Mona Lisa's Revenge (TV story)

Mona Lisa's Revenge was the fifth story in The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 3.

Synopsis
Strange forces bring the Mona Lisa, visiting an art gallery in London to life, as Clyde, Rani and Luke are at the art gallery on a school trip as the Mona Lisa runs rampant with a Sontaran blaster, taken from another painting, Sarah Jane comes to the rescue, but ends up trapped in a painting. It's all down to Clyde, Rani and Luke to save the day as the Mona Lisa searches for her brother, the Abomination, hidden in another piece of art.

Part 1
In art class, Luke and Clyde discuss his drawing abilities when Mr Chandra enters, telling Clyde that his painting has won first prize in a competition to see the Mona Lisa at the International Gallery. Despite his gratitude, Clyde does not recall submitting his work into a competition, as Luke had secretly entered it himself. At the gallery, Lionel Harding and Phyllis Trupp examine the newly arrived painting from Paris. Despite clearly having feelings for him, Lionel ignores Phyllis's attempts of a kiss, and the two leave moments before the Mona Lisa's hand reaches out. Luke rushes home to tell Sarah Jane about the competition when she interrupts him over the state of his bedroom. Luke snaps and accuses her of wanting him to be perfect, the way the Bane had created him. The next day, after arriving at the gallery, Luke confides his troubles with Clyde and Rani before being led away by Phyllis. After noticing a Chinese Puzzle Box, Lionel arrives to show Clyde his winning painting. Meanwhile, Phyllis reveals her feelings whilst looking at the Mona Lisa, who reaches out to grab her.

Clyde's painting, consisting of three women holding Sontaran blaster guns, is shown to the class. Despite feeling slightly embarrassed, Clyde says that he took comfort in drawing, knowing that he had no siblings, and asks Luke not to tell Sarah Jane that he drew K-9. Lionel takes the class to see the Mona Lisa, but is shocked to find Phyllis in the portrait and calls security. Mr Chandra ushers the class out of the gallery, but Luke, Clyde and Rani sneak away to investigate. Meanwhile, Mr Smith informs Sarah Jane about the incident at the gallery in order to distract her from worrying about Luke, and she decides to investigate despite a lack of alien activity. After revisiting Clyde's painting, Rani notices that one of the Sontaran guns is missing. Moments after Lional arrives, the Mona Lisa appears and holds the missing gun at them. She then begins opening fire at the group before cooperating with Lionel.

Sarah Jane arrives at the gallery, having conversed with Haresh Chandra, and notices two different alien energies in the gallery. Meanwhile, Luke is adamant not to seek Sarah Jane's help, and the three discover the police and gallery staff trapped inside various paintings. Mona Lisa remembers Lionel from his previous visits in the Louvre, and tells him to help find her "brother", a painting created at the same time and place that is being kept in the gallery. As they try to escape, Luke notices that Sarah Jane's car is parked outside. Meanwhile, Sarah Jane enters the chamber where Phyllis is held, where she is discovered when Lionel and the Mona Lisa arrive. She tells Sarah Jane not to interfere, referrencing Luke's earlier conversations, and imprisons her in a painting. Luke, Clyde and Rani arrive too late to save her after they hear her screaming.

Part 2
Luke, Rani and Clyde beg with the Mona Lisa to release Sarah Jane from the painting, but when she refuses, Luke pushes her over and escapes with Sarah Jane's painting. Rather than chase after them, the Mona Lisa brings The Dark Rider from his painting to eliminate them. The three manage to avoid his shots, while Lionel Harding and the Mona Lisa proceed through the gallery to locate her "brother", The Abomination, whose groans and grunts echo throughout the building. Mona Lisa pauses on her quest when she catches sight of a window. Requesting to step outside, Lionel opens the window for her, but she panics when her outstretched arm suddenly returns to its painted self. The two enter an unfinished room in the gallery, where Clyde walks in on them. Despite hiding, he is captured by the Dark Rider after overhearing their plans to release the Abomination.

Luke and Rani try to figure out why the Mona Lisa is alive, while Clyde is forced to accompany her and Lionel in finding the hidden painting in the basement. They realise that the paint used to create both paintings originated from a rock sentient that fell to Earth. Meanwhile, the Mona Lisa, Lionel, Clyde and the Dark Rider discover the caged Abomination painting locked in a contained cabinet. However, the puzzle lock is missing. Luke realises that the Chinese Puzzle Box is needed to release the Abomination, but is confronted by the Mona Lisa and Lionel, who tell them she has Clyde in her possession. However, upon receiving the box from Luke, Lionel smashes the box. Before she can shoot Lionel, Luke tells her of another way to release the Abomination.

