Fish Fingers and Custard Issue 5
Invasion of The Dinosaurs I loved Dinosaurs when I was a kid, many kids do. I’ve no idea why, I very much doubt kids would be smiling and waving at an actual T-Rex who wants to bite their head off. I blame ‘The Land Before Time’ cartoons for making them cuddly, loveable and less likely to rip your flesh off, causing your blood and guts to splatter on the ground like raindrops, which would result in Don Lockwood doing his camp dance, making you wonder how on earth Lina fancied him. But I digress… 1974 saw Doctor Who delve into the genre for the first time (you can’t really count Cave of Skulls etc) and effects aside, it’s a pretty decent story. The Doctor and Sarah return from their travels to see London deserted (which is very odd, as London is never deserted. Not even when you stumble back to your hotel at 4am, after a skinful of beer, and can’t get back to sleep because there are STILL cars on the road and the window won’t shut. Or maybe that’s just me?) It turns out that the city has been deserted as there are ‘monsters’ on the loose, which of course, turn out to be Dinosaurs! It was a very brave attempt by the production team to do a story on this scale. The effects, as mentioned, look laughable today and would benefit from any CGI the Restoration Team can give it, when it’s finally earmarked for release. To be honest, the effects look a lot better in the black-and-white episode 1, I’m actually in half-a-mind to plead with the Restoration Team to de-colourise the other 5, to make it look better! The plot is twisted and the motive laughable, but that’s what supposed-terrorist plots must seem like, to those who don’t share their views. I found the downfall of Captain Yates a little hard to believe though (although with him following a superior officer, maybe I’m being a little bit harsh) but I really enjoyed Sgt. Benton’s role in this (as he was given something to do in a story, instead of hovering in the background, looking bewildered!) and his faith in The Doctor (his face when asking The Doctor to ‘overpower him’ is hilarious!) I really enjoyed the performances of General Finch (who is very much a pantomime villain in this!) and Sir Charles Grover, who I knew was a wrong un’ right from the off (DON’T GET IN THAT LIFT! Sarah didn’t hear my shouts of warning at the television though. Maybe because it was in 1974? Or maybe I should just grow up?)
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