Monsters in Metropolis [AUDIO/2021.11.23]

 

★★★☆☆

  How exciting it is, the prospect of Doctor Who meeting one of the most influential filmmakers who ever lived — Fritz Lang, as one lives and breathes! While I must admit that my interest in Big Finish Productions' output in recent years has faltered somewhat, the initial announcement of this particular batch of stories picqued my interests immediately. When one's just as passionate about film (especially cinema of the 1920s) as one is about Doctor Who in its entirety, this really is a combination for the books. Add a Cyberman to the mix, as well as the making of the Metropolis (1927), and it's pretty much impossible to cock up. 

  Well, it is with no small amount of bittersweetness that I conclude Monsters in Metropolis to be fine... just fine. I'd like to make clear that there's nothing particularly terrible or flat out wrong about this adventure in my eyes; there are enough new flavors and tweaks to separate this story from the myriad of Cyberman stories over the years, and Christopher Eccleston is always a treat to listen to. Plus, I never thought I'd get to hear the Ninth Doctor crack jokes about M and wax lyrical about the cultural significance of Metropolis (little details like these can make my day, I swear). 

  Unfortunately, that's about as special as Monsters in Metropolis gets for me. Nothing about the production really grabs me, and it's a problem shared by many of Big Finish's output of recent years. They try very hard to streamline the Doctor Who experience into a single hour-long adventure, and much of the details and spirit is lost in the process. I would have loved to listen to more of this story's Fritz Lang, and yet he's little more than a set dressing character. Nick Wilton does a commendable job with the curmudgeon presented in the script, but I was still left disappointed by how this culturally significant part of the story was all but shoved under the rug as the rather by-the-numbers Cyberman tale took center stage. This certainly isn't John Dorney's finest script, and neither is it up to composer Howard Carter's standards (what is it with Big Finish and generic music these days?). 

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

 I'd conclude by saying Monsters in Metropolis is practically harmless, breathlessly paced with interesting twists and turns (a few of them, anyway). However, if one wishes to fully discover the genius that is Fritz Lang in any meaningful depth, I would suggest actually diving into his films. The Die Nibelungen duology is a particular favorite of mine...