Mona Lisa takes Luke and Rani to Clyde, where Luke tells Clyde to draw a new Chinese Puzzle Box. Despite his and Rani's concerns, Clyde reluctantly cooperates and uses his sketchpad to draw a new one. The Mona Lisa animates the box and uses it to open the cabinet containing the Abomination, in her plan to destroy the world. As the door opens and the energy is released, Luke opens the sketchpad to the drawing of K-9, allowing it to animate. The drawn K-9 zaps the Abomination which prevents it from escaping, sending the Mona Lisa back into her paintings forever. Everyone who was previously imprisoned in the paintings are now released, and Luke and Sarah Jane are reunited, as well as Lionel and Phyllis. Despite his apologies and eagerness to start a relationship, Phyllis angrily leaves Lionel in the chamber, while Sarah Jane and the group reflect on the day's events.

Cast

 * Sarah Jane Smith - Elisabeth Sladen
 * Luke Smith - Tommy Knight
 * Clyde Langer - Daniel Anthony
 * Rani Chandra - Anjli Mohindra
 * Voice of Mr Smith - Alexander Armstrong
 * Voice of K9 - John Leeson
 * Haresh Chandra - Ace Bhatti
 * Mona Lisa - Suranne Jones
 * Lionel Harding - Jeff Rawle
 * Phyllis Trupp - Liza Sadovy
 * Highwayman - Paul Kasey
 * Himself - Lizo Mzimba

Production Crew
to be added

Story Notes

 * Jeff Rawle previously appeared in DW: Frontios, this is the third time a guest star of the classic series of Doctor Who has appeared in The Sarah Jane Adventures

Ratings
to be added

Myths
to be added

Filming Locations

 * The Mona Lisa chamber at the art gallery is a redress of the Platform One meeting room set from DW: The End of the World

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

 * The International Gallery is located in London, but outside you can see the bay mark for Buses is in Welsh "Bysiau" on the road.
 * Mr Smith did not appear in part 2 at all yet he was still credited.
 * In the vault, after everything has been reversed, Rani says "And that's the last of her" as she says "I hope", a microphone can be seen at the top of the shot.
 * Sarah-Jane is surprised when she hears about the trip to the gallery on the news, but unless there's forgery or law breaking going on this doesn't make sense. Since Luke and the others are minors, the school would have had to send out permission slips to go on a trip, (even if it is in the same town, because they're being transported by another adult) so unless Luke faked Sarah-Jane's signature, or the school is breaking the law, she would have known about the trip or Luke couldn't have gone without permission from his parent/guardian. (Given Luke's temporary irritation with Sarah Jane during this story, it's not unreasonable that he did forge her permission. Some schools also operate a "catch all" consent system for educational trips that take place within a specified distance to the school - usually within the boundaries of a town/city or district. If Sarah Jane completed one of these forms at the start of the school year then they would not have needed an additional consent form for the gallery trip. The school would have sent a letter home to Sarah Jane to inform her, but Luke could have easily hid this.)
 * If the highway man can not speak because he was not painted with a mouth, then how can the Mona Lisa walk, when she wasn't painted with legs? Also, how can the highway man fire bullets, when they were not painted? That was Clyde's assumption. It was never shown or proven that the highway man had no mouth. He simply didn't confirm Clyde's assumption. He may have just not wanted to talk to him.


 * Why does the mona lisa speak with a northern accent, when she was painted in Italy and has been displayed in France for centuries? And why does she use phrases like 'kiddie winkies' and 'a bit flash'?

Continuity

 * A smiliar story, involving Edward Munch's The Scream appeared in BFA: Dust Breeding.
 * The Mona Lisa paintings appeared in DW: City of Death. There are two possible deliberate references to the earlier story. Firstly, in the opening scense of episode 1, there are paintings labelled "Face of Time" on the classroom walls. In episode 1 of "City of Death" an artist drew Romana's face as a clock. Secondly, a Chinese puzzle box appears in both stories.
 * The Cup of Athelstan and the International Gallery appeared in DW: Planet of the Dead.
 * A smiliar story, featuring paintings and drawings coming to life appeared in DW: Fear Her.

Timeline
to be added