Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1839 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-11-06
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 192 minutes

Synopsis
Having arrived in 1975, The Doctor (Patrick Trouton) and his assistants discover that sinister things are afoot at an electrical conglomerate; a company that’s managed to monopolise the entire world market. Furthermore, the shadowy CEO of the company is actually in league with the Cybermen and together plot a full-scale invasion of our planet. With a strategy already in motion, is it too late for the Doctor to foil the Cybermen’s dastardly plan?

Customer Reviews

"Stay tooned with Pat Troughton"
Well, do the animated episodes work or not? Yes, they work brilliantly, Troughton's mannerisms and Kevin Stoney's facial expressions are particularly well captured-just see Pat run!
Both animated episodes are fully animated and do not have a few seconds of reprise material from the orginial episodes either side cut in. It's just a shame the animated version of the titles was not used.

A strong story if a little stretched at 8 episodes, this is the best candidate for a story to rival "Tomb of the Cybermen" as the best complete Troughton! It moves along enough most of the times to compensate for any padding.

Trougton excels as Earth's self appointed defender, and is at his best playing opposite Kevin Stoney's full blooded villain. When together, both men raise their game.

Jamie gets some very good moments opposite Peter Halliday's incompetent henchman, while Zoe uses her computer skills and has many humourous moments with a girlpal.

The ultimate in Cyber-minimalism, the metallic monsters get very little screen time and even less dialogue. They are all the more effective for this and Douglas Camfield makes a handful of cybermen look like an army.

He gets real soldiers to play with too and stages some marvellous battle sequences. Unit was rarely this impressive again, a giant organisation who can whip up a helicopter in minutes! Nicholas Courtney makes his Brigadier solid and likeable. Watch also for Benton!

Main documentary "Evolution of the Invasion" is very well put together with many of those involved interviewed. Edward Burnham has an interesting story on how he wanted to play his death scene, and an unfilmed scene is recreated for us, showing how another character might have been killed off.
1 very serious omission is author Derrick Sherwin, and while we're at it is it so impossible to edit in some archive interviews with Troughton?

There is a very good featurette on how the animation was created-note the glee of the man who "played" Troughton for some motion capture!

Similarly the history of fans taping the soundtracks on reel to reel recorders is explored. Marvellous stuff except for the person who plays a bit of his prized recording of "Brian of Morbius", "With audience reaction" as if it were a major historical document. GET OUT MORE!

The commentary is the usual enjoyable fare but also features the naimators appraising their work on episode 1, and Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury assessing their animated selves for ep 4.

A return to glory for a dear old story. can we have the same for 10th Planet please?

Not quite one for all fans, unless they were very big on the new Cybermen.

Nostalgiafest!
It's brilliant! Buy it now!
The recreated cartoon episodes are stunning.
Kevin Stoney is the showstealer.
It's meaty and there are very good extras.
What a shame the high costs will probably prevent any more reconstructed stories!
So, why not but it to encourage more of them.

Groundbreaking
How many Doctor Who stories can 'every day' people born in the 60s or earlier actually recall ? I would hazard a guess that 'The Invasion' will be remembered as the one with the Cybermen coming out of the sewers. Indeed, for my part three cliffhangers stick in the mind; the end of episode One where the Cyber Planner is revealed in Vaughns office, the crazed cyberman in the sewers at the end of episode five and of course the invasion itself at the end of episode six.

Make no mistake, this story is two episodes too long. There is far too much repetitive dialogue in Vaughns office and the stock footage of missiles is shown three times - each time is identical ! In contrast the death of one supporting character is extremely rushed. But the overall look and feel of the story with its contemporary feel (untypical at the time of broadcast) is very atmospheric accompanied by a very moody instrumental score. For that alone, the story is essential viewing for nostalgic 40 somethings (and above) and should be viewed by younger fans as an example of the late 60s production team getting everything right.

Now to the animation of the two missing episodes 1 & 4. A superb effort to marry up fans off-air audio recordings with some excellent black and white animation. Using a lot of source material from the surviving episodes and a certain degree of artistic licence (Isobels ascent up the rope ladder to the helicopter is certainly that !) the team have produced a seamless bridge to complete the story. The original video release in 1993 used Brigadier actor Nicholas Courtney giving a very hurried summary of the missing episodes (this is included here as an extra) but this treatment is vastly superior and infinitely more satisfying.

There are some excellent extras on the two discs also. A 50 minute documentary recalling the making of the story with many (surviving)participants providing recollections, a short documentary showing the making of the animation, a tribute to the fans who recorded off-air audios on cassette tapes (check out the groovy Boots C90 displayed !) and of course the obligatory commentaries that can be switched on if desired.

Excellent value release that justifies a full five stars. Now bring on a completed 'The Ice Warriors' with animated episodes 2 & 3 or maybe someone has those missing episodes tucked away in their cupboard ?!!