Doctor Who: The Runaway Bride (2006)

Touches You

The acting in this movie is really good.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

After Catherine Tate appeared in the final episode of Doomsday fandom went in to meltdown as to her casting and led to the first murmurings that Russell T Davies should step down as executive producer . These rumblings were ridiculous and I was going to wait until after I saw her in the role of Donna Noble before passing judgment . After seeing her I thought Tate was okay in the role but The Runaway Bride was slightly less than an okay story One weakness is the rather univolving plot . It's one of those stories in which there's a lot of running around but not much else . There's also bits that didn't seem thought through very well such as the return of the killer santas ( Were they included just to show that it was a Christmas special ? ) or having the villain washed down a plug hole . As for the villain herself Sarah Parish was absolutely terrible and her performance ranks alongside those seen in the Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy eras . Why do normally capable thespians snarl and cackle like some pantomime dames in these type of roles ? Hopefully the little ones enjoyed this story than more critical adult fans of the show

I was waiting the whole episode for that line form Catherine Tate. Now casting her as a doctor who assistant was a bit of an error on the director of casting. After watching that series of Catherine Tate show i just could not take her seriously. The Tardis going down the motorway was also a bit daft! I hope the rest of the series will be better than this, story was stupid too. Its been through the good old throw in a bad joke and you get some ratings thing. Another major disappointment was seeing the stupid Santa clause robots, we have seen them once I wanted something new! Oh well, better luck next time doctor. Looking forward to series 3.

I was left pondering over a number of technical issues with this episode since the Doctor explained early on in his first incarnation about the danger of the doors being open whilst the TARDIS is in flight.Then there's the TARDIS scanner. The TARDIS has always had a scanner just as the TARDIS has always had a control in the centre control console to open the doors.There was no explanation either for the arachnid since the Doctor dealt with the planet of the spiders before he regenerated to his fourth incarnation. These stories are too short and are failing to provide any background. For a franchise that is older than Star Trek, it's coming up short when filling in the gaps, crossing the t's and dotting the i's. Perhaps I'm taking it too seriously as it does entertain you for a spare 40 minutes or so providing you ignore Catherine Tate.

As the end credits rolled on Christmas Day, I was left feeling distinctly underwhelmed by "The Runaway Bride". Following the previous Christmas special ("The Christmas Invasion"), I had high expectations. Unfortunately, the 2006 special is something of a damp squib although it does have its moments.The usually horrendously annoying Catherine Tate appears as The Doctor's temporary companion following the loss of Rose Tyler at the end of the last season. I've never understood the appeal of Ms. Tate and this production has done little to shed any light on this mystery. Her early scenes are ham-fisted and poorly executed. However, by the end of this story, Tate has partially redeemed herself as she does bring moments of comedy to the proceedings.There are some saving graces for this production. Firstly, David Tennant is as entertaining as always. Long may his travels in the TARDIS continue - he's going to be a very tough act to follow. Tennant reveals a little more of what makes his Doctor tick in "The Runaway Bride". I have no doubts that the best is yet to come.Secondly, there is the excellent and genuinely exciting TARDIS chase scene. I won't say anymore but this was a spectacular set-piece and it showed just how far the production values have improved.Although my initial reaction to this special is one of disappointment, it's far from being a total disaster. For a Christmas episode, though, this lacked festive sparkle and left me feeling more than a tad disappointed. However, this is a Doctor caught in the midst of change and the tone reflects this. Even Russell T. Davies' script seemed without its usual magic and zest, although there are a few sizzling one-liners. Previous (brief) Xmas enemies were shoe-horned into the production without really adding anything to plot-development. The script seemed a little dull and director Euros Lyn fails to set proceedings truly alight although there are some memorable scenes.The usually easy-on-the-eye Sarah Parish is practically unrecognisable as the evil Empress Of Rachnos. 10 out of 10 for the effects guys, they've done a sterling job in creating this new spider-monster. Parish herself is a lot of fun and fills her screen time with an over-the-top but successful and likable performance. It's a shame her appearance is limited - she's a very watchable villain with a wicked sense of humour.The delightfully pretty Krystal Archer appears briefly as Tate's nemesis, Nerys and makes the most of her small role. Don Gilet is also amusing as "The Runaway Bride"'s fiancée, Lance. As a stop-gap between series, "The Runaway Bride" serves its purpose. I imagine, though, that Tennant's Doctor will weep with relief that his next long-term companion isn't Catherine Tate.As a teaser, the episode finishes with a tantalising glimpse of the next series. Although a fleeting compilation of scenes can be deceptive, the next series looks simply amazing and promises the return of some familiar characters.