Where Doctor Who and the Daleks offered an interesting cinematic variation on the BBC television series theme, this sequel trades in the minor charms of the original for absurdity, illogic, and an extreme lack of imagination.
Indeed, Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. is not so much a sequel as a “let’s pretend the previous film never happened.” Aside from Doctor Who (there are no “The Doctor”s here; it’s a small distinction, but one that sets Peter Cushing’s character light years apart from his BBC analogue) familiarity with the Daleks and their home world, the story is entirely divorced from what came before. The film swaps out several of the supporting characters, replacing graddaughter Barbara and bumbling comic relief Ian for the interchangably inconsequential granddaughter Louise, and the slightly more dynamic Tom.
As for the Daleks, they are far less menacing than in Doctor Who and the Daleks (a film in which they weren’t especially menacing to begin with, largely because they are relegated secondary menace status. They spend most of the film rolling around their various command centers and control rooms, issuing orders to their robotized human slaves. Ooooh; scary: cybernetic middle management killing machines.
Let’s face facts; at its heart, Doctor Who is children’s entertainment. Thing is, though, there is a world of difference between being for children (which implies authenticity and respect for intelligence, even amid the most fantastic trappings), and being childish. This is a difference with which Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. demonstrates little understanding.
