Doctor Who - The Day of the Doctor - DVD

Content: Fifty years already the Doctor travels in different incarnations through space and time to save the universe from all sorts of villains and from total destruction. Fifty years of cult, which since 2005 has also spread more and more beyond the borders of Great Britain. And so the anniversary was celebrated not only by fans in England, but also in other countries such as the USA or Germany, not only on TV, but also in selected cinemas. So it was clear that the makers really put their backs into it to satisfy the many old and new fans not only dramaturgically, but also visually. And so The Day of the Doctor is the first Doctor Who episode to be shot in spiffy 3D.

In terms of special effects, they've also gone big, which works very well not only in 3D but also in the 2D version. The story takes place on three plot and time levels, which are brought together in the final third. In the process, the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) not only encounters his predecessor (David Tennant), but also an incarnation of himself that he previously couldn't remember. For this new incarnation, the makers were able to win the legendary character actor John Hurt (Alien).

About the plot and the many surprises it has to offer, not too much should be revealed here. Only this much perhaps: the story, set in 2013 in the cellars of London's National Gallery, in 1562 in Elizabethan England and in a galaxy far, far away, not only offers plenty of suspense and humour, but also attempts to bridge the series' past and future. In doing so, author Steven Moffat (Sherlock) ventures into a staple myth of the series and sets the stage for many new possibilities for the future of Doctor Who with his change. It's true that longtime fans, who haven't just been part of the Time Lord's loyal following since the 2005 reboot, may be bothered by this twist in the series canon. And you can't put too much emphasis on 100% logic in the overall context either. But even if the whole thing seems a little too contrived, credit must be given to Moffat for managing very well to duly bow to the legacy of the previous series while at the same time setting something new in motion.

This very special episode, of course, doesn't just live on the numerous references to Doctor Who history or the good effects. Rather, it's the coherent chemistry between the three Doctor incarnations that clash here. Matt Smith and his predecessor David Tennant in particular have some quite wonderful scenes together that are hard to pass up as a fan. While these are primarily humorous and clearly up the fun factor, the anniversary episode also has quite a few goosebump moments to offer, with these clearly taking over, especially towards the end.

The Day of the Doctor is a real gift to all Doctor Who fans. While not everyone can be satisfied and not all elements of the episode work equally well, the creators must be granted that they have certainly done justice to the 50-year history of the cult series. And for this there is also a more than deserved: absolutely worth seeing!!

Picture + Sound: Technically, there is no reason to complain. Shot in 3D, the episode has true cinema quality in places, even in the 2D version. The picture is absolutely clean, the sharpness of detail is on a high level and the colors are very powerful. The sound is in a pleasantly dynamic Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, which repeatedly offers really good surround effects, but at the same time also transports the dialogue well understandable from the speakers. Very good!

Extras: The bonus material of the DVD is absolutely satisfactory. It starts off with two mini-episodes that work towards the anniversary episode. While this is not quite so obvious with The Last Day (approx. 3:43 min.), it becomes very clear with The Night of the Doctor (approx. 6:50 min.) already by the small appearance of one of the main actors from The Day of the Doctor. These mini-episodes are followed by a short but very nice behind-the-scenes look at the anniversary episode (approx. 13:08 min.), as well as two good trailers. The best extra, however, is the documentary Doctor Who Explained (approx. 44:49 min.), which offers a good overview of the Who universe, especially for newcomers. Absolutely worth watching!

Conclusion: The Day of the Doctor is - at least from the point of view of a fan of the new edition from 2005 - a more than worthy anniversary episode, which on the one hand tries to pay tribute to the last fifty years and all previous incarnations of the Doctor, but at the same time also to lay the foundation for changes and a new future of the cult series. Peppered with numerous allusions, some of which will really only be revealed to die-hard fans, and staged in a humorous as well as exciting way, this episode is simply a lot of fun and also has many a real goosebump moment. The DVD presents the anniversary in very good picture and sound quality and also has some worth seeing as well as revealing extras to offer. Absolutely recommendable

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp