The opening moments feel like a classic Doctor Who episode, the first in a long time. The opening is perfectly engaging and mystical and sets the setting and the players very well. The first episode puts focus on the introduction of Ace, so the main plot doesn't get going before Part Two. The overall story with Kane feels confusing and not very well explored, while the motives of the characters are somewhat iffy. Ace and Mel's parts are the most interesting ones. The plot is pretty whimsical, pretty thin and not very special, but it is great fun. It is a classic adventure, not because of its story, but because of the introduction of Ace and the fun ride it offers. The final moments are some of my favourites in the 80s Who - so warm and fuzzy.
This is the first story where I truly feel Sylvester McCoy is great as the Doctor. He combines the different crumbs of personality we've seen throughout the season to make a package while will turn darker and more manipulative in the remaining two seasons. Sophie Aldred debuts as the final companion of the classic era, Ace, and immediately overshadows Bonnie Langford. She's fabulous. She steals every single scene she is in. Sabalom Glitz is back yet again, and Tony Selby plays him very well once again. He's a bit of a popular character, having appeared twice before throughout Season 23. Edward Peel is pretty creepy as the villainous Kane, while Patricia Quinn is fine as Belazs. Mel is written out in a fine, but pretty bare departure scene. It's perfectly fine but not particularly memorable.
We finally start to see the Doctor we know him as. He's less of a clown and more of a scheming Time Lord. This is where his development into the mysterious and manipulative character he is known as today begins.
Ace shows her true colours from the very start - she's somewhat of a tomboy and a very atypical Doctor Who companion. She fights back without screaming, which makes her pretty much the exact opposite of Mel and she is pretty good with explosives. I love her from her very first scenes. You immediately notice how she goes headfirst into every situation, instead of just standing around waiting for the Doctor to aid her.
The dragon looks pretty cool and feels like a force to be reckoned with. Kane is a creepily cold villain, in more ways than one.
It's quite interesting that the how hasn't featured an ice world before now. The planet seems cold and hostile, which the set design effectively depicts. It's a pretty simple set, but it does the trick. This is the first time the McCoy era features incidental music that I think first the story perfectly. It's dark and tense, which I love. There is a very impressive and gross effect at the climax of this story, which is one of the better ones I've seen on Classic Who.
This is a fast-paced and explosive adventure, with loads of exciting sequences to keep things going. It's a breath of fresh air in an otherwise quite lifeless season.
I like the atmosphere of the story, which is both exciting and explosive and chillingly tense at times. The last episode is wonderfully tense, with high stakes and a great pace. This is also a funny and creepy adventure, which is a major plus.
Dragonfire gave us one of the finest companions in Doctor Who history while finally giving viewers a great and enjoyable Seventh Doctor adventure.
This is a story I will be watching multiple times over!
RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:
Part One ends in an infamously literal cliffhanger - the Doctor hanging by a cliff-side for no good reason. It's stupid and funny at the same time.
Review by Theo KallströmVIP 6BlockedParentSpoilers2020-07-15T06:15:59Z
The opening moments feel like a classic Doctor Who episode, the first in a long time. The opening is perfectly engaging and mystical and sets the setting and the players very well. The first episode puts focus on the introduction of Ace, so the main plot doesn't get going before Part Two. The overall story with Kane feels confusing and not very well explored, while the motives of the characters are somewhat iffy. Ace and Mel's parts are the most interesting ones. The plot is pretty whimsical, pretty thin and not very special, but it is great fun. It is a classic adventure, not because of its story, but because of the introduction of Ace and the fun ride it offers. The final moments are some of my favourites in the 80s Who - so warm and fuzzy.
This is the first story where I truly feel Sylvester McCoy is great as the Doctor. He combines the different crumbs of personality we've seen throughout the season to make a package while will turn darker and more manipulative in the remaining two seasons. Sophie Aldred debuts as the final companion of the classic era, Ace, and immediately overshadows Bonnie Langford. She's fabulous. She steals every single scene she is in.
Sabalom Glitz is back yet again, and Tony Selby plays him very well once again. He's a bit of a popular character, having appeared twice before throughout Season 23. Edward Peel is pretty creepy as the villainous Kane, while Patricia Quinn is fine as Belazs.
Mel is written out in a fine, but pretty bare departure scene. It's perfectly fine but not particularly memorable.
We finally start to see the Doctor we know him as. He's less of a clown and more of a scheming Time Lord. This is where his development into the mysterious and manipulative character he is known as today begins.
Ace shows her true colours from the very start - she's somewhat of a tomboy and a very atypical Doctor Who companion. She fights back without screaming, which makes her pretty much the exact opposite of Mel and she is pretty good with explosives. I love her from her very first scenes. You immediately notice how she goes headfirst into every situation, instead of just standing around waiting for the Doctor to aid her.
The dragon looks pretty cool and feels like a force to be reckoned with. Kane is a creepily cold villain, in more ways than one.
It's quite interesting that the how hasn't featured an ice world before now. The planet seems cold and hostile, which the set design effectively depicts. It's a pretty simple set, but it does the trick. This is the first time the McCoy era features incidental music that I think first the story perfectly. It's dark and tense, which I love. There is a very impressive and gross effect at the climax of this story, which is one of the better ones I've seen on Classic Who.
This is a fast-paced and explosive adventure, with loads of exciting sequences to keep things going. It's a breath of fresh air in an otherwise quite lifeless season.
I like the atmosphere of the story, which is both exciting and explosive and chillingly tense at times. The last episode is wonderfully tense, with high stakes and a great pace. This is also a funny and creepy adventure, which is a major plus.
Dragonfire gave us one of the finest companions in Doctor Who history while finally giving viewers a great and enjoyable Seventh Doctor adventure.
This is a story I will be watching multiple times over!
RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:
Part One ends in an infamously literal cliffhanger - the Doctor hanging by a cliff-side for no good reason. It's stupid and funny at the same time.
Score: 90/120