Doctor Who (TV Series) Frontios: Part Two (1984) User Reviews

Very good continuation.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 22 January 2019]

I have areal fondness for Frontios, it is cracking science fiction. I love the way the crew aren't instantly accepted, the way the locals treat them as suspicious, seems realistic compared to the usual setup.

I think if you love or hate it, you can't argue with the fact that it's a very dark story, very bleak in terms of production and content. I truly love the idea of something lurking udner the surface.

The acting is excellent once again, including Strickson's shock at seeing the tractators.

The lighting is well done, they made the right decision not to over light the tractators.

Part two down, and I'm really into it. 8/10

Hungry Earth

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 8/10 · 4 April 2020]

Review of all 4 parts:

Many years before the 11th Doctor story The Hungry Earth we see a 5th Doctor story where people are drawn down into the soil and disappear underground. The phrase that the earth is hungry is even used. So I guess this was influential on that much later story? Also in common with that later story this is somewhat average and lacking in brilliance but it is a serviceable filler story.

The planet Frontios is well realised and the production values overall are decent. The humans are costumed pretty well and the effects are fine. When we meet the alien Tractators they are less impressive but are not a bad effort compared to many classic Who monsters. A little bit of CGI enhancement to animate some life into their faces and skin texture would not go amiss but for the budget and constraints of the day they are acceptable.

The plot involves hard to fathom science fiction ideas - characteristic of writer Christopher Bidmead - but nothing jumps out as being a terrible idea, it all works okay without being particularly impressive or hugely convincing. Humans are being used by the Tractators who are, in turn, controlled by one of their kind the Gravis who is inexplicably super powerful.

Mark Strickson as Turlough is good and Peter Davison as ever performs very well as the Doctor. Other actors are mostly solid and the script is reasonably written. It is quite dark and almost feels like a less impressive precursor to the gloomy brilliance of Caves of Androzani. It is quite enjoyable but it all just feels a bit lacking in either a convincing serious quality or entertaining levels of fun. It is all adequate quality without being brilliant.

My ratings: All 4 episodes - 7.5/10.

Meh.

[wetmars · 6/10 · 23 March 2020]

Following the destruction of the TARDIS, the only part of it left is the hat stand. So Turlough uses it as a weapon! Plantagenet gets swallowed by the earth, and Norna and Turlough discover the Tractators.

Meh, too boring. But I like how it's a very dark story.