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"Doctor Who"
Voyage of the Damned (2007)

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17 out of 25 people found the following comment useful :-
Not quite a Christmas treat but not a turkey..., 27 December 2007
Author: DVD_Connoisseur from England

"Voyage of the Damned" is a welcome Christmas special. Let's face it, there's hardly any original Christmas material produced these-days so a whole 70 minutes of "Doctor Who" on the 25th December is always a pleasant treat. However, not everything that glitters is gold and despite the presence of Kylie, an appearance by Bernard Cribbins and lots of intergalactic fireworks, this episode lacked true sparkle.

It has to be said, I'm growing tired of Russell T. Davies' over-the-top emotional installments. Whatever happened to a good old-fashioned, scary "Who" story? What Davies supplies is turning out to be predictable, by-the-numbers, emotional porn. I miss the simple pleasures of the show and become frustrated at all the emotional highs and lows and improbable endings. Give me the good old days of Tom Baker! While the overall production standards of this show are pleasing, there's more than a shade of familiarity to the overall look of "Voyage of the Damned". Viewers will scratch their collective heads and wonder, "Where have I seen this corridor / engine room / control centre before?" Good, but not great, I think this was a wasted opportunity.

7 out of 10.

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8 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
"Only Britain's great..." I rather liked it., 26 December 2007

Author: Paul Andrews (poolandrews@hotmail.com) from UK

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Doctor Who: Voyage of the Damned is set aboard an intergalactic spaceship cruise liner called the Titantic, named after the ill fated ship from Earth obviously, carrying hundreds of passengers from all over the Galaxy it stations itself above Earth during Christmas 2007. The Doctor (David Tennant) arrives aboard on the TARDIS & decides to stay for a while & enjoy the festivities, however the festivities soon turn to tragedy when three meteorites collide with the Titantic severely damaging it. The Doctor along with an assorted group of survivors including sexy waitress Astrid Peth (Kylie Minogue) fight for survival as robotic hosts turn on their human creators killing any surviving passengers, something very sinister & very deliberate has happened & the Doctor is determined to find out what...

The third Doctor Who Christmas special after The Christmas Invasion (2005) & The Runnaway Bride (2006) which were broadcast on Christmas Day the previous two years Voyage of the Damned was apparently the second most watched program on British telly during Christmas Day 2007 & had a 50% or more share of the entire audience watching which is quite an achievement all things considered, directed by James Strong even though it will undoubtedly divide opinion with many saying it's 'the worst thing ever' I actually really rather liked it. The whole thing felt like a sci-fi version of The Poseidon Adventure (1972) set in outer space with the Doctor the leader of a band of mismatched survivors fighting for their lives, Astrid as the love interest as well as a collection of other assorted unashamed clichés. Then there's their journey through the wrecked ship overcoming collapsed corridors, blocked doors & having to walk across a precariously placed beam! I liked the Saturday afternoon action film matinée feel about it & for that I apologise to no-one. The script goes for some tragedy, some good old fashioned romance, some good action set-pieces, there's a few twists & turns as well as a bit of light hearted comedy. I liked the character's, the Doctor himself is just great as usual, I liked Astrid & I thought the bad guy at the end although a bit silly looking worked well enough & I'd have liked a bit more motivation or explanation for the Titantic's captain to turn traitor. The story is alright, I'd say it's a bit predictable & sometimes a bit rushed but I liked it, it moves along like a rocket, it's unpretentious fun & doesn't try to be anything else while I found plenty here to enjoy.

This is one of the better looking things to turn up on British telly recently, lets not forget that over here we don't have huge special effects house's & techniques to create this sort of stuff so it's an achievement that it does look pretty good. Sure there's some ropey effects here but mostly they are pretty impressive, the space-bound shots of the Titantic in particular have real scope, scale & look great. I think the effects in this look as good as anything from an American TV series which sometimes can be truly awful. I must admit I did find the silly bit at the end with the Queen a tad embarrassing though & could have done without it along with the two fat comedy relief character's who are irritating but thankfully get killed off. The production design is nice & it looks glossy with a really nice contrast between the Victorian style wooden interiors that mimic the look of the real Titantic against the high tech sophistication of a intergalactic spaceship. The opening theme has undergone a slight rearrangement & it sounds a lot meatier & less orchestral. The acting is fine, Tennant is very comfortable as the Doctor these days, I quite liked Kylie Minogue & thought she looked sexy in that maids outfit while everyone else does alright.

