Verdict:Doctor Who: The War Games in Colour is a confirmed FLOP based on our analysis of audience ratings and box office momentum.
With a rating of 5.8/10, it has delivered a mixed experience for fans of the Science Fiction, Drama, Adventure, TV Movie genre.
Answer: Maybe not, Doctor Who: The War Games in Colour is likely a skip if you enjoy Science Fiction movies.
It features a runtime of 90 minutes and offers a standard storyline that appeals to general audiences.
Last updated: January 10, 2026
Released in 2024, Doctor Who: The War Games in Colour enters the Science Fiction genre with a narrative focused on The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe arrive on an unnamed planet. Under the direction of David Maloney, the film attempts to weave detailed character arcs with visual storytelling.
The film is anchored by performances from Patrick Troughton, Frazer Hines, Wendy Padbury. While the cast delivers competent performances, the script occasionally limits their range.
From a technical standpoint, Doctor Who: The War Games in Colour offers a competent presentation. The cinematography aligns well with the tone, keeping the narrative moving at a brisk pace.
As of January 2026, Doctor Who: The War Games in Colour is available in theaters worldwide. For streaming audiences in the US and UK, look for availability on major platforms roughly 45 days after the theatrical release. Check your local listings for specific showtimes.
With an audience rating of 5.8/10, the reception has been divisive. For fans of Science Fiction, Drama, Adventure, TV Movie, it serves as a skippable entry unless you go in with lowered expectations.
Analyzing the audience sentiment, IMDb rating of 5.8/10, and global collection metrics, Doctor Who: The War Games in Colour stands as a challenging project for the creators. It remains an essential piece of the 2024 cinematic year.
Doctor Who: The War Games in Colour has received mixed reviews with a 5.8/10 rating, making it a moderate success with the audience.
Doctor Who: The War Games in Colour is a mixed bag. It might be worth watching if you're a fan of Science Fiction, Drama, Adventure movies, but read reviews first.
Doctor Who: The War Games in Colour is a Science Fiction, Drama, Adventure movie that The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe arrive on an unnamed planet. At first believing themselves in the midst of World War I, they realise it to be one of many Wa...
Oh boy, I knew The War Games in Colour was going to be rough from the moment they announced the runtime, but I didn't know it could go this wrong so fast... with every. passing. minute. Benjamin Cook, I hope you never get to edit one of these ever again. Stay away—far away. I re-watched The War Games only the other day just to remind myself how good the original serial is; The War Games in Colour just amplifies everything wrong with The Daleks in Colour and becomes a truly sour viewing experience. Granted, I can't fault the guys who did the colourisation, some of the choices are utterly tremendous (minus that one moment where the picture inexplicably becomes black and white for a second) but the moment-to-moment editing is completely borked beyond belief utterly destroying any sense of tension, atmosphere or thematic relevance the original serial had in spades. I will say that Mark Ayres' music this time around was a little better, but still very ill-fitting. The original cues from Dudley Simpson are thankfully still here but they get drowned out by a metric cacophony overlaying noises. The kicker for me however, was the use of The Master’s theme for The War Chief, that’s completely unacceptable. The new effects are a huge mixed bag, the new establishing shots of the locations are nice but the big CG “Earth” opening is rough and, of course, the "new" regeneration being the big one is the most egregious, it’s not terribly done but feels so out of place due to the use of the NuWho orange fire effects. The cast is extremely ill-served by Ben Cook's hacksaw approach to editing, Philip Modac's War Lord is basically a passing cameo which annoyed me so much, also wtf did they do to his eyes?! Like I've said a few times in the past, I'm all for seeing Old Who with a new coat of paint, but The War Games in Colour is the wrong way to go about it, it’s utterly barbaric and a total misrepresentation of the original serials' greatness, it’s only saving grace is the colourisation. It started relatively alright but fell to pieces very quickly, Ben Cook should never cook again.
