Doctor Who - The Time of the Doctor - DVD

Content: The universe is once again in danger! This time it's a mysterious signal that has lured all the dangerous species of the universe, from the Daleks to the Cybermen, into orbit around the planet Trenzalore. Along with his companion Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman), the Doctor (Matt Smith) must find out what's so special about the sleepy little planet and who is responsible for the mysterious signal. But when he realises that the fate of the planet is intimately tied to his own, he must make a grave decision that could mean his ultimate death - for he is, in fact, the last of all incarnations of the Time Lord...

With The Time of the Doctor, the 2013 Doctor Who Christmas special, Matt Smith bids farewell to his fans. And the Eleventh Doctor isn't quietly taking his hat off, of course, but is once again putting on a real spectacle, facing off against all his great enemies like the Daleks and the Cybermen. Admittedly, fans of the series should be used to change after quite a few incarnations of the Doctor and his various companions and sidekicks. Still, saying goodbye to a beloved Doctor always comes with a bit of melancholy. After the excellent David Tennant, many doubted whether Matt Smith would really be able to fill those big shoes. But his Doctor has very quickly captured the hearts of the fan base and has given the series another boost in popularity.

Naturally, after the big climax, the episode celebrating the 50th anniversary of the series, The Time of the Doctor seems much smaller and unspectacular. Also, Smith's farewell isn't quite as emotional as David Tennant's somewhat drawn-out exit was at the time. But apart from that, this particular Christmas special has become an absolutely successful episode that actually combines all the elements fans love about this cult series into an entertaining whole. There's suspense and humor, action and emotion, good special effects and traditional designs, and of course there are the powerful antagonists. What more could you ask for?

The contrast between the events on and around Trenzalore to the Christmas dinner with Clara's family is just wonderfully funny and provides a humorous contrast to the rather sad finale. Overall, The Time of the Doctor is a fitting send-off for a wonderful Doctor who has given fans some great episodes and who has made the Fez a real cult head-turner. At the same time, the episode is also the launch pad for the new Doctor, Peter Capaldi, who manages to bring a whole new character of his own to the much-loved cult figure in just the few seconds he is seen here. We can't wait to see how the series will evolve with him as the Twelfth Doctor. Overall, there is a very clear for this special: absolutely worth watching!

Picture + Sound: Technically, there is no reason to complain about the conversion of the episode for the DVD. The picture is absolutely clean, the sharpness of detail is at a high level and the colours come across very powerfully. 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. For this there is a very clear: Very good!

Extras: Just under 100 minutes of bonus material has to offer the DVD. It starts with a worth seeing look behind the scenes of the Christmas special (approx. 12:46 min.), followed by a journey in the Tardis through the history of Doctor Who (approx. 43:03 min.), whereby also some former actors of the Doctor have their say. Finally, a documentary celebrating Matt Smith's farewell revisits his time as Time Lord (approx. 43:32 mins). Absolutely worth watching!

Conclusion: With The Time of the Doctor, the Doctor Who Christmas special of 2013, Matt Smith says goodbye to his fans. And the Eleventh Doctor isn't quietly taking his hat off, of course, but once again rides a veritable spectacle, facing off against all his great enemies like the Daleks and the Cybermen. The finale of the episode is not quite as emotional as the farewell to his predecessor David Tennant, but Smith makes a worthy exit. Fans of the series should definitely get the disc not only because of the episode, but also because of the almost 100 minutes of bonus material. Absolutely recommended!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp