as intelligent as he is supposed to be. Madoc is joined by an impressive cast of thesps, from Colin Fay as his hapless servant Condo to Cynthia Grenville as the Sisterhood's leader, Maren; all bring a delightful punch to the story, and work together to create a believable world for the viewer to enjoy. So... fan-favourite Doctor-companion pairing? Check. Layered villain? Check. Misunderstanding locals for the Doctor to charm? Check. Fantastic cliffhangers? Absolutely. Memorable monster? Most definitely. There is not one single factor in this story that doesn't point to it being an absolute classic.

Are there any reasons not to buy? Always. For a start, this isn't a straight adaptation of FRANKENSTEIN, but an homage – for example, the monster here is not a victim but very much a snarling beast, and the sympathetic giant's part is taken instead by the servant, Condo. There's also a large dash of continuity-bashing on offer, with several unfamiliar faces flashing up during the Doctor's mental tussle with Morbius in episode four. One could also point to the fairly dodgy rubber brain in a jar that stands in for Morbius until he gets a body in episode three, although that would be a fairly shallow thing to do to a thirty-two year-old television broadcast. In truth however, all of these niggles are shallow and unimportant, and none of them get in the way of enjoying one of Classic Who's finest monster mashes. Buy it with pride, and watch it with the lights down low... it won't be long until you're six years old again.


Picture
A nice, clean video transfer, with nary a pop or a crackle. DOCTOR WHO never disappoints in this regard.

Audio
Another release featuring bog-standard (but hardy) stereo. No complaints here.

Special Features
Oooh... loads. There's a cast and crew commentary from Baker, Sladen, Hinchcliffe and director Chris Barry, a making of documentary, a 3D studio tour, an interview with the chief designer for the story, Barry Newberry, plus the usual glut of galleries, trailers, PDF material and production notes. Good value, as always.



Matt Dillon


The Brain of Morbius is available from 21st July from Play.com, Amazon and all good stockists.