10 Reactions To Doctor Who: The Return Of Doctor Mysterio
2. The Stunning Cinematography And CGI
The director Edward Bazalgette is still relatively new to Doctor
Who, having previously only worked on 2015s The Girl Who Died and The Woman Who
Lived and three episodes of the spin-off, Class, but it’s easy to see why he
was entrusted with the responsibility of the Christmas episode. It’s the TV
equivalent of refereeing the FA Cup final, and puts his work very much in the
spotlight.
From the panoramic shots of the Manhattan skyline to the Ghost and Lucy’s night time rooftop dinner date, the episode is a visual masterpiece. Even the manifold CGI effects, which have sometimes exposed the show’s budgetary constraints, are brilliantly realised here, giving the whole episode the look and feel of a Hollywood Blockbuster.
The production had a tough ask in giving the episode a suitably epic feel to match the movies it aimed to mirror, but right from the start, with the Doctor hanging upside down, Batman-like outside Grant’s apartment, we know we are in for a treat.
The imaginative use of contemporary comic book graphics, with the characters bleeding into each other’s panels adds a lovely touch and variety to the presentation and is a reminder of the roots behind the movies the episode has been modelled upon.