SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

After four long years, 64 televised episodes (not counting the animated stories and charity specials) David Tennant was finally hanging up his sonic screwdriver as the tenth incarnation of the now contemporary and reinvented Time Lord. Having just previously featured in two one-hour, one off specials rather than the now requisite thirteen episode (ten story) which would comprise of a whole series (a move made to ease in the transition as new executive producer Steven Moffat took over the reigns from Russell T. Davies and the production team made redesigns to the next series TARDIS, opening credits sequence etc.), Tennant's long anticipated swan song, a two part Christmas special entitled "The End of Time" hit television screens across Britain. The subject of much hype and much speculation considering the ominous prophecy imparted to the Doctor at the conclusion of the passable "Planet of the Dead". The cryptic enigma of who would knock four times would soon be answered. But as if much of the fare that we have come to expect from RTD the premiere instalment of "The End of Time" promises much but delivers little in the way of a totally coherent or inspired and original plot.The premise focus's on the Doctor having to return to the planet earth having received a vision with the aid of the elder of the Ood, whose home planet he was visiting. A vision which concerns the resurrection of the Doctor's arch-nemesis the Master who will in some way play a part in the end of time itself which will mean the destruction of future events that the Doctor currently inhabits with his alien associates. What soon follows is a rather poorly constructed and stilted resurrection scene which utilises the necessity of the inclusion of the Master's widowed wife Lucy Saxon (who married him when he had adopted the moniker of Harold Saxon) requiring the adage of a number of one dimensional Harold Saxon cultists as best be described who with no coherent rhyme or reason (apart from that they're devoted to their "Master") are willing to sacrifice their lives to revive the deceased Time Lord. As you might imagine things don't go according to plan (due to a rather miffed Lucy throwing a figurative spanner in the works) and things come to an end rather disastrously. But not after some mind blowing OTT performances from all involved, yes even Simm. The story more or less develops from there and not well as would be hoped. With the Doctor being reunited with Wilfred Mott, one of RTD's more sublime and wonderful creations and played beautifully by the brilliant Bernard Cribbens it allows the pair to have a ingeniously acted but at times nonsensical moment (given the context of the series history) in a café. The brief moments involving former companion Donna played by comedian and actress Catherine Tate do add an emotional weight to proceedings and do to a slight extent forward the plot but the whole more "spiritual" angle which RTD has rather limply applied to past stories just seems like a rather lazy method of not allowing the Doctor to use his deductive powers and discover things for himself. On top of this is Simm's given interpretation of the Doctor's adversary and fellow Gallifreyan who believe it or not is even more maniacal and twitchy than was last seen in series three's closing episodes. Although his performance is more, fine tuned than in his initial appearance in this episode I miss wily sociopath who the villain was, rather than the crazed Hannibal Lectre prototype that he has been moulded in to. A confrontation between the two rivals within a barren London wasteland though featuring some electrifying and eye-popping special effects is reasonably well handled and allows once the dust settles for Simm to deliver a solemn, reticent performance as he eloquently mulls over he and the Doctor's past childhood on Gallifrey and what they have both become. Both actor's cope with the repartee between their respective protagonists/antagonists well but unfortunately it's a moment that is all too brief and the Master is whisked away by paid mercenaries in the employ of potty millionaire (is there ever any other kind?) Joshua Naismith who requires the ingenious skills of the Master for his own ends which entails the Immortality Gate, a humdrum creation by RTD which is merely a variation of the Nanogenes seen in series one's "The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances" and themselves were ripped off from an old episode of "Red Dwarf". If this isn't bad enough Naismith's need for the Master and the gate which involves his daughter Abigail,(Tracy Ifechaor in a cringe-making and lamentably artificial performance)is shallow and trite to the point of boredom. The Vincocci, a pair of alien scavengers played by "Being Human's" Sinead Keenan and Lawry Lewin are nicely realised by the two and do add something to the part and help move things along although it's to a rather nonsensical conclusion which isn't merely laughable and looks like something out of a bad sketch of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" not to mention it makes the inclusion of the Naismith's practically unnecessary, as they add little if anything to the plot making them nothing more than disposable, gratuitous fodder. But as the episode comes to a close and we hear the beautifully resonant and strengthening tones of former Bond star Timothy Dalton which culminates in a spectacular although not altogether surprising reveal given a certain photo that leaked on to the internet. I couldn't help but get a tad excited as to the prospect of what the following weeks concluding part might bring. But given this was Russell T. Davies who had penned this story those hopes as had been the case before could be so, rudely shattered as had ultimately my hopes for this opening morsel.

