Doctor Who: The Macra Terror (1967) - Review
Of course, such a release isn't without its potential issues - this animated version is presented in full 16:9 widescreen and in colour, unlike the original 4:3 black and white presentation. There is an option to watch the serial in black and white, but I imagine that these noticeable inaccuracies will bug some fans. This animation project has taken a great number of creative liberties with The Macra Terror, with bits of set, costume and with the Macra creatures themselves - reimagined here to be more agile and terrifying and less clunky and awkward. This isn't a shot-for-shot recreation, but a reimagined version of the story taking the audio and some of the surviving material and making more of a standalone animation out of it. This might give The Macra Terror some mainstream appeal, both to relatively new fans and to a younger audience, and also improve the quality of the story in the minds of some fans. For me personally, this reimagined version is a treat, and the creative liberties taken do actually improve this as its own standalone piece. Some will complain, but a more impressive version of The Macra Terror is better than not having it at all.
The story sees The Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) and his companions Ben, Polly and Jamie arrive on a planet not unlike Earth where they discover a huge city known only as The Colony. Everyone is happy at The Colony, and nothing can possibly go wrong. Except for the mysterious Medok, who claims to have seen sinister insect creatures known as Macra. Control - the overbearing commanders of The Colony - claim that "there are no such things as Macra", but the Doctor is far too suspicious of Control's motives to let that slide. It's up to the Doctor and his friends to fight Control and uncover the mystery of the Macra terror...
The Macra Terror is a very familiar kind of episode to Doctor Who fans. Set in a futuristic base under threat from some mysterious alien force, its a very comfortable story, but the whole concept of mind control gives the serial an extra edge. There's almost a Big Brother element to The Macra Terror, with Control always watching the characters, telling them what to think and what to do. The overly-happy nature of The Colony is also quite unsettling, something instantly noted by Jamie as they enter. The Doctor is constantly trying to encourage people to think for themselves, whilst so many in The Colony want to insist that its all fine. If there is an issue with this, its that it feels like this story is missing a proper human villain - someone working with the Macra. There is a Controller, but he's simply a puppet. Its a mystery that feels like its missing an extra layer, and because of that, the ultimate resolution is almost too convenient.
With all that said though, the animation is wonderful to look at, with much more natural movement and character expressions - it's a far cry from the clunky animation seen in Power of the Daleks, and makes me which both stories had this level of quality. The Macra creatures are wonderfully realised, and the animation really helps to create a sense of atmosphere throughout the serial. Patrick Troughton's performance as the Doctor is well-realised by the animation team, even if it's never going to be an exact recreation of his actual performance, whilst the rest of the characters are very well animated. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this serial though, and while it's not perfect, there's a lot to love in here - especially the amazing B-movie-esque music. The story has some issues, but the animation is good enough to enhance the experience. Well worth purchasing, for long-time fans and for newcomers alike. 7/10
Doctor Who: The Macra Terror is released on DVD, Blu-ray and as a Steelbook release on Monday 25th March 2019.
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