Voyage of the Damned is a fine Doctor Who adventure that I enjoyed a lot, sure it isn't perfect (what is?) but as a light action orientated sci-fi fantasy with good effects & a good story I'm not one of those who are going to complain although I'm sure there will be plenty of them about that will (unfairly) criticise everything about it.

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10 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
Thirteen Million People Liked It, So Stop Moaning!, 27 December 2007

Author: ProfessorStahlman from United Kingdom

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Another Christmas Day, another Christmas Day 'Dr.Who'. This one was different in that it had the Kylie factor. To be honest, I'm not the world's biggest fan of 'La La La' Minogue. I suppose it stems back to 'Neighbours', a show to which I have a long-term aversion. I can't get squeaky clean 'Charlene' out of my memory banks. Fortunately, she has come a long way since then. The role of 'Astrid Peth' could have been played by anyone, but to her credit she infused it with a fair amount of vitality and warmth. Her demise was never in any doubt ( the production team could never afford her as a regular ), but she got a suitably spectacular exit.

As for the plot being ripped off from 'The Poseidon Adventure', well, doesn't that just take the cake? Fancy taking someone else's idea and turning into a 'Dr.Who' script. Russell T.Davies' head should roll for this. Of course this sort of thing never used to happen back in the days of Robert Holmes and Philip Hinchcliffe, when 'The Talons Of Weng-Chiang', 'Planet Of Evil' and 'The Brain Of Morbius' were made. Any resemblance to these and 'Sherlock Holmes', 'Forbidden Planet' and 'Frankenstein' must have been coincidental then.

A survivor of the 'Titanic' was quoted in the press as saying that the tragedy should not be used as the basis for entertainment. Fair comment. The thing is Dr.Who's 'Titanic' was a spaceship. Unless there was a spaceship disaster recently that involved robotic angels, cyborg dwarfs, and teleport bracelets, I think we should let the complaint pass.

I think what has miffed some fans is that 'Damned' did not take place on the real Titanic, because then they could have savaged R.T.D. for messing up continuity by not having the tenth doctor meet his predecessor ( who was also aboard, if 'Rose' is to be believed ).

Being a Christmas Special, 'Damned' had to be spectacular - and was. We've come a long way since the wobbly sets and quarries. The sets and S.F.X. would have done credit to a movie. Everything was BIG. The cast were exceptional too - Clive Swift, Geoffrey Palmer, Bernard Cribbins, George Costigan, and that old thesp Nicholas Witchell. There were some good gags, such as Mr.Copper getting Christmas wrong and London being deserted because the public remembered the events of the previous Christmas Specials. Jessica Martin was The Voice Of The Queen. You have to hand it to her Majesty. The moment she saw the Titanic hurtling towards her, she knew the Doctor had to be involved somewhere.

'Damned' pushed all the right buttons; it was funny, thrilling, tragic, suspenseful. Anyone expecting another 'Blink' was a fool. Yes, the plot was thinner than one of my Aunt Doris' After Eight mints, but sweet all the same. Yes, a lot of people died, but then they do in real disaster movies. David Tennant confirmed his status as the best Doctor of them all. His 'I am a Time Lord' speech was electrifying.

While the 'fans' pick over the Special like a housewife cutting up the remains of the turkey on Boxing Day, I shall raise a glass of sherry to everyone involved in its making, and bask in the glory of the viewing figures.

'Dr.Who' is no longer a 'fans' only show. When I buy D.V.D's, I no longer feel embarrassed, because I know now I am no longer alone in my love for the show. While 'fans' cry into their Tom Baker hats and pretend that the new-look 'Who' is a bad dream, I feel sorry for them because they are missing the best British television in years. Like him or hate him, R.T.D. is part of that success story. Could Steven Moffat have done better than thirteen million viewers? In some strange parallel universe, R.T.D. never existed, 'Dr.Who' did not come back in 2005, and the 'fans' spent this last Christmas Day writing yet more letters begging for its return.

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4 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
True Meaning of Christmas, 20 January 2008

Author: evasmum from Melbourne, Australia

I love Dr Who Christmas episodes and this one not only met but surpassed my expectations. Yes, we all knew Kylie wouldn't be the next assistant, so her storyline was a tad predictable, but it still had it all - pathos, humour, drama, robot angels, and the doctor finally reclaiming himself and his heritage. Great British actors strutted their stuff and a storyline that embraced and subverted Christmas but still delivered a lovely little Christmas message. Forget all the other Christmas television you get this time of year, the true meaning of Christmas is found in watching the Doctor defeat robots intent on destroying England (thanks goodness I live in Australia)

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7 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
I'm the Doctor, I'm a Time Lord, I'm from the planet Gallifrey, I'm 903 years old, 31 December 2007

Author: msb_rock from United Kingdom

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

"I'm the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord. I'm 903 years old and I'm the man who's going to save your lives and all six-billion people on the planet below. You've got a problem with that?" With that speech David Tennant cemented once again that he is one of if not the best Doctor there has ever been.