This episode is a total mess. It has plots here - more plots there - and more over there - and none of them make sense. For example, there's the resurrection of the master and the whole thing with Lucy Saxon and all those people...what happened to them. Then the master's superpowers...where did they come from. Basically I think the point of the episode was to get as many people and special effects into it as possible. I mean, the superpowers aren't even needed for the story - they just ruin it. The whole episode cannot be described as anything more than little odd ideas stuck together by little bits of loose tape that just marginally form the shape of a story.

Its the end for DT and RTD, and they are throwing the book at this one. Actually I think RTD is putting in everything he can, just because he can. He wont have to tie up loose ends, so leaves a bit of a mess for the successor. There are far too many special effects, and a long wait for any plot. The Gates are much like the ghosts cybermen episode when Rose left. The green spiky alien is just like the red alien on the Xmas Titanic. The warnings from the Ood are a bit like the warnings from the face of bo. Eternal life for the PMs daughter, bit like Lazurus/captain Jack. The Doctor watchers was a bit like the man in the shed in Rose, and Elton in love&monsters. The lady in white seems familiar but wait for ep2. The Master just keeps returning, despite being killed many times, he is becoming a bit supernatural, having here some superpowers (superman/spiderman). He sends energy bolts and leaps tall buildings. John Simm is fantastic mind. How does the masters ring and an imprint of the lips of Lucy bring back the master? Bit Harry Potter, with voldermort returning. I hated the throwaway lines at the start, particularly his getting married to Queen Elizabeth 1? Reminds me when they decided to give him a daughter, just more baggage for future writers to cope with, or perhaps ignore. For 5 years he has been telling us the time lords are finished, so guess who makes an appearance? He rushes about but whats the hurry, he is a TIME LORD. He has a Tardis. Dear dear. Good to see Wilfred and Donna. June Whitfield was wasted (so far). It is still entertaining, but after such a long wait it is disappointing. Please please new writers, bring back plot, and some science too.

THIS IS A REVIEW!! Yeah for everyone who hasn't seen the special jet, I might spoil a bit around here and review the happenings!! So don't read it!!! So what have we seen here, nice acting, some bad and somehow unnecessary special effects, some nice moments of an unknown side of the doctor (ooh very human) and a to fast story development at the end.Nice acting of Tennant but this was the only thing I was really sure would happen. I was afraid of what is to come after the good build up in "Waters of mars", you could actually do so much. But they somehow (until now) just made a typical doctor movie out of it. The master returns, we all knew this would happen. It was awesome to see the doctor begging for help, but then the story just got out of hand and the master suddenly stumbled into a position of world domination. What the hell! The green aliens, good Idea, funny, the tragic moment on the other hand was to see that this "living forever machine" was only build for the daughter from the head of the British empire. no!no!no! this scene was so unbelievable and all happened to fast, no background info about the people and why the actually are so selfish! And when they try to get Tourchwood and the 3rd season into account, then please tell me how this selfish prime minister is elected, the world should have learned from the things which happened. This was all to cheap.But hey this was all the steam, now some words of reconciliation to Christmas. I love that grandpa is the companion. Awesome!! The Odd, awesome!! The special effects looked stupid, all of them! I will wait until new year and hope for the best, they have a lot of things set in strange positions. I hope it was all necessary to make the second part awesome and a worthy last time for Tennant as the doctor. Until than!!