Original Series Communicator Replica [Toy]
by Star Trek: Classic
![Original Series Communicator Replica [Toy]](/images/Original-Series-Communicator-Replica-Toy-B000WMGWBC-L.jpg)
Our Price: $79.99
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $59.99 (click here)
Category: Toy
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: Star Trek: ClassicBrand: Star Trek
Toys and Games Reviews of Original Series Communicator Replica [Toy]
Customer Review: I almost gave it 3 stars.... but it falls short
Summary: 2 Stars
First of all, I should let everyone know that I've had 3 of these things delivered to me, and I still haven't received one with a working motorized moire. Some might consider me lucky due to the excessive noise they create, but I at least wanted to have one that works correctly.
While the quality of the unit is nice for the most part, size.. heft.. all pretty much what I expected. What wasn't expected, (and is not shown in any product photos or discernible until removed from the package) is the horribly mis-proportioned body. I don't know who was in charge of production on this thing, but it looks,.... well, awful. I like to refer to this as the big-butt comm, as the body is easily twice as thick on the on one end compared to the other. This difference not only makes the unit feel awkward resting in your hand, but also makes it more likely to slip out of your grip while attempting to flip it open.
The fin which runs along the outer edge of the main housing is absent from the top. This detail leads me to believe that this toy was designed based on a damaged communicator prop that had the body compacted at the top to seal the gap left from the missing section. Even if this were the case, the body is still too thick on one end. Even my friends who were unfamiliar with the props from the show, noted how odd it looks. Even the Playmates version from the 90's got this one right....
To be honest, after this,... mentioning the other factors based on appearance seem pointless. Sure you have the plastic vs. metal parts discussion... Then there's always the fact that the soft plastic used in the buttons doesn't hold detail well, and are not even large enough for the holes made for them (causing them to rattle around a bit...) The metal flip antenna is well made, but has a vac-metalized mirror finish on it, making it look more like plastic than actual metal. and due to it's loose hinges flops around a bit. But when the main base of it looks as odd as it does, the rest of these problems seem unimportant.
Moving past the look of the piece you have the sounds and lights. I love the idea behind the flip antenna activating the chirping sound, the call back feature, and the various sound clips. I wish they had included the garbled static or the sonic pulse seen in the series as well, but we can't have everything. What we do have, unfortunately, is all very substandard in quality. It's sad that this piece doesn't sound nearly as good as the communicator ornament released from Hallmark last year. Even though they use many of the same sound clips from the show, and the ornament is easily half the size of this version... The Hallmark one sounds so much more clear.
In the end, everything comes together as a product that misses the bar on every level. And while this might be an excellent toy,... The market that these are aimed at aren't children, but more towards collectors... and as a collector, I found myself disappointed.
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