Rating: 
Summary: One of the best Doctor Who stories ever!
Review: After recently viewing this story, I am reminded how fascinating the story line is. The combination of mystery, science fiction, and the macabre is brilliant. I felt I was twelve years old seeing it for the first time again and it was wonderful. I was still at the edge of my seat. This story engages your attention from beginning to end. This story also further reinforces Tom Baker's portrayal of the Doctor as being one of our favorites. This is a "must have" for any true Whovian......
Rating:
Summary: My entry into the world of Dr. Who
Review: As a teenager growing up in Puerto Rico during the early 80's, and not speaking Spanish all that well, Public television was a lifesaver. I began watching an odd series called Dr. Who, and thus began my downfall into true Sci-Fi geekdom. The Talons of Weng-Chiang has always been my favorite episode, as it also fueled my teenage fantasy dreams of cavegirl Leela. The plot is spellbinding, and Tom Baker's performance is spotless. The DVD version is excellent and well worth the expense for any Dr. Who fans. My 10 year daughter even liked the show, and thought the FX were funny. Now if they will only put Tom Baker Vs. the Daleks on DVD, my collection will be complete.
Rating:
Summary: Doctor Who at its best in "The Talons of Weng-Chiang"
Review: Attributing "The Talons of Weng-Chiang" as a mere "episode" is an understatement; its running time is 140 minutes (more that most feature-length films) and it certainly plays like a movie (it's not divided into 30-minute segments like most other Who episodes, although it may have been broadcast that way). And it is brilliantly written and has first-rate acting by all members of its cast. Starring the fourth doctor played by Tom Baker (curly hair, staring gaze, toothy grin, scarf, jelly babies), with his companion Leela, who compelled by the weather, is donned in uncharacteristically prim attire. "The Talons of Weng-Chiang" is set amidst smog-shrouded Victorian London (around the time of Jack the Ripper and the same time period in which fictional detective Sherlock Holmes was based). In fact the Doctor, in his regalia, looks very Holmesian in this episode. And incidentally the episode is written by Robert "Holmes". Adding to the mystery motif, the plot line is as follows: Girls have gone missing (could "Jack" be on the loose again?), the Doctor and Leela arrive and before they know it witness a chinese cult skampering off with the body of a cabbie. They are nearly assulated but then the police whistle is heard, whereupon the Doctor and Leela are taken to the police station with a Chinese who was left behind, where the police call on the creepy illusionist Li H'sien Chang to translate - even though the Doctor can speak all dialects of the language. Before they can start the interrogation the cult member suddenly keels over and dies; he has been poisoned by highly-concentrated scorpion venom, furtively given to him by Li H'sien Chang. He had a black scorpion tattoo on his hand indicating he was in the Chinese cult. The pathologist, Professor Litefoot, whom Who befriends invites the Doctor and Leela home for dinner. At his house they notice an enigmatic Chinese puzzle box, that can only be opened by the correct key. There is also something strage going on in the sewer system; a long hair from what is presumably a rat was found on a body that turned up floating in the Thames. It turns out the Chinese "god", Weng-Chiang, is residing in the basement of the Palace Theatre, Chang's performing venue (along with Mr. Sin, Li H'sien Chang's "ventriloquist doll") and has been searching for the puzzle box which Litefoot possesses. The Doctor, Leela, Litefoot and the overzealous proprietor of the Palace Theatre, Henry Jago (thinking Who is a chief detective with Scotland Yard) set out on a major investigation, filled with the fourth Doctor's trademark sardonic humor. In my opinion this episode is a timeless classic, very macabre.
Rating:
Summary: Doctor Who at its best in "The Talons of Weng-Chiang"
Review: Attributing "The Talons of Weng-Chiang" as a mere "episode" is an understatement; its running time is 140 minutes (more that most feature-length films) and it certainly plays like a movie (it's not divided into 30-minute segments like most other Who episodes, although it may have been broadcast that way). And it is brilliantly written and has first-rate acting by all members of its cast. Starring the fourth doctor played by Tom Baker (curly hair, staring gaze, toothy grin, scarf, jelly babies), with his companion Leela, who compelled by the weather, is donned in uncharacteristically prim attire. "The Talons of Weng-Chiang" is set amidst smog-shrouded Victorian London (around the time of Jack the Ripper and the same time period in which fictional detective Sherlock Holmes was based). In fact the Doctor, in his regalia, looks very Holmesian in this episode. And incidentally the episode is written by Robert "Holmes". Adding to the mystery motif, the plot line is as follows: Girls have gone missing (could "Jack" be on the loose again?), the Doctor and Leela arrive and before they know it witness a chinese cult skampering off with the body of a cabbie. They are nearly assulated but then the police whistle is heard, whereupon the Doctor and Leela are taken to the police station with a Chinese who was left behind, where the police call on the creepy illusionist Li H'sien Chang to translate - even though the Doctor can speak all dialects of the language. Before they can start the interrogation the cult member suddenly keels over and dies; he has been poisoned by highly-concentrated scorpion venom, furtively given to him by Li H'sien Chang. He had a black scorpion tattoo on his hand indicating he was in the Chinese cult. The pathologist, Professor Litefoot, whom Who befriends invites the Doctor and Leela home for dinner. At his house they notice an enigmatic Chinese puzzle box, that can only be opened by the correct key. There is also something strage going on in the sewer system; a long hair from what is presumably a rat was found on a body that turned up floating in the Thames. It turns out the Chinese "god", Weng-Chiang, is residing in the basement of the Palace Theatre, Chang's performing venue (along with Mr. Sin, Li H'sien Chang's "ventriloquist doll") and has been searching for the puzzle box which Litefoot possesses. The Doctor, Leela, Litefoot and the overzealous proprietor of the Palace Theatre, Henry Jago (thinking Who is a chief detective with Scotland Yard) set out on a major investigation, filled with the fourth Doctor's trademark sardonic humor. In my opinion this episode is a timeless classic, very macabre.
