Weekend Review – “Doctor Who: The Infinite Quest”

This animated and serialized children’s adventure ran concurrently with the 2007 season of Doctor Who.

Cast and Crew Information

David Tennant as The Doctor
Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones
Anthony Stewart Head as Baltazar
Toby Longworth as both Caw and Squawk
Liza Tarbuck as Captain Kaliko
Tom Farrelly as Swabb
Lizzie Hopley as Mantasphid Queen
Paul Clayton as Mergrass
Stephen Greif as Gurney
Dan Morgan as Locke

Written by Alan Barnes
Directed by Gary Russell

Availability Information

This is available on DVD.

Premise

Evil Baltazar is looking for the legendary Infinite, a spaceship capable of granting the heart’s desire. It’s up to the Doctor and Martha Jones to get there first and keep it out of his hands.

High Point

The Doctor is scanned upon arrival at the prison.

Low Point

Um, how exactly were they breathing during those last few chapters?

The Review

The story structure is original for Doctor Who, breaking the stories down into 2-3 minute serialized chunks. It also feels unique in that it’s aimed at a younger audience than usual, shifting the tone and complexity of the entire project. I give it 4 out of 6.

The animation is a form of CGI that is designed to look like traditional animation. It’s a distinctive look that I’m sure the filmmakers were trying to capture, as the style of motion is something I’m seeing quite a bit of in the new animated shows my niece watches, but I personally find it remarkably irritating. In trying to look both CGI and traditional, I feel it fails at both. The final effect is blocky and cumbersome, and never allows me to forget I’m watching something animated and just enjoy the finished product. Most PS3 (or even PS2) games do a better job of the motion itself, which is critical to animation. I give it 2 out of 6.

The story works well, given the structural limitations from its serialed nature. Because this 46 minute product was originally shown on children’s TV in 13 parts, we’ve got 13 little chapters and a lot of recapping with an overly simplistic plot.
That plot is logically consistent (except for the Low Point) but it’s not up to the standard we’ve seen in the live action chapters. It’s easier to grow up with the audience than it is to grow younger on them. This may reach a new audience, but it is unlikely to satisfy the existing audience. However, that doesn’t seem to have been a goal of the project. I give it 4 out of 6.

The voice acting from the regulars is well done, as they just keep delivering as they always have. The guest cast does a decent job, considering there’s no time to attempt to give the other characters any sort of depth. I give it 5 out of 6.

The production is done well enough. Sound effects and editing are both well handled, and the visual composition is done well enough, even if I’m not thrilled with the choice of animation style. I give it 5 out of 6.

The emotional response is weak for me. Having become familiar with the live action version since Russell T. Davies relaunched it, I wasn’t (and probably can’t be) satisfied by a version for kids. It seems designed to introduce a new audience who would be watching with the parents. Why not watch alone? Because there’s no attempt to explain who the Doctor and Martha are, why they’re together, or what the sonic screwdriver is. (The sonic screwdriver is used repeatedly, but never named.) I give it 3 out of 6.

Overall, Doctor Who fans with kids should consider checking it out together, but I can’t really recommend it to anyone else. I give it 3 out of 6.

In total, Doctor Who: The Infinite Quest receives 26 out of 42.