Doctor Who: Why You Should Watch The Peter Cushing 'Dr. Who' Movies

Another clear advantage within the characterisation of the Dr. Who movies is that of Susan. Now, I do actually like Susan's character within the main series, but even I can't deny that her portrayal can be extremely painful to watch. That's not to say that Carol Ann Ford didn't try her best, but tragically the writing didn't do her any favours, and usually didn't know what to do with her.

Here, however, the writing treats Susan with a lot of respect, and does everything within its power to correct the mistakes of the televised rendition. What's even more ironic is that this variation of Susan is much younger, and yet so much wiser. In these films she's a child, but she comes across as a bright, inquisitive, strong minded individual who doesn't crumble under the face of danger. And she's incredibly supportive of her grandfather.

At every needed moment Susan rises to the occasion without any real hesitation, which is admirable due to how young she is. Plus, it's nice to see a child character given so much respect. There's no pandering here. The filmmakers could've easily made her a frightened little girl who screamed at every moment of terror, but instead Susan is shown to be very mature for her age, and incredibly intelligent, thus easily keeping up with the scientific jargon that her grandfather continuously spouts, whilst always willingly facing the harsh challenges in front of her with wit and confidence.