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, on exhibit at an art gallery in London, to life. Clyde, Rani and Luke are at the gallery on a school trip as the Mona Lisa rampages 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 place in the art gallery.

Part 1
In art class, Luke and Clyde discuss his drawing abilities when Mr Chandra enters to tell Clyde that his painting has won first prize in a competition to see the Mona Lisa at the International Gallery. Although pleased, Clyde does not recall submitting his work to a competition. Luke had secretly entered it himself.

At the gallery, Lionel Harding and Phyllis Trupp examine newly arrived painting from Paris. Despite her clearly having feelings for him, Lionel ignores Trupp's attempts at 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. 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 to 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, showing three women holding Sontaran blaster guns, is shown to the class, who applaud his work. Despite feeling slightly embarrassed, Clyde says that he takes comfort in drawing and asks Luke not to tell Sarah Jane that he drew K9. 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 of the incident at the gallery to distract her from worrying about Luke. She decides to investigate despite a lack of alien activity. After revisiting Clyde's painting, Rani notices one of the Sontaran guns is missing. Moments after Lional arrives, the Mona Lisa appears and holds the missing gun on them. She opens fire on the group before cooperating with Lionel. Sarah Jane arrives at the gallery, having spoken with Haresh Chandra. She notices two different alien energies in the gallery. Meanwhile, Luke is adamant in his resolve 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 to the Louvre. She tells him to help find her "brother", a painting done at the same time and place. It is in the gallery.

As they try to escape, Luke notices Sarah Jane's car outside. Meanwhile, Sarah Jane enters the chamber where Phyllis is held, where she is discovered when Lionel and the Mona Lisa arrive. The Mona Lisa tells Sarah Jane not to interfere, referencing 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 the Mona Lisa to release Sarah Jane from the painting. 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 youngsters avoid his shots, while Lionel and the Mona Lisa proceed through the gallery to locate her "brother", The Abomination, whose groans and grunts echo through the building. Mona Lisa pauses on her quest when she catches sight of a window. She asks to step outside. Lionel opens the window for her, but she panics when her outstretched arm returns to its painted self. The two enter an unfinished room in the gallery, where Clyde walks in on them. He tries to hide, but 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. Clyde is forced to accompany Mona Lisa and Lionel as they try to find the hidden painting in the basement. Luke and Rani realise the paint used to create both paintings came from a sentient rock that fell to Earth. Meanwhile, the Mona Lisa, Lionel, Clyde and the Dark Rider discover the caged Abomination painting in a locked cabinet. However, the puzzle lock is missing. Luke realises the Chinese Puzzle Box is needed to release the Abomination. He is confronted by the Mona Lisa and Lionel. The Mona Lisa tell them she has Clyde in her possession. 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, whom Luke tells to draw a new Chinese Puzzle Box. Despite his and Rani's concerns, Clyde draws a new one. The Mona Lisa animates the box and uses it to open the cabinet holding the Abomination. As the door opens and the energy is released, Luke opens the sketchpad to the drawing of K9, allowing it to animate. The drawn K9 zaps the Abomination which prevents it from escaping, sending the Mona Lisa and the Dark Rider back into their paintings forever. Clyde is left puzzled when he looks round for K9 and discovers he has vanished. Everyone who was imprisoned in the paintings is 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
 * Mr Smith - Alexander Armstrong
 * Voice of K9 - John Leeson
 * Haresh Chandra - Ace Bhatti
 * The Mona Lisa - Suranne Jones
 * Mr Harding - Jeff Rawle
 * Miss Trupp - Liza Sadovy
 * Highwayman - Paul Kasey
 * Lizo Mzimba - Himself

species

 * Clyde's painting features a Sontaran weapon

Individuals

 * Frequent references are made to Leonardo da Vinci.

Real world

 * Clyde calls the highwayman "Silent Bob"
 * When Luke gives Clyde's drawing of the puzzle box to the Mona Lisa, Clyde tells him, "I don't know right what you're doing, my Padawan, but you've gone right over to the Dark Side." This is a reference to Star Wars.

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.
 * Suranne Jones, who played the Mona Lisa, later played Idris in the Doctor Who television story The Doctor's Wife.

Ratings
To be added

Myths
To be added

Filming locations

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

Production errors

 * The International Gallery is located in London, but outside, the bay mark for buses is in Welsh (Bysiau).
 * Mr Smith does 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 boom microphone can be seen at the top of the shot. This appears to have been corrected on the DVD release.
 * The Mona Lisa stole the blaster from Clyde's painting but if you look at his painting in Part 1, as she tells Lionel that he can touch her, the blaster is still there.

Continuity

 * A similar plot, involving Edvard Munch's The Scream was used in BFA: Dust Breeding.
 * The Mona Lisa painting appeared in DW: City of Death. There are two possible deliberate references to the earlier story. Firstly, in the opening scene 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 II's face as a clock. A Chinese puzzle box also appears in both stories.
 * The Cup of Athelstan and the International Gallery appeared in DW: Planet of the Dead.
 * DW: Fear Her featured a similar story of paintings coming to life.
 * The Bane are mentioned. (SJA: Invasion of the Bane, Enemy of the Bane)
 * Odd Bob the Clown and the meteor that brought him to Earth are mentioned. (SJA: The Day of the Clowm)

Timeline

 * This story occurs after SJAA: The Shadow People
 * This story occurs before SJA: The Gift