This episode in my opinion was one of the best ever, some people have criticized it and said that it wasn't good enough, but these people take things too seriously. This was 100% pure drama, pure entertainment. This story was a different Dr Who story because it involved many deaths and it was a very emotional episode which was fantastic. You could see the pain and hurt in the Doctors eyes every time a persons life was lost, you could see him constantly asking "Why?" and you could feel that he felt it was his fault. You were with the character of the Doctor all the way and you wanted him so desperately to succeed and be the hero once more.

The music and the acting like every Dr Who episode matched perfectly, the score behind the slow motion scene was beautiful and it made you feel like there was no hope.

The ending of the show was great too, the death of Kyle Minogues character Astrid was a shock to me. I knew she wasn't doing any more but I didn't think she would be killed off. This again was a moving scene, watching the desperate Doctor try and bring her back but failing was hard to watch, and the line 'You're not falling, you're flying' nearly brought a tear from my eye. The Doctor doesn't seem to be having much luck lately with companions and friends, but thats what makes it more emotional, because you know what the Doctor has been through already and to see him lose someone else, is heartbreaking.

There was also a slight change the theme music which I actually liked, it was weird to hear it at first but the drums gave it a really big feel, don't know if its just for that episode or will be on the next series but I'll tell you now, series 4 looks amazing. And I don't know whats happening in David Tennants future but if he does leave, I promise you, that last story he does will surely have to be something which will bid a fitting farewell to the charismatic man. But he's not gone yet and there are still more episode to come. So don't panic yet.

I don't care what the critics say either about Dr Who, it is the best drama that the BBC has to offer and every year it gets better and better, keep it coming.

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5 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Voyage of the Damned 7 out of 10, 27 December 2007

Author: manufanatic from United Kingdom

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

From the run up to this Christmas special, including all the trailers released, it looked like the Doctor Who CGI effects team had outdone themselves. And they certainly had, the effects of the Titanic being hit by those asteroids and of the Titanic itself have outdone anything seen before in this new Doctor Who.

But, other than the effects, there really isn't anything else that sets this Christmas special apart from any other episode which results in a disappointing feeling by the end. The fact that this Christmas special does feel like any other episode means that it lost those 3 points in my vote. Kylie Minogue's appearance was neither here nor there and it didn't feel like a great loss when she sacrificed herself.

At the end of the day, Voyage of the Damned will serve it's purpose well in keeping the Doctor Who fanbase interested until the beginning of series 4 which, by the way, looks very interesting indeed.

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meh, 10 May 2008

Author: movieman_kev from United States

It's time once again for the Doctor Who Christmas Special, in this one The Doctor, recently companion-less, finds himself inboards the Titanic, an interstellar cruiser orbiting Earth to observe how they celebrate Christmas (which in London isn't festively on account of the previous years' fiascoes) The Doctor also must deal with the Titanic 'crashing' into asteroids.

Pretty much "the Posieden Andventure" set in space with killer robots. This was a little bit of fun fluff, nothing that substantial to think about. The one strike this special has going against it is Kylie Minogue, who can't act her way out of a plastic bag. The other thing going against it is seldom lapses into cheap sappy sentimentality. Neither of those totally ruins the episode, but they do keep it from being on the same caliber as "The Christmas Invasion"

My Grade: C+

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It all seemed so 'phoned in', 3 May 2008

Author: bibimimi from Charlestown Twp, PA USA

These holiday specials can be pretty over the top, this one not so much. I know it was widely viewed by a captive holiday audience in Britain. By the time they air in the states, these eps have usually had all the fun bits edited out of them to accommodate ads. It rendered this particular ep choppy, confusing, and messing up what was a mess already. So you get to see Kylie Minogue in a French maid's getup. I guess it beats waiting for her to wear same in one of her videos. The whole affair left me cold, but I have great hopes for the Tate logs. She's abrasive, sure, but the doe-eyed girlie thing has pretty much run it's course. Viva Who!

