Just got into the whole Force FX thing recently and I was so excited to get another one yesterday that I thought I'd share my thoughts about them so far. Let me know what you think! :)
The Review:
As any long-time time Star Wars fan will probably tell you, the lightsaber is considered the holy grail of all Star Wars collectibles. Who hasn’t dreamed of being Luke Skywalker and taking a swing at ol’ helmet head? Or in this case, perhaps you’ve always wanted to be the brooding Dark Lord of the Sith and give the arrogant young Jedi a lesson in the true power of the dark side of the force? Well, the Darth Vader Force FX Lightsaber from the Empire Strikes Back might just give you that chance.
The Look:
There’s no mistake here, I love the look of a lightsaber and this one looks terrific! The FX hilt is a very close replica of the original prop with all the details intact and a beautiful chrome finish. Vader uses a different saber in all three of the original films, but for my money the, the ESB design is by far the most distinct and stylish. Unlike Luke’s and Vader’s ROTJ hilts which were based on the Graflex, the Vader ESB was made from an MPP (Micro Precision Products) MicroFlash handle. This saber distinguishes itself from the ANH model with 6 grips rather than 7 and they run much longer, all the way to the control box giving a more elegant look. Further details include3 sets of slots and holes under the saber’s shroud where wires were newly added. One red wire runs between the hole on the saber’s left most side (looking at the clamp) with two sets of brown and white wires in the life and right slots. The clamp itself has an inserted clear 7 bubble strip taken from the LED bubble type lens from a vintage calculator that also acts as the on/off switch. Finally, the shroud has a nice gritty texture and a front mounted D-ring that perfectly compliments the top of the hilt.
The Force FX polycarbonate blade is permanently attached and appears to have a thick clear layer over a white inner shell that holds and protects a string of 64 super-bright red LEDs that light up sequentially inside the blade. When off, it doesn’t look too different from a fluorescent tube, but when ignited -wow! It’s most effective in complete darkness or even low light situations including the outside. The colour is pure red and is strong enough to illuminate an entire room casting an impressive eerie scarlet glow.
The LEDs are super bright, and powerful enough to fool you into believing that you’re looking at a real lightsaber (especially at night), but it’s not. Pictures have tended to imply that there is a white core glow. There is no white core. The red colour is just about dead on, but tends toward the pink (not orange), although this effect is considerably lessened in bright light or the day. The red light is evenly distributed along the blade, but if you look closely you will notice the individual LEDs and a slightly darker spot in the middle where the two strings of LEDs are joined. This is not a flaw, but a feature of the design. Slight imperfections also include wires which are fake (naturally), but so are the holes. They’re just pasted on top of black painted spots. The D-ring attached to the shroud is a little loose so when I swing the blade I can here it clacking, not a big deal though, as you can move it away from the shroud so they don’t hit. Also while the chrome is beautiful, it’s not consistently plated with small edges usually around the edges of the slots un-chromed.
The Sound:
The sound is very nice. The ESB Vader has a nice menacing hum that’s well regarded. I love the quick power up and down sounds that is perfectly synced with the LEDs. There are two swinging sounds and one clash. Each saber has its own unique sound FX, so no two sound alike, and (although I can’t verify this) should accurately reflect the movie from which it’s digitally recorded. Note that while the sound FX are strong and relatively clear, they come from the bottom of the hilt with the speaker unit built into the battery housing ,so you should avoid covering the bottom with your hand to avoid muffling the sound.
The Feel:
Now I have to admit the first time I looked at a Force FX saber I wasn’t too impressed. Don’t get me wrong, it looked great, just not $149.99 CAD great. However, the second I put my hand around one and felt that solid heft, I was in Star Wars nirvana! I finally felt like I was holding a real lightsaber. Swinging the Force FX is a pure joy that must be experienced. While the blade is too long and a bit heavy for traditional Asian martial arts as seen in the films, it’s got a nice balance and can still be used for a few fancy moves. The motion sensor is very sensitive and times the sound effects very well with movement Striking is no problem as the blades are quite durable (I’ll slip in Master Replicas usual disclaimer about never dueling with the Force FXs here. They’re quite right, as this is clearly meant to be a collectible, but some gently playtime is fine), but it does need a solid wack to register the clash FX. I like how they used the bubble strip as the on/off switch. There’s a nice gentle click each time you use it and it’s in easy reach of your thumