So, it is amazing that Jon Blum's Half a Dozen Lemmings Productions has managed to complete a video which not only runs longer than many Doctor Who stories at two hours, but is also of virtually the highest standard of fan video production I've seen -- and I've had the opportunity to see fan videos spanning 1985 to the present day.

Almost a year ago, I had the opportunity to see the first episode of "Time Rift"; I reviewed that episode on r.a.dw then and, in fact, many of my opinions are unaltered by having the chance to see all four installments. So this may be old ground for some of you; sorry for the repetition :-).

Undoubtedly the uneasiest element of "Time Rift" is the decision to try and actually emulate a "real" Doctor/companion team -- in this instance, the Seventh Doctor and Ace. Despite not visually resembling Sylvetser McCoy, and having his accent wander all over the British isles, Jon Blum nevertheless does a remarkable job mimicking and adapting McCoy's mannerisms. For every cringeworthy scene (including, unfortunately, his first) there are half a dozen scenes which effortlessly evoke the Seventh Doctor. Even when he loses the Seventh Doctor a bit, Jon's skill as an actor usually make up for the slips.

AC Chapin is similarly good as Ace. Chapin is somewhat less successful in imitating Sophie Aldred -- often coming across as rather stilted when she does so -- but is excellent when she allows more of her own interpretation of the role to show through. What results isn't quite the Ace we knew on TV, but a character who both confortably resembles her and manages to strike out in a new and interesting direction.

Amy Steele, as Ray, is perhaps the best actor in the whole production. Steele's performance is dazzling, and only gets better and better as the story rushes towards its conclusion and Ray's condition begins to deteriorate. Her ease in shifting between Ray's aggressive and jovial personae is truly remarkable, and chilling scenes like the cliffhanger of episode two are part of what makes "Time Rift" such a success. Steele gives as good a performance as I've ever seen in a fan video; indeed, significantly better than many "real" actors; she's a real thrill to watch.

Also superb is Itzy Friedman as the Master. Like Steele, Friedman's performance is of professional quality, offering a very Doctor-ish personality for the Master and stealing many of the scenes he's in. Perhaps the biggest criticism of Friedman's portrayal is that it lacks the underlying menace inherent in Delgado's performance, which diminishes the Master's threat somewhat. But this overall a minor detraction to an excellent job of acting.

Martha Twitty is quite good in the role of the Brigadier. Military roles are notoriously one-note, and although at times Twitty slips into a very traditional military-commander performance, she also manages some great interplay with the other characters, particularly the Doctor.

Finally, some of you may recall that I was rather critical of Kevin Cherry's performance as Walker in my initial review; I felt he was too wooden and stilted. Fortunately, his acting seems to improve over the course of the story. Overall, while not spectacular, he's nonetheless quite watchable and his performance is nothing to be laughed at.

Of course, all the good acting in the world won't save a movie if the story isn't up to scratch. Blum, Chapin and Steele avoid that problem entirely by coming up with a excellent screenplay, taking advantage of Doctor Who history and the more mature angle on the show adopted during the latter McCoy era and of course the New Adventures. The Doctor/Ace conflict, the Doctor's inner turmoil and the plotting and cross-plotting between the two Time Lords all rings true, and never feels forced or gratuitous or (worst of all) derivative. Indeed, the writers manage to avoid most science-fiction cliches and instead come up with some excellent new ideas, particularly with regards to the Time Rift itself.

>From a production standpoint, the quality is extraordinary given the inherently low-budget nature of the production. Not only did Jon manage to get some great effects together (was the computer animation original, or did you crib that off another show or movie, Jon?) but the video editing itself is extremely professional, as at the cliffhanger of episode three. Granted, it's not flawless -- there are a couple of jumpy breaks from shot to shot, or instances in which someone's positioning changes awkwardly depending on the camera angle. The sound is also substandard in some scenes -- including, unfortunately, the conclusion -- but, having experienced all kinds of sound problems myself, this is the kind of thing which really ends up being unavoidable. And, hell, it's in keeping with the McCoy era too :-). Also annoying are some continuity problems -- like the fact that the gun and its future self which passed through the Time Rift are brought in contact on several occasions in the last couple of episodes without consequence, despite all the fuss made about this earlier.

Also lovely is the music, which is certainly of professional quality and generally achieves just the right effect -- subduing the scene, heightening tension, and so on. It certainly beats many of the scores in real Doctor Who episodes.

All in all, "Time Rift" is an unqualified success and I don't hesitate to declare it one of the two best Doctor Who fan videos I've ever seen (the other being Ryan K Johnston's outstanding "Broken Doors"). A pat on the back to everyone involved.

8/10.

Oh, and the blooper reel is great too. Bastards. ;-)