Doctor Who: The Invisible Enemy Effects Comparison 

My word what an effects heavy story. I must say the laser effects are much improved, but I preferred some of the original model shots, particularly the ones using fluidic clouds. The wall fix and final explosion were huge improvements though.

0:35 This is probably the best fix of the model shots. The others, not so much. The fluid clouds look so much better than the CG effect. Really, the laser effects are the best replacements.

Like others have already said the lasers are an improvement. But most of the model shots in the original were really well done. The CGI equivalents LOOK like they’re CGI. Which means they’ve failed. I’ve always felt that models enhanced by CGI are far better than all-out CGI.

They fixed the re-take issue with K9 blasting the wall very nicely. Nice color hue change when the miniature Doctor and Leela enter the body to make the effect more seamless! Some of the original fx shots still hold up extremely well, but the non-space scenes are fantastic!

Best part of the cgi is the wall fix

Fans of Blake 7 will recognize Mat Ivins's Atlay shuttle model used in this episode of Dr Who.

at 4:37 what a horrid way to die - lasered in the crotch by a metallic robotic dog!

I would say 50/50. I like some of the updated visual effects & some of the original are ok.

Those water colour paints are so surrealist and beautiful!

The changes to K9 shooting a chunk out of the wall are perfect.

I'm here just to see K9. I LOVE THAT DOG!

I wish _Destiny ~ Revelation_ Dalek extermination effects yielded a similar blue effect when striking the victim as seen in the red gun beam effects here. It's subtle in this instance but way better than the 'negative circular patch' they used in later Dalek serials.

This really reminds me of Blakes 7.Not a bad thing Love Blakes 7 first 2 series especially 👍🏻BTW who is the Doctor's companion Wow! It's no wonder my Dad always used to insist we watch Doctor Who back in the Day Lol!

The gun effects are brilliant... this is how they would have looked in 1977 if they'd have had the tech. Not sure that all the effects are an improvement though. And 1977 was definitely a much, much, much better year!

This is a great comparison video. For the most part, the new effects look much better. I'm all for having access to both original and new effects. If that's preserved, then I'm keen for some "anything goes" type edits.

I think the original model shots were better. They could have just taken those and made the ship stop shaking on the wires and it would be perfect.

Raygun effects much better but not obvious the model shots are big improvements. Nothing can be done about the giant prawn either, unfortunately...

The model work is far superior to the cgi. But the laser effects etc are far better than the original. Don't know why they decided to the replace the models?

Sometimes I feel like they just add in extra new effects that aren't needed just for the sake of it now.

I suppose the problem differentiating here is that 2008 was over 12 years ago.

When they work on these do they have the unedited footage to work with that has no effects or do they have to remove them?

6:22 Holy crap, they upgraded K-9

Yes the laser shots are nice, and I don't mind the new space shots. No amount of enhancement was ever going to fix the cheesy "Fantastic Voyage" bit through the Doctor's brain. Still, always loved this story.

I think the big problem with any of these effects replacements is that the original looked good for 1977, but the new effects look bad for 2008.

BTW, are you able to unblock your Sontaran video?

I'll never understand the idea of replacing low budget practical effects with low budget digital effects. The CGI effects for the Mara in Kinda were probably the best digital replacements.

Why cant they do this to Blakes 7

The effects in the new version look like they've been done years apart, as some look poor, like the exhaust from the ship landing and blowing up, yet the laser beams look excellent, as in the scene where Leela nearly shoots the Doctor.

Dang I didn't know Doctor Who used MS Paint for CGI back then

The lasers and contact streams are improved but I hate seeing all the spacecraft models replaced.

The doctor : mom? Leela: you remember me and that means quality time Myself: finally

Oh hey k9’s here too

So some stories from the Classic Who era got the TOS: Remastered treatment, eh?

Because a lot of the original space ship shots are better in the original, I can see that this is not, or rather, should not, be the last attempt to redo the affects on this episode.

Some nice reworks , but takes away the nostalgic cheesiness of the era ,

I like the original space stuff better, as well as the planet surface. But some of the new laser effects are nice.

None of the 2008 effects are on the dvd though not mine at least all mine are the original 1977 ones

Got to check this out. I loved this story but ya the effects were pretty bad. Makeup was creepy!

I love the 1977 effects. Not so much the 2008.

I prefer nearly all the original stuff, prolly with the exception of the laser effects. The models look better than the cgi and in some instances things seem to have had the colour changed for no particular reason for example the swirly space at 4.50 from blue to silvery gold). Also, the original shots are a lot clearer, (example, 2.09) I wonder why that would be? I'm all in favour of restorative work and resolution improvements. Comparing for example the scene at 5.20 - the old has better colour, more detail and is clearer. Again at 1.20, the old set seems more detailed and with better clarity. I know someones put an awful lot of effort into this, but I'll stick with the old ones - sorry.

I'm never sure about the move to go back and 'improve' the original with new sfx and audio etc. I hate it in relation to the first Star Wars trilogy. I guess all fine as long as the as broadcast untreated version is always included

In my honest opinion, though the effects are an improvement (K-9 blaster) , we shouldn't go back and improve things for two reasons. 1) the world has too much CGI in the films and programs and doesn't make it a complete success. 2) It made Dr Who what it was at the time and I prefer the use of models.

Personally I prefer all the original effects in that I think thats the experience that you have watching it, modern effects spoil it or look too good; but I understand it's personal taste. Also as someone else commented they seem to do these 'new effects' just for the sake of it and for marketing purposes.

I think I'll stick with the original crappy effects, rather than the new crappy effects!

Good, sadly nothing can solve the main fx problem here....the appalling nucleus

I'll never understand why the modern effects attempt to keep that weird dated look, and somehow end up looking more dated than the original.

I'm not trying to be "that guy" but 1977 looks better

@0:59 and 1:08 the old effects from the 1970’s look better to me in these scenes especially! And when the Swarm tries to infect them, the new “effect” is just blanking the face out with light til the actor can’t be seen, what a horrible choice! And some of the other new FX are just poorly done, like the asteroid Hospital, which looked naff even when I was a little kid, looks just the same in the new FX…why even bother as I see zero difference, they truly are nearly identical! Design something that looks halfway realistic, like it has room for actual hundreds of people inside a hollowed out asteroid instead of a perfectly lined up, “room inside for 8 action figures!” As it does in both of these. K9 blasting the wall chunk off and shooting people in one body part to have them grab another in pain always bugged me; these are infinitely better in the new FX! Quite a mixed bag of “no difference”, “much improved” and the “new rx looks worse”, “stick with the old”! LOL!

I kinda hate all the changes. They either look bad in different ways or just look out of place.

a remarkable improvement, but still the worst ep ever.

1977 is better