All 3 Doctor Who Movies, Ranked Worst To Best

While they may not be as popular as the TV show, Doctor Who’s movies are still interesting to watch. Since Doctor Who’s first broadcast in 1963, three films from the franchise have also been released, each of which features an iconic villain.

While these titles aren’t necessarily the greatest Doctor Who stories of all time, they are still appealing to avid watchers of the iconic sci-fi series. They are each a product of their time, but they also offer things that the upcoming Doctor Who season 15 could learn from, too.

3Dr. Who And The Daleks (1965)

Peter Cushing Takes On The Role Of The Doctor

To start, Cushing’s Doctor is human. This is a massive difference from the show, and one of Doctor Who’s biggest selling points is that its titular character is from another world. While Susan, Ian, and Barbara all feature, they’re unrecognizable in comparison to their TV counterparts. The Doctor’s granddaughter, Susan, is a literal child, and Ian and Barbara are already a couple.

The Doctor’s ship is referred to as “TARDIS” rather than “the TARDIS,” and it is revealed early on that it is his invention. In Doctor Who, the ships are a design of the Time Lords. The Daleks are only Daleks in physical appearance. They speak ridiculously slowly, shoot steam, and are seemingly less intelligent than in the show.

Hilariously, they are mainly stopped by being thrown into walls at various points. While it feels light years away from Doctor Who, some elements of it do resemble the show. The Doctor shows his mischievous side by lying about the fluid link so that he can explore the alien city, for example. Dr. Who and The Daleks isn’t exactly the best title in the world of Doctor Who. However, as a standalone film, it’s definitely a feel-good, cheesy sci-fi ‘60s watch.

2Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966)

An Interesting Recreation Of Susan Foreman’s Final Doctor Who Adventure

Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. sees Cushing’s Doctor return to screens in an adaptation of the classic Doctor Who era serial “The Dalek Invasion of Earth.” The only returning companion is child Susan, and new characters Louise and Tom are introduced. Tom Campbell is portrayed by future Doctor Who companion Bernard Cribbins, who is now better known as Wilfred Mott.

Louise is somehow both the Doctor’s niece and Barbara’s cousin, although it’s never explained if the titular character and his first companion are also related. The quality of Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. isn’t perfect, but it’s much better than its predecessor. The visual effects, especially the Daleks’ ship in the sky, are decent for the 1960s.

Even the characterizations are stronger. Tom is far better as a companion than the movie version of Ian, and Cribbins brilliantly balances his serious performance with plenty of slapstick comedy. Cushing’s Doctor is also a lot more adventurous, and he feels more like the actual Doctor. However, Louise is wasted as a character, and Barbara is a much better leading lady.

It’s worth noting that the alien side of things is significantly improved in Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. The TARDIS actually resembles the legendary ship, and it doesn’t look like a storage closet for school science projects as it did in the previous film. The logic of destroying Doctor Who’s Daleks is still nonsensical, much like the show, but they aren’t as out of place.

A small letdown, but one that isn’t too distracting, is the numerous posters of the cereal brand Sugar Puffs appearing everywhere. A lot of films need sponsorship, but it’s weird that in 2150, there are still Sugar Puffs adverts on the walls of London. Compared to Dr. Who and The Daleks, Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. is much stronger.

1Doctor Who (1996)

Introducing Paul McGann As The Eighth Doctor

Doctor Who, directed by Geoffrey Sax, follows the transition of the Seventh Doctor to the Eighth Doctor. Set in San Francisco, the Doctor teams up with Grace Holloway to thwart the schemes of his longstanding adversary, the Master.

The 1996 Doctor Who movie starring Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor follows the show’s lore significantly more, but in all fairness, it does have over three decades’ worth of canon to use. Doctor Who had been off the air for close to seven years upon its release, and the Doctor’s New Year’s adventure reintroduces generations of audiences to the Time Lord.

While viewers don’t need to have seen Doctor Who to understand what’s fully happening, it does help, especially as its opening scenes show Sylvester McCoy’s Seventh Doctor regenerating. The Daleks don’t appear in the Doctor Who movie, and instead, the Master makes a return as the main villain.

New companion Grace Holloway is also introduced, a cardiologist who tries to save the Seventh Doctor’s life and later assists the Eighth in closing the TARDIS’ Eye of Harmony. Unlike Cushing’s Doctor Who movies, this title is an original story and doesn’t take inspiration from one of the show’s serials. While there is room for improvement with its story, the cat-and-mouse chase between the Doctor and the Master is a classic Doctor Who narrative.

The Doctor Who movie is considered a failure, even though it’s a better watch than the 1960s films. The Doctor is half-human in the Doctor Who movie, although this is thankfully retconned in the show’s post-2005 reboot. Although this is undoubtedly a controversial decision, at least it tries to be ambitious. Grace Holloway isn’t to the same standards as some of the Doctor’s other companions, but she is more layered than the movie version of Ian or Louise.

Paul McGann provides a solid performance as the Doctor, considering the circumstances. The Eighth Doctor offers a charm that is unique to his predecessors, but he is also eccentric enough that audiences know he is the titular character. Doctor Who always presents the Doctor as a passionate individual, and McGann demonstrates this brilliantly.