Rating: 
Summary: Not My Favorite
Review: Contrary to popular belief, I do not believe this is a very good Doctor Who serial. I've tried watching it again and again and I still come with up with the same conclusion: I don't find any appeal in this episode whatsoever.Although it was clever to place the Doctor in Victorian times and try to present the viewers with this Sherlocke Holmes setting, I don't think it really worked mainly because the lack of funds Doctor Who always faced. And then there's a small adversary in here who stands three feet tall. Nothing could be more absurd. Especially when Leela, a warrior, tries to battle this stupid little doll. I just don't get it. However, since I seem to be one of few who dislike this serial, many of you probably will find it interesting and call it "classic Who." I, on the other hand, will maintain my belief that this serial is over-rated and ranks with such terrible Doctor Who serials as "The Web Planet" and "Revelation of the Daleks."
Rating:
Summary: "Words fail me, sir, words quite fail me!"
Review: Delightful! Wonderful! Fantastic! Brilliant! Sublime! By theway, did I mention that I like this story? "The Talons ofWeng-Chiang" is one of the best Doctor Who adventures ever. It stands up to repeat viewings - in fact, the whole story has a timeless feel to it. It's a wonderful mix of Sherlock Holmes and Phantom of the Opera - a tale of mystery and suspense in Victorian London. Tom Baker and Louise Jameson both shine in their roles, taking the Doctor and Leela's relationship to a new level of maturity. Robert Holmes provides us with another wonderful pairing of characters with Henry Gordon Jago and Professor Litefoot. All the performances are good, but these two steal the show. The location footage is superb, which is complemented by the incidental music, in particular the chilling gong sound that is heard throughout. There are many memorable moments, such as the frightening (and disturbing) scene where Mr Sin jumps out of the swirling fog and attacks the cabbie. It also has some quite adult moments, such as the Doctor and Leela's visit to the opium den. As a six parter this could have dragged, but fortunately the story is divided - the last two episodes are dramatically different from the first four, despite the general plot staying the same. There are a few faults with the story - the giant rats are yet another unsuccessful Doctor Who monster, which lessens the impact of the chase in the sewers at the end of episode three. However these are minor quibbles. Overall, "The Talons of Weng-Chiang" is one of Doctor Who's finest moments!
Rating:
Summary: Well at least Leela got to kill someone for a change...
Review: Doctor Who fans are a peculiar lot and their devotion to this anachronistic relic of Sixties childrens' programming at times approaches a sort of religious faith. It is perhaps because of this that they are willing to accept absurdly silly plots, sets, props, and special effects that would make fans of other series blush (See Avadh's gushing for an example). I can just imagine the writers sitting around thinking this one up:
Writer 1: Well how about a story in which the Doctor defeats another invasion of faceless shop dummies from outer space ?
Writer 2: No, I think we did that one last week.
Writer 3: How about having the Doctor travelling up to bonnie wee Scotland and discovering the Loch Ness monster...except it's really a giant robot spaceship...or a secret pagan cult sacrificing virgins...or how about giant green blobs terrorizing a tiny village in Wales ?
Writer 2: We should probably have a scene where the Doctor tells his companion not to leave the Tardis, but...then she does anyway and gets in trouble, and he has to save her !
Writer 1: I know ! We can do Sherlock Holmes in ye olde Victorian London. Except it's really the Doctor, not Holmes see, and he can solve mysteries and stuff !
Pah !
So, the Doctor and Leela (fully clothed for a change) meet up in an unendingly foggy Victorian London with a stereotypically drunk Irishman, a red-nosed theatre-producer, a "Chinese" magician whose dodgy makeup and accent must have set race relations in Britain back by several years, some joky "giant" rats, and a midget dressed up as an animated ventriloquist's dummy. The acting of the principals is marginally better than the effects (Baker in particular as usual), but overall, I'd have to say this is overrated, even for Doctor Who. Oh, and the actual plot ? Don't ask...
- M. Grade, professional Who-hater Esq.
Rating:
Summary: There can be only one.
Review: Fact: Doctor Who is the longest running sci-fi television show. Not Star Trek! Tom Baker is the best Doctor! Without a doubt! I hope BBC puts all the Tom Baker shows on DVD! Thanks BBC for making it this far!
Rating:
Summary: Doctor Who meets Fu Manchu and Sherlock Holmes
Review: Great characters, great dialog, great story line,
cheesy special effects - all the things
which make Dr. Who special.
Rating:
Summary: A Who Masterpeice
Review: I didn't buy this dvd here, but I do own it and my God this should have been an earlier release! I understand the Five Doctors being released first on DVD, but Talons here is a Doctor Who master piece! It's six parts and each part holds your interest, some awesome cliffhangers, like with the deck of cards and Li'Sang Chang... (Not wanting to spoil anything for new Whovians!) The comentary and the doccumentries are incredible!
I just love the BBC Who DVDs I just wish they were released in sort of order... Like more box sets or something the like...
-Doc
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