- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080p/24 (24Hz)
- Audio Codec: English LPCM 2.0 Mono (48kHz/16-bit)
- Subtitles: English SDH
- Subtitles Color: White
- Region: B (Region-Locked)
- Certificate: U
- Discs: 1 (1 x Blu-ray)
- Digital Copies: N/A
- Run Time: 79 Mins.
- Studio: StudioCanal
- Blu-ray Release Date: May 27, 2013
- List Price: £19.99
Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:3.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:3/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(The below TheaterByte screen captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray Discs and losslessly compressed in the PNG format. There should be no loss of picture quality with this format. All screen captures should be regarded only as an approximation of the full capabilities of the Blu-ray format.
The Film
[Rating:3.5/5]
Today’s audiences will be shocked by the quiet and dated appearance and relatively slow pace of this 1965 Dr. Who feature film, based on the original British television series. While it is true that Dr. Who and the Daleks is somewhat dated, and also takes great creative license with the original characters, it also has a quaint sense of exploration that is perfect Saturday morning fare.
In this theatrical outing, Dr. Who, as portrayed by Peter Cushing, is an eccentric elderly inventor who has created a time machine he has dubbed the TARDIS, Time and Relative Dimension in Space, in the form of a police box. Along with his two granddaughters Susan (Roberta Tovey) and Barbara (Jennie Linden), as well as Barbara’s new boyfriend Ian (Roy Castle), the Doctor accidentally activates the TARDIS and travels to the distant futuristic planet of Skaro. There he does battle with the robotic menace alien race the Daleks who, as it is discovered, are keeping a race of humanoids oppressed.
Like the best Star Trek episodes where they venture onto a strange new world, Dr. Who and the Daleks makes good use of its surroundings to place the Doctor and his companions in an off-kilter world that has just the right amount of a feeling of alien strangeness in the air. Director Gordon Flemyng also does well to use every ounce of the relatively low budget to fill the widescreen image with Daleks, flashing lights, and a colorful set to focus the eyes on.
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
The original 35mm Techniscope production has been restored in a respectable AVC/MPEG-4 1080p encodement from StudioCanal on Blu-ray Disc. The original graininess of the format has been preserved, but the image is never overwhelmingly gritty. Everything here looks naturally textured with just some hints of softness every so often. Darker areas are mainly consistent, only occasionally showing some slight wash out.
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
The original monaural soundtrack has been restored nicely in a LPCM 2.0 (48kHz/16-bit) track that is clean, has some depth and natural ambience, and has little in the way of crackle.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:3/5]
An audio commentary and features on the restoration and the Daleks are included that should please Who fans.
The supplements:
- Audio Commentary with Jennie Linden and Roberta Tovey
- Dalekmania (1.33:1l SD/PAL; 00:57:30)
- Restoring Dr. Who and the Daleks (1.78:1; 1080i/50; 00:08:26)
- Interview with Gareth Owen (1.78:1; 1080i/50; 00:07:41)
- Stills Gallery (1080p/24; 00:02:12)
- Trailer (2.35:1; 1080i/50)
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:4/5]
Dr. Who and the Daleks is a quaint diversion in the Who universe.Very much anchored to its era, it is nonetheless a fun bit of escapism that fans of this long-running franchise are sure to appreciate.
Additional Screen Captures
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Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:3.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:3/5]