Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2074 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-11-26
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 98 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
A Doctor Who story from the Tom Baker era, Destiny of the Daleks pits the Time Lord against his deadliest enemies once more in an enjoyable adventure, although truthfully it’s far from the finest hour of all concerned.

Originally broadcast at the end of the 1970s, Destiny of the Daleks is notable for introducing a regenerated Romana, but across its four episodes we also find the seemingly-dead Davros with a little more life in him than the Doctor expected. And there’s also the small matter of the Daleks being locked in the midst of a long-running war, with seemingly no way to break the stalemate. In short, plenty for the Doctor to get his teeth into.

Yet while Destiny of the Daleks has plenty of tasty ingredients, you can’t help but share a little disappointment at the way some elements play out. Sure, there’s a lot still to enjoy, but the plot sometimes struggles to justify the running time, and the lack of budget is more obvious than is usual in classic Doctor Who.

But it’s to the credit of Destiny of the Daleks that it rides out its problems and still delivers an enjoyable story. It may not be a favourite of the dedicated fans of the programme, but there’s still plenty here for Doctor Who fans young and old. And you can’t beat the Daleks…! --Jon Foster

Synopsis
The Doctor (Tom Baker) and the newly-regenerated Romana land on a strangely familiar planet and investigate the drilling that is going on there. The Daleks are searching for their creator, Davros (last seen in 'Genesis of the Daleks'), in the hope that he can assist them in their war with the Movellans. The Doctor has to reach the evil Kaled scientist before the Daleks, but just who can he trust?

Customer Reviews

Entertaining stuff!
Really enjoyable; Classic 70s campy fun-Baker on top form, great debut from Lalla Ward. If you want a serious plot/acting extravoganza-swerve, if you want a bit of a giggle and light hearted fun-then it's a must have. Noone beats the Baker!

ESSENTIAL DAVROS...
Really enjoyed this! Found it a lot better than many reviewers suggested.
Ok, it struggles with obvious budgetary limitations, but a good plot wins the day.
The Daleks are once again, the independent 'Superior Beings' centuries after their creation at the hands of Kaled scientist, Davros. Lots of devious plots, and calculating of universal domination as we all love!
Speaking of Davros, am I alone in liking David Gooderson's portrayal??
The voice is cold, calculating, occasionally maniacal, and the mask is the same one as used in Genesis, allowing for series continuity. I've read that it didn't fit properly but I just don't see the problem at all.
Michael Wisher and (recently) Julian Bleach are obviously the pantheons of the character, but I rate Gooderson's take as superior to Terry Molloy's. Molloy's make up FX just don't look right to me, not matching the original designs, and looking way too rubbery. Ok, so Davros takes a slight backseat to the overall story here but this only adds to the desperation and determination of the irrepressible megalomaniac.
True, the Dalek's main foes here, The Movellans are dated in a UFO/Space 1999 kind of way, but still make for an interesting alien race (with a twist).
Baker is on good form too, relishing verbal spats with Davros and at one point offering the fellow...a jelly baby!! Needless, to say Davros bites the hand that feeds!
There's reasonable action, with good use of the infamous quarry locations doubling as Skaro. It's not as dark as Genesis but it still fits the chronology well.
It's been suggested that the Daleks may be fully robotic (as opposed to organic inside) in this story. However I think this may be a misinterpretation as the Doctor actually discovers a Kaled mutant creature in it's unembellished form on a cliff face. Come on, the Daleks aren't robots - It's that green thing inside that gives them their spite!
Extras are informative here, and there is the option of new FX shots here - trust me, they aren't really an improvement at all, and that's more of a dig at the new stuff - stick with the original FX work.

Davros returns.
This story has often been criticised in the past. Perhaps this is due to it being compared with the previous Dalek story - Genesis of the Daleks. Perhaps also, due to a weak start, with a regeneration scene being played for laughs. Nevertheless, I feel that this is a good and enjoyable tale in its own right, even if it is not one of the classics. The Doctor and the newly-regenerated Romana, arrive on Skaro and encounter two warring factions - the Daleks and the Movellans. Both sides are locked in a stalemate and are seeking for the stroke of genius that will give them the upper hand. For the Daleks, this means going back to their origins and seeking out their creator.
There are some fine elements here. The cliffhangers are good, with the end of episode 2 being one of the series most memorable moments. Tom Baker is well-established as the most popular Doctor (from the original series). Lalla Ward makes a highly impressive debut as Romana and shows that she is a worthy successor to Mary Tamm. Less successful is the portrayal of Davros. David Gooderson tries hard, but cannot match the outstanding performance of Michael Wisher from Genesis. It is worth noting that the Daleks themselves, could be done with a makeover!
The DVD contains the usual array of extras. For me, the most interesting was a documentary entitled `Terror Nation.' This pays tribute to Dalek creator Terry Nation and focuses on the different stories he wrote for the series. Overall then, a very worthy addition to the Doctor Who DVD library.