Rate and Discuss: Dragonfire

[SiHart]

At last! After 3000 years... the Doctor and Mel visit Iceworld on the dark side of the planet Svartos, meet an old friend, make a new one and Mel decides oddly yo stop travelling with the Doctor...

What are your thoughts on Dragonfire?

Si xx

[duncan]

It's alright, but nothing to shout home about. Kane was a good villan and the Dragon well realised. But it's still Sylvester's clowning around that I can't get on with. Then there's Ace. I was not a big fan of that character and don't think that Sophie acted particularly well in this story. She was much better in season 26

[Rob McCow]

As the first Doctor Who story I watched from start to finish, every episode as it went out. So I've got a lot of nostalgia for it! For example, I loved the bit where the Doctor is talking about how hot the dragon's laser blast is, then we see that it's shooting his bottom - it's a naff idea, but I thought it was great at the time.

I love the dragon, I think Kane is a wonderful villain and it's a strange joy to see Glitz - a semi-recurring character in the same way that they might do it in the new series. In fact, this might be the only time in the old series (outside of Anniversary Specials) where the Doctor bumps into an old non-companion friend!

I'm hoping this comes out on DVD before too long. I might have to watch the video again, it could be quite Christmas-ey, couldn't it?

[SiHart]

Kane is indeed a fantastic villain. Very menacing and chilling (!) and extremely well played by Edward Peel, but somehow for me this doesn't quite work. Maybe it's the way characters change allegiances and motivations through it (Kracuer for example is a Kane man through and through until Belzas mentions something then he turns assassin) or that the dialogue doesn't quite convince- even at the time it sounded a bit dated... you know who's I mean!

Ah yes, Sophie. She seemed such a breath of fresh air at the time, but her performance in this isn't going to win her any awards (although the Kane confrontation scene is pretty good). She'll settle down though.

Si xx

[Dino]

Daft episode one cliffhanger side, for me this is like an ending to all hangovers from Colin Baker (Mel, Glitz, puppet monsters in the cafe that aren't anamatronic) and a beginning to the uncharted waters of Sylvester McCoy.
Bit of a high body count in this one. Mainly off screen on a big model ship, but it's not a lightweight story. A good ending to season 24.
And the *spoiler alert!* melting Kane was a brilliant effect. Can't believe it got loads of complaints? Shows how desensitised we all are these days...

9.

[Llordllama]

I've only seen it once....utterly forgettable sadly.

[Andrew Curnow]

I remember at the time being so disappointed with this drivel at the end of a run of stories I'd really enjoyed - and then being stunned into disbelief when it topped the DWM poll of season 24. It has a very few good moments, but is largely just awful.

[SiHart]

It's got great music.

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

So has a funeral!

I suppose I ought to list my "few good bits" - there's Edward Peel, he's pretty good. There's the effect of his death at the end, that looks amazingly good, and how they managed it on a BBC budget I don't know. There's the farewell scene between Mel & the Doctor. And there's.... No, actually that's it.

And, as you say Si, some nice music. Although even that's not as hummable as Glynn's other scores.

[SiHart]

The model work is good- the Svartos planet shots are lovely, as is the Nosferatu de-docking and stuff, and Iceworld in Space.

Si xx

[Rob McCow]

I absolutely adore the bit where the little girl is putting her teddy to bed on Kane's freezer bed. It's a great little scene, quiet and creepy.

And although Sophie doesn't give much of a measured performance, there are more than a few scenes where she shines. She is a convincing teenager, petulant and occasionally irritating, with a load of pent-up aggression as seen in the milkshake-tipping and nitro-nining. I think it's great that she actually has a bedroom on Svartos, plus her back story is bizzarre and intriguing.

If you read Andrew Cartmel's book on script editing the series, then you'll find out that the highlight of Dragonfire is Sophie Aldred's unshaven armpits. So there we go, when it comes out on DVD you can freeze-frame the moment!

[MacNimon]

Dragonfire has it's moments...it's certainly the most polished looking story of the season, feeling in many ways more like a traditional Doctor Who story than the earlier stories. After avoiding Delta And The Bannermen on it's first broadcast, I decided to give this a try for the first episode, and while still not won over by the poor acting on display, felt that story-wise there was a considerable improvement since the start of the season. I actually managed to watch this story from start to finish, and it gave me a bit more hope for the future even though it wasn't particularly great.

I've got to agree that Kane's death scene was well done, and I remember feeling rather sorry for the dragon (can't remember why though!) which was also pretty well realised itself considering the budget. On the downside though was that cliffhanger, the double-whammy of Mel and Ace, and the generally poor/annoying acting of the regulars. On reflection, it's not a really good story in its own right, rather it's just appearing to be good after the horrors of the early season.

Overall, this isn't a season that I look back on with any fondness at all, in fact unlike the S18 threads a few weeks ago I couldn't actually bring myself to watch any of these stories again to give them another chance. The only one I could muster up any enthusiasm at all about watching again was Delta, and I don't even have that on DVD!

I suppose this is due 4/10...I'm feeling generous because it's Christmas!

[Larry]

it's been quite a while since I last saw this story but before my recent new found appreciation for season 24 Dragon Fire was for a long time the only story in season 24 that I liked . As pointed out Kane's death was well done and is probably one of the best villain death scenes in the classic series. But the highlight for me is the departure of Mel, one of the very few companions I was glad to see leave.

[Leah Betts]

Apparently they tried to get Ronald Lacey who played the melting Nazi in Indiana Jones to play Kane.

They also tried to get David Jason to play Kane. Imagine Inspct. Frost/Dangermouse as a Doctor Who villain!

What was with the little girl that seemingly had the run of the place in Episode Three?

And what was she wearing?! It's a poofy...blue... thing.

[Rob McCow]

Edward Peel was great, but he's not quite in the same league as those two is he? I'll be watching Dragonfire in a week or two... might put some thoughts up here.

[Leah Betts]

Good idea. Look forward to it.