The Infinite Quest is something of an oddity, isn't it? Originally produced as a series of three and a half minute episodes for the now defunct Totally Doctor Who series, it was to be one of two animated stories produced during the David Tennant era and boasts not just the then current Doctor and companion in its cast but also Anthony Stewart Head as well. So what are we to make of The Infinite Quest?
Well for one thing, it certainly isn't "infinite", quite the opposite in fact. Perhaps it's important to remember format it was done in (thirteen three and a half minute episodes) because that isn't how it is on the DVD. The DVD version is instead an omnibus edition that takes the separate episodes and puts them together into a single forty-five minute story. Why is that a problem? The problem is that it feels incredibly rushed throughout. It simply never stays in place long enough to flesh anything out, be it the characters or the actual locations themselves. Take the planet with the oil pirates for example. It's a fascinating idea that, given the world in which we live in, is a seemingly perfect idea for a Doctor Who story. We're rushed through it though in such a hurry that we barely register it or the characters that inhabit it for that matter. There's no tension, just a fast pace that leaves you wondering if you've missed something somewhere.
What this honestly feels like is what would if say The Keys Of Marinus or the Key To Time season (both from the old series) were crammed into a single 45 minute episode of the New Series. In fact, that analogy can be taken further. Like Keys Of Marinus, the story is changing locations what seems to be every new episode. Plus, like the Key To Time season, we see the Doctor and Martha on a quest throughout time and space featuring a new villain(s) while also trying to stay ahead of a bigger foe. It's an old series quest story as if remade for someone with a short attention span and it's a mess.
What does this have going for it? Well the animation is good though given its only competition in the Doctor Who world is the various web-casts which were limited by early 2000s internet connections and the other animated tenth Doctor story Dreamland, that perhaps isn't saying very much. The voice work is good as well with Tennant giving what was pretty much his standard performance as the Doctor while Freema Agyeman's line readings give the impression she was simply reading off pages of a script out loud. Much more memorable are Anthony Stewart Head as the villain and one time Big finish stalwart Toby Longworth as a couple of "robot parrots". None of that though can really salvage it from its biggest faults though.
How are we to judge "The Infinite Quest" then? The actual story itself is weak, the animation is good and the performances vary. Maybe it worked better as separate episodes but, as it stands, it feels like a rushed mess.
Well for one thing, it certainly isn't "infinite", quite the opposite in fact. Perhaps it's important to remember format it was done in (thirteen three and a half minute episodes) because that isn't how it is on the DVD. The DVD version is instead an omnibus edition that takes the separate episodes and puts them together into a single forty-five minute story. Why is that a problem? The problem is that it feels incredibly rushed throughout. It simply never stays in place long enough to flesh anything out, be it the characters or the actual locations themselves. Take the planet with the oil pirates for example. It's a fascinating idea that, given the world in which we live in, is a seemingly perfect idea for a Doctor Who story. We're rushed through it though in such a hurry that we barely register it or the characters that inhabit it for that matter. There's no tension, just a fast pace that leaves you wondering if you've missed something somewhere.
What this honestly feels like is what would if say The Keys Of Marinus or the Key To Time season (both from the old series) were crammed into a single 45 minute episode of the New Series. In fact, that analogy can be taken further. Like Keys Of Marinus, the story is changing locations what seems to be every new episode. Plus, like the Key To Time season, we see the Doctor and Martha on a quest throughout time and space featuring a new villain(s) while also trying to stay ahead of a bigger foe. It's an old series quest story as if remade for someone with a short attention span and it's a mess.
What does this have going for it? Well the animation is good though given its only competition in the Doctor Who world is the various web-casts which were limited by early 2000s internet connections and the other animated tenth Doctor story Dreamland, that perhaps isn't saying very much. The voice work is good as well with Tennant giving what was pretty much his standard performance as the Doctor while Freema Agyeman's line readings give the impression she was simply reading off pages of a script out loud. Much more memorable are Anthony Stewart Head as the villain and one time Big finish stalwart Toby Longworth as a couple of "robot parrots". None of that though can really salvage it from its biggest faults though.
How are we to judge "The Infinite Quest" then? The actual story itself is weak, the animation is good and the performances vary. Maybe it worked better as separate episodes but, as it stands, it feels like a rushed mess.