The Doctor Who Experience

So, as many of you probably know (because I have shouted it from the rooftops since I got the tickets), my brother and I went to see the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary at the cinema. I am still spellbound by the entire experience. It was one of those rare moments in life, where the anticipation actually pales in comparison to the actual event. I really couldn't have imagined it any better. There were so many feelings happening all at once, I thought my fangirl heart would explode! So here it goes....GERONIMO!!!!!

First of all, they didn't just project the episode onto a large screen; they made it an experience from beginning to end. Before the movie started, they showed facts about the show onscreen and put up quiz questions that people were shouting out answers to. Then, the lights darkened and we see Strax the Sontaran on the screen telling us, in his unique way, to not use our cell phones or to eat our popcorn too loudly. We go from that to seeing Matt Smith exclaiming his excitement of the *100th anniversary in 12-D*, that is until he realizes he is in 2012 and it is only 3-D. He makes everyone laugh like only he can until he pulls out his sonic screwdriver to start the film, only to be transformed into David Tennant. At this point, the entire audience cheers out loud at his appearance as he warns us about seeing Matt Smith's chin in 3-D. We all laugh and then the film begins with the opening titles of the original 1963 series. There were a ton of Easter Eggs throughout the film, some of them being: The Coal Hill School where Clara is teaching was where companions Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright taught; The Doctor's phone number is the same one from Season 4's "Stolen Earth"; 11 carves the date and time of the very first show into a stone wall (It was said that the numbers were an activation code for Captain Jack's time vortex jumper); We got a flash of River Song's red heels in the vault and of course 4th's scarf on Osgood the technician.

Then there were the moments that pretty much broke us all. Near the end of the film, we all got to see a flash of Peter Capaldi's eyes as all of The Doctor's incarnations both past, present and at least one into the future, swooped in in their individual TARDISes and tried to save Gallifrey. At that moment, the audience burst into cheers and claps and gasps. Then, we all audibly choked back tears when 10 said "I don't want to go", just as he did right before his regeneration. (Really, Moffat? You just had to go there?!) And I think the final moment that drove the nail into the coffin of all of the fandom's hearts, was when Tom Baker showed up to talk to Matt Smith's 11. That was it. That done us all in.

I do want to take a few sentences to talk about how brilliant John Hurt, Matt Smith and David Tennant were together. It was the great mix of banter and serious moments between them that I loved. Also, in my (unpopular) opinion, Rose Tyler is not the best companion; however, they brought her back in a very clever, unexpected way so I didn't mind so much. (Billie Piper looks amazing, by the way!)

After the film ended, I looked around in the lobby at all of the Whovians in their t-shirts, hats, dresses etc. There were several cosplayers, although none as cute as the seven year old boy dressed up at the 11th. People were asking to take pictures with him and he would whip out his sonic screwdriver and do his best Matt Smith-like pose. I was surrounded by people who, like myself, bleed TARDIS blue. I loved it. This anniversary film brought together people from 94 countries! Few events do that nowadays. I felt like a part of something that was bigger than me.

In the end, Moffat did a bang up job giving honor to 50 years of Doctor Who. He found a way to simultaneously tie up a lot of loose ends while still leaving questions we want answered. So here's to the next 50, Doctor Who! ALLONS-Y!