mizgnomer's Full Review: Doctor Who > Electronic Flight Control Tardis Play...
I've been an American Doctor Who fan since I was a small child, but unfortunately the toys weren't readily available in America so, needless to say, I never had any. Now I'm an adult and the show is back and more popular than ever, and now I can live vicariously through my children (and add to my own little toy collection) thanks to Character Options' wonderful Doctor Who toys. One of the favorite items in my ever growing Doctor Who toy collection is my Electronic Flight Control Tardis Playset. Compact and cool, it has earned a proud place on my computer table (provided I can pry it from my kids' greedy fingers).
Production Description: The Tardis (or Time And Relative Dimension In Space) is the Doctor's time machine in the long-running television show, Doctor Who. Tardises are supposed to change their exterior appearance to blend in with their surroundings, but the Doctor's "chameleon circuit" is broken and his Tardis is stuck in the shape of a 1950's English Police Box. It is an iconic image that has been associated with the show since it started in 1963.
The Electronic Flight Control Tardis Playset measures roughly 9 inches tall and 4½ inches on each side. It is sized in proportion with the 5½-inch Doctor Who figures also available from Character Options.
The front doors open separately to reveal a forced-perspective view of the interior console on the back of the ship's walls (sorry, but unlike the Doctor's Tardis on the television show, the interior of the ship is not bigger than the exterior). The floor looks like the interlocked brick as seen just inside the Tardis' doorway on the television show. The doors will lock into place and stay open -- the left door (the one with the telephone) must be closed manually however there are 2 recessed bricks on the floor that, when pressed, will close the rightmost door. You can also open the little telephone door by itself to reveal the old-fashioned telephone while still leaving the main doors closed.
There are a wide variety of light and sound effects on the Electronic Flight Control Tardis. The sounds are sampled from the television show and thus are very accurate. * When the doors are opened the interior lights up and you can hear the "hum" of the Tardis * When you pick up the toy the "dematerialization" sound plays, the interior lights come on (as seen through the frosted windows), and the lamp on top strobes like it does on the television show. There are 3 different varieties to the dematerialization sound (slow, fast, and emergency takeoff). * When you set the toy down the "materialization" sound plays along with the interior lights staying on and the lamp at the top strobing. There are 2 different materialization sounds. * If you shake the Tardis it will trigger one of two "turbulent flight" sounds. * When the Tardis flies in the time vortex it spins. To duplicate this on the toy there is a little white disk embedded in the underside of the Tardis toy. You can stick your fingertip in the disk on the bottom of the Tardis and use your other hand to spin the toy via the lamp on top. The white disk will sit stationary on your finger as the rest of the toy spins around it. It does indeed do a very good job of duplicating the "spinning" effect, and is accompanied by lights and the in-flight sound effect.
The various lights and sounds will shut off automatically if you leave the toy untouched for a minute or two. An on/off switch located on the underside of the Tardis can also be used to turn off the lights and sounds (which is handy when the baby is sleeping and you forget that simply picking up the Tardis will trigger sound effects).
The Electronic Flight Control Tardis Playset requires 3 "AAA" batteries (for the lights and sounds).
Note: Although a figure of the Doctor is frequently included in promotional photographs of this toy, he is not included.
Our Thoughts & Experiences: I am totally impressed by this little toy. The sound effects are sampled from the show and sound very clear and perfect. The "look" is just right - a very accurate depiction of the Police Box that I know and love. The lights and sounds corresponding with the actions are very cool. My kids love putting the Tardis through its paces - making it materialize and dematerialize, spinning it as it flies through the air. Okay, I'll admit it - I like triggering the lights and sound effects too. It is a very well thought through and well produced toy, and I'm impressed!
Because the toy isn't "bigger on the inside" like the "real" thing, you can really only fit 2 or 3 characters in there at a time. I won't claim that the inside is roomy, but my kids still like playing in there, possibly because of the Tardis "hum" - the "breathing" sound the Tardis makes on the inside.
One of the first playsets I got from Doctor Who was the massive "Electric Tardis Playset", which portrays the interior of the Tardis. That playset is fantastic too, but it is also huge and we have yet to find a good place to store it in our home. I was so excited to get the Flight Control Tardis because not only does it look cool, it doesn't take up much space! It proudly sits atop my computer desk (along with some of my other geeky toys), and my kids know that it is Mommy's toy and that they must ask permission before they play with it -- but they do play with it quite a bit because it is just so darn cool!
Quickie Summary: Pros: +) Looks just like the one on the television show +) Fits nicely with the 5½-inch figures from Character Options +) Sounds sampled from the actual television show +) Very cool sound effects correspond with the actions you take with the toy (materialization/dematerialization, etc) +) Light effects (the flashing lamp on top and interior lights visible through the frosted windows) +) Ability to reproduce the "spinning" effect as seen on the show +) An on/off button! Cons: -) It isn't really "bigger on the inside" like the one on the television series! -) No volume control (it is a bit loud)
Final Thoughts: I love the Flight Control Tardis because it has some very cool features and because it doesn't take up nearly as much room as the "Electric Tardis Playset". My kids enjoy playing with it too, so there are no complaints from me!
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