Twelve started brittle and cold but turned out to be the warmest
Kevin Norris, Facebook If you’re going to cast a woman at least cast someone quirky. Chibnall has effectively cast a housewife. Pearl Mackie is more Doctor-like than Jodie Whittaker. This is the blandest casting since Peter Davison. SFX “A housewife”?! Because they all look alike, as we know... As for “not for the good of the show”: isn’t doubling the pool of available talent for the lead role a positive?
Andy Scarlett, Facebook So: pepperpot Nazis, a box that flies through space and time and a character having two hearts isn’t that much of a stretch, but cast a woman and it’s outrage!?
Simon Goodwin, Facebook This is why people sneer at sci-fi fans, because a minority go into meltdown over something like this. Give her a chance – it may breathe life into a series that could easily have become stale.
Bronagh Miskelly, Twitter Talented actor, but not associated with one big character or character type – that bodes well.
Mark Howe, Facebook I’m not going to judge until I’ve seen it. Remember all the Catherine Tate hate? Donna turned out awesome.
James Kinsley, email Breaking down barriers, resting a huge show on a woman’s shoulders, proving a female lead can work… all things I’m in favour of. The character can take it (we’ve already established Time Lords can swap gender). Plus, every new Doctor was going to raise the issue. Just getting on and doing it has ripped the plaster off.
Stephanie-Lamont Turner, Facebook Are girls empowered by piggybacking off the popularity of established male characters? I’d rather see more Wonder Women than more Batgirls. Plus, we had to sacrifice a male character unique in not being your typical testosteronedripping alpha male. SFX Interestingly, Stephanie was one of a fair few female readers anti- a female Doctor; reaction doesn’t purely split along gender lines. I fail to see why boys can’t have a female Doctor as a role model, though. Okay, some will be all, “Ugh, girls are icky”, but if Who can help to overcome that, it’s a good thing.
Look out for the next SFX Hot Topic at bit.ly/SFXhottopic
#HOMECOMING KING
Stuart Owen, Facebook I find some blockbuster movies require a second viewing to fully appreciate them. It can be difficult to see and hear everything, with all the outlandish visual effects, fast dialogue, laughs, Easter Eggs and backstory of newly-introduced characters. Spider-Man: Homecoming doesn’t suffer from sensory overload, and that makes it a great addition to the MCU.
Tom Holland plays the role perfectly – unpolished and awkward, as you might expect a teenager to be. Michael Keaton is a charm as the villain. The support characters are used effectively enough, although that might be one of my only criticisms – I thought Happy was a jerk and Tony Stark a poor mentor. That may have been a required plot device, but it was handled clumsily, and those scenes had a different vibe to the rest.
Gary Lee Kydd, Facebook The hairs on the back of my neck stood up at the theme music. Michael Keaton is the greatest baddie since Heath Ledger’s Joker. The twist and the awkward car scene were so good! A flawless take on Spiderman, with all the juvenile quirks of the old cartoons. Has there been a better adaptation? I’d say never. Roll on his return! SFX Loved the high-school vibe. Loved the scenes where Spidey was taken out of Manhattan. I’m kinda hoping all the gimmicky Stark tech in his suit breaks down before the next film, though…
#WAR: WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?
Rob Graham, email The new rebooted Planet Of The Apes movies sounded like a bad joke when they were first announced, especially after the Tim Burton remake, but they’ve now completely surpassed the original classic movie and its sequels. War For The Planet Of The Apes is an absolute masterpiece. The new movies are classic sci-fi films in their own right.
Robert MacDonald, email Just because CGI is widely available it doesn’t mean to say that a film should be lost without it. A good story should be able to stand up on its own merits. I found this film lacking in the story department. In one scene I was dismantling it as it played out. Green screen – check. Men with dots and head-mounted camera – check. Drop in greenery, drop in waterfall – check. I could go on, but I think filmmakers are getting lazy and it shows.
The make-up from the Charlton Heston films didn’t win awards for nothing, and while Tim Burton’s reboot from a few years back may have had its flaws/ detractors, it felt real because the world it was set in felt real. SFX Steady on now Rob, the original Planet Of The Apes is a