Thursday, May 27, 2010

11th Doctor Who Sonic Screwdriver

Today, I submit for your approval the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith's) sonic screwdriver. This is an off the shelf toy offered by a company named "Character Options" who als produced a slew of lovely 10th doctor reproductions.

Here's the sonic closed:



And extended:



I purchased mine from amazon.com. No, I'm not an affiliate, so clicking on that link will not get me any money, but it will take you straight to a page where you can order one for yourself.

For 25 bucks, it's a great piece. Compared to screen captures of the real prop, it's pretty darn spot on. Granted, the materials used are not accurate to the screen seen pieces, but the overall shape, dimensions, and proportions looks rock solid to me.

The only complaint I have, which seems to be a common lament, is that the design of the electronics is a little non-canon. When in its closed position, you fire it up by pressing a tiny button on the black section in the middle. Another button nearby extends the "claws" around the emitter. But here's where it gets whacky. To activate the electronics when open, you have to peel open a little compartment on the end of the screwdriver to reveal a bright red button (ala the ZF-1 from "The Fifth Element") to engage them.

That's kinda weird. And not the way it works on the show. My guess is that the decision was made to do it that way to keep the price down and the electronics simple. At the end of the day, it really doesn't matter much to me, as this is more of a display piece than a "Walk around sonic-ing things" kind of piece. Still, it's just a little weird. For all I know, maybe that's how the one in the show worked originally, and they changed the design for later on? Doubtful, but who knows.

Still, I stand by my claim that it's a really nice piece, despite the fact that it's a kids toy that costs 25 bucks. I'm really happy that the state of the union for toys has gotten to a point where a mass produced replica is pretty darn passable. Compared to some of the star wars blasters put out by hasbro (think bright orange and day glo colors!) it really hits the mark.

So go get one for yourself!

1 comment:

CT said...

I agree, it's a good piece especially for the price. The core engineering is quite different from the prop but that is a compromise to be expected. Extended is where the main dimensional differences lie: it's basically too short but I'll be solving that on my metal replica. Definitely agree that it's a great piece: probably CO's best yet.