An Autist Reviews: Revolution Of The Daleks (NuWho Episode 12.11)

*All Reviews Are Spoiler-Free Aside From Any Spoiler Sections*

*This is a bare-bones/lite review made after only a single viewing. (Hence there not being any replay rating)*

The Doctor has been locked up for 19 years, her companions have been abandoned for 10 months, and an old ‘friend’ has had a year to use stolen Dalek technology to create his magnum opus. With all of humanity at risk, it’s up to the recently rescued Doctor and her peeved off, but more than capable, friends to finally put a stop to the Dalek they thought they destroyed a year ago and, with any luck, the Daleks it’s been making and that have been being made for it.

Oh dear god, this episode was phenomenal! I mean, really! This is Chibnall’s best yet, you can tell he’s finally settled in, he’s finally come into his own, he’s finally written a truly shocking, intense, scary story that, for the first time ever, has made the Daleks properly, completely, terrifying. Not to mention seeing 13 deal with everything she’s learned, seeing that Yaz has certainly become… a little unhinged since the Doctor left, seeing how Ryan has moved on, it was all amazing! Sure, the Doctor escaped jail a little quicker than I expected, but she was absolutely amazing, and sure the resolution of the story was a little too quick, and sure the ending could have been a little smoother, but the story was just so good that all of that was made up for, and I really care about the ends of stories, so if I’m saying the ending was fantastic, if not perfect, then take that as a seriously good sign. Now, some of the dialogue was rather clunky, the exposition especially so, but it all does its job and, unlike in the past, I wasn’t too upset at the way some conversations were initiated. Were some conversations initiated rather oddly, yeah, but the conversations were so good and natural that they made up for that. Also, the politics aren’t exactly in your face here, I mean, it’s pretty clear, but it’s not as strong as it’s been in the past. If this is a sign of how series 13 is going to be, then that means my theory about Chibnall was right. He was a little too slow and careful in the first series, the second he was too fast and brash, but this third series, I feel like he’s finally going to hit that perfect middle ground! Also, can I just say that seeing Ryan be cold with the Doctor and seeing Yaz being commanding, obsessive, and a little pushy, was the best thing ever. To see Yaz actually getting a character, even if it’s one that did grate a little at one or two moments, is amazing, especially since, if this is a sign of things to come, we might get to see her have some serious attachment issues with the Doctor, and she might just have some control issues too. As for the exit of Ryan and Graham, I think Chibnall couldn’t have done better. This is definitely the perfect kind of 13 story, even if it has a lot of little flaws here and there.

Now, the acting. Can you say perfect? I mean, every now and then you get a line that might not be delivered the best way possible, but you barely notice because of how amazing every other line surrounding it is! The way humor and horror are delivered in this story is frankly amazing, every death is spectacular, every side character, every main character, every Dalek, they’re all perfect. Plus, Nicholas Briggs gets to flex his range of Dalek voices, which is always fun.

God the effects. Let me start with the cinematography, okay, because the only reason it’s a 9 is for literally 3 bad decisions. They reused the same epic shot twice as if we hadn’t seen the horror of it the first time, they had one or two really weird effects on the camera that didn’t get used as often as something so weird should in order to make it seem normal, and they had one or two issues with the cutting. The music here was amazing, aside from the fact that I can’t actually recall any intense or action-packed music, which, while it was probably still present, is a pretty big issue. But aside from that, the music I do remember was spectacular and made me want to cry just from listening to it! The voice effects were flawless, the Daleks were just all phenomenal, and I think there were one or two other smaller effects that were also just perfect in every conceivable way. Now, the computer effects, as I feared from the trailer, were a little odd. The light effects around certain objects just don’t end where they should, adding a cheap appearance to a few, otherwise amazing, early scenes. Also, the ending is just a little fast due to how quick a certain effect goes, and adding onto that, some of the effects do look a little less than hyper-real, but it’s barely noticeable. Oh, and also, Jack has his special gun from his first appearance back again, but frankly, it doesn’t look too great when it shoots, and also, Vortex Manipulators now have a new look and it’s certainly cool to see! Now, as we all know, if you can do something practical, you should, and clearly,​ Chibnall knows this, because we get to see freaking Daleks wobbling about in tanks, and there is NO WAY that those Dalek mutants were not practical, it looked just like it was done with puppetry, and that is just amazing to see! Not to mention the explosions and other practical effects, such as the Daleks. I mean, it’s Doctor Who, the practical effects are going to be on point, what are you expecting? Now, speed round, the costumes and makeup, as one would expect, were amazing, I mean, perfect, down to the most minor detail. The sets, too, like, oh my god, this was the most beautiful episode of Doctor Who ever​. Every shot showed off the amazing sets, and for good reason! I was practically salivating over these sets, they are just PERFECT! Now, the action does have one little iffy bit caused, mostly, by a rather poor effect, that of Jack’s gun, but aside from that one bit, every other action scene is perfect! I mean, Jesus, Daleks go hard! And finally, the sound design. It was perfect. There, done, what do you expect, Doctor Who can always be trusted to do 2 things right: Practical effects, and sound design. They’re what makes Doctor Who as amazing as it is.

All in all, this is the best episode of 13's run thus far. It is shot like a full-on​, proper, dramatic, intense, action movie, the plot is political, thrilling, and terrifying, the humor never takes away from any moment, and the hurt and sadness throughout is always palpable, even from the other side of a screen. The effects may lack here and there, and some of the lines aren’t exactly naturally inserted, but the intensity and the fun of the story make up for that in so many ways. If every 13 story is like this in the future, then that is going to make me a very happy man, because baby, this felt new, it felt awesome, and I am READY for 13 to return again soon!

(To those rating this low: Who hurt you?)

Total - 10 (I increased it by one because, frankly, this is my FAVORITE 13th Doctor story ever, now, and it made me interested in Yaz!)

Plot - 9

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Story - 9

Pacing - 9

Dialogue - 9

Narration - 10

Exposition - 8

Enjoyment - 10

Twist/s - NR

Resolution/s - 9

Ending/s - 9

Acting - 10

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MC/s - 10

SC/s - 10

BG/s - 10

Narrator/s - 10

Effects - 9

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Music - 8

Voice Effects - 10

Computer Effects - 8

Practical Effects - 10

Costumes/Makeup - 10

Sets - 10

Action - 9

Cinematography - 9

Sounds - 10

Replay - NR

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Re-Enjoyment - NR

New Details - NR

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