"I have a plan. It might even work."
TECHNICAL SPECS: Missing from the archives except for one brief clip, so I've used a reconstruction to write this review. First aired Feb.4 1967.
IN THIS ONE... The Doctor floods Atlantis.
REVIEW: On audio, this is a BIG episode, featuring the destruction of Atlantis and water closing in behind the heroes. What might it have been on screen? Somehow, I'm not that confident. The flooding of the temple likely looked like an obvious miniature, but there are still some water effects that seem to stand up, like Zaroff drowning in his lair and Amdo's great big stone face turned into a fountain. The story's cheapness is hinted at in the script, however, as Jamie becomes the first person to make the "all these tunnels/corridors look alike" joke that will recur from time to time in Doctor Who because after all, they ARE the same tunnels and corridors.
Whether the production values and high or low, it hardly matters because the story is as badly thought-out in its finale as it was in its main body. The Doctor's plan to flood Atlantis is better than the apocalypse, but the resulting half-genocide is barely glossed over. In the previous episode, Atlantis was a vibrant culture with happy children running around. Did they survive, or did they drown? When the Doctor goes back to try and save Zaroff, I was distracted by the fact that he never gave a similar thought to any of the sympathetic characters or innocent bystanders. Zaroff's death is also problematic because it feels sadistic. I think it's because it's essentially a silent moment in which Zaroff's camp madness has leaked away, and all we see is a man die. It sure doesn't feel satisfying. Lurid, yes.
The Atlantean coda is pure nonsense, as the few survivors (including Thous who was brutally shot for no reason last episode, apparently) decide to do away with religion since it's the thing that led them to trust in science. Uhm... what? Complete nonsense, and guess what, guys? "No more fish people" is an equally moronic thing to say, as they probably had the best chance at survival. So the story's stupid, but do the companions make out ok? Ben's basically an adjunct to the Doctor's plans, and Polly freaks out in a less than endearing way, completely paralyzed by fear. That's not the Polly I've come to like! Jamie makes out ok though, taking Polly's safety into his own hands and becoming the action hero of this tale. It somewhat sets up his new-found acceptance of the TARDIS and off they go to Mars - NOT! But that's a story for tomorrow.
VERSIONS: I am unaware of any important differences between the Target novelization and the broadcast story.
REWATCHABILITY: Low - A dark and dreary ending to what is essentially a piece of camp. It doesn't sit well and the plot, like Atlantis, is full of holes.
STORY REWATCHABILITY: Low - The Underwater Menace is a big, dumb story with camp performances and silly costumes. It might have been amusing - and could still be if we had all the video - but it generally frustrates with its badly-written script. If it's an Ed Wood picture, it's closer to the more forgettable Night of the Ghouls than it is to Plan 9 or Bride of the Monster.
TECHNICAL SPECS: Missing from the archives except for one brief clip, so I've used a reconstruction to write this review. First aired Feb.4 1967.IN THIS ONE... The Doctor floods Atlantis.
REVIEW: On audio, this is a BIG episode, featuring the destruction of Atlantis and water closing in behind the heroes. What might it have been on screen? Somehow, I'm not that confident. The flooding of the temple likely looked like an obvious miniature, but there are still some water effects that seem to stand up, like Zaroff drowning in his lair and Amdo's great big stone face turned into a fountain. The story's cheapness is hinted at in the script, however, as Jamie becomes the first person to make the "all these tunnels/corridors look alike" joke that will recur from time to time in Doctor Who because after all, they ARE the same tunnels and corridors.
Whether the production values and high or low, it hardly matters because the story is as badly thought-out in its finale as it was in its main body. The Doctor's plan to flood Atlantis is better than the apocalypse, but the resulting half-genocide is barely glossed over. In the previous episode, Atlantis was a vibrant culture with happy children running around. Did they survive, or did they drown? When the Doctor goes back to try and save Zaroff, I was distracted by the fact that he never gave a similar thought to any of the sympathetic characters or innocent bystanders. Zaroff's death is also problematic because it feels sadistic. I think it's because it's essentially a silent moment in which Zaroff's camp madness has leaked away, and all we see is a man die. It sure doesn't feel satisfying. Lurid, yes.
The Atlantean coda is pure nonsense, as the few survivors (including Thous who was brutally shot for no reason last episode, apparently) decide to do away with religion since it's the thing that led them to trust in science. Uhm... what? Complete nonsense, and guess what, guys? "No more fish people" is an equally moronic thing to say, as they probably had the best chance at survival. So the story's stupid, but do the companions make out ok? Ben's basically an adjunct to the Doctor's plans, and Polly freaks out in a less than endearing way, completely paralyzed by fear. That's not the Polly I've come to like! Jamie makes out ok though, taking Polly's safety into his own hands and becoming the action hero of this tale. It somewhat sets up his new-found acceptance of the TARDIS and off they go to Mars - NOT! But that's a story for tomorrow.
VERSIONS: I am unaware of any important differences between the Target novelization and the broadcast story.
REWATCHABILITY: Low - A dark and dreary ending to what is essentially a piece of camp. It doesn't sit well and the plot, like Atlantis, is full of holes.
STORY REWATCHABILITY: Low - The Underwater Menace is a big, dumb story with camp performances and silly costumes. It might have been amusing - and could still be if we had all the video - but it generally frustrates with its badly-written script. If it's an Ed Wood picture, it's closer to the more forgettable Night of the Ghouls than it is to Plan 9 or Bride of the Monster.
Comments