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1 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Christmas special 2007: Big festive special that is high of effects and action but feels rushed and lacking heart even if Tennant gives his all as usual, 3 March 2008
Author: bob the moo from Birmingham, UK

Heading out by himself, the Doctor finds himself on board the Titanic again, but this time it is filled with strange creatures and aliens. Quickly he realises that this is a tourist space cruiser currently approaching Earth as part of its tour. The Doctor decides to relax and enjoy the cruise ship but naturally this wouldn't be Christmas if something didn't go wrong. The Captain of the ship deliberately impacts with meteors, killing most of the passengers and starting the ship on a downward trajectory towards Earth. With the robotic assistance on the ship now killing any survivors, the Doctor and his group try to get to safety and stop the collision with Earth.

For the past few years the new Christmas fixture for the BBC has been Doctor Who. Understandably given the loss of Wallace & Gromit and the fact that everyone has seen the "big" film on DVD, cinema, download and Sky by the time it washes up on terrestrial this days. Anyway, this is one of those things that really should be seen in the context of the holidays, where we are all bloated and sitting around television and just looking for something to feed our eyes without really taxing. For that reason it seems unfair to critique the Doctor Who special in any way that goes beyond explosions and excitement; it may seen unfair but of course I cannot help doing it.

In regards spectacle though the special is quite entertaining with plenty of good effects and big moments but it is the substance that I felt let it down. The plot is very much The Poseidon Adventure in space and this tends to be the focus and the idea of corporate greed destroying life is not used as well as I think it wanted to. Outside of this we get some solid excitement in the action scenes but the emulation of the 1970's disaster movie is carried through too much. You see in those, any group of survivors will die off one by one after we have gotten to know a little about them and, where this is done over two or so hours then it maybe doesn't overwhelm. However with this we have the same thing happening but in a very short period of time. So we get death after heroic death and it does get a bit tiresome after a while as it becomes meaningless. I know that the nature of the special requires spectacle rather than reflection but it is worth noting that the episodes that are considered best from season three did not rely on spectacle and big effects but rather story or simple thrills. Here it is all quite exciting but the lack of real meat is a problem.

The cast are all reasonably good though. Of course Tennant dominates and I genuinely wonder how they will manage to fill his shoes when he eventually does stand down from the role. Kyle can't act and doesn't bring much wonder to the role; the female companion bright-eyed with wonder is not a new act but both Piper and Agyeman did it much better than her – she just seems to bring her name to the role, although in fairness the script gives her little. The support cast are mostly quite unmemorable but I did like Palmer as the captain, Swift and Vee as the small alien.

Overall then a special episode in the series that delivers what the majority of Christmas viewers would have expected in a big story with lots of action. The disaster movie genre elements feel rushed and tiresome though and I would have liked less action if more substance had been delivered.

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1 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
A Thrilling Adventure...but don't hold your breath!, 27 December 2007

Author: The_Sandheaver from United Kingdom

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Firstly, let me say that as a standalone episode in a drama that manages to exceed expectations on many occasions, this episode was perfectly enjoyable. With Tennant as ever giving a splendid performance as The Doctor, with honourable mentions going to Bernard Cribbins and Russell Tovey, there is nothing wrong with the performances in this episode. However, Russell T. Davies' style as a writer for Doctor Who is fairly tired now, and his clichés are all too recognisable now, and instead of being treated to a scary, intriguing ride, we are left with a fairly standard adventure which appears to outstay its welcome.

In this adventure, The Doctor travels on a spaceship named the Titanic so that his TARDIS can recover from when it was unexpectedly hit by the aforementioned ship at the end of the previous series. Whilst travelling, The Doctor befriends a maid called Astrid (itself an anagram of Tardis), played delightfully by Kylie Minogue. He finds out that they are currently travelling several miles above the Earth. However, tragedy strikes when the Titanic is hit by three meteors and is headed straight towards the Earth. The Doctor then takes charge of a few survivors of the initial collision and resolves to take them to the Bridge of the ship, whilst avoiding a group of murderous robotic angels, known as the Host.

This episode is definitely not without its moments, highlights including when The Doctor and Astrid visit London, only to find it completely deserted because people are afraid that there will be another alien attack at Christmas, following the attempted invasion of the Sycorax in "The Christmas Invasion" and the attack by the Empress of the Racnoss in "The Runaway Bride". But, other than this, there aren't many other outstanding moments, and, though you may be entertained, you may also be waiting for this episode to finish for a long time before the sneak preview of Series Four is actually shown at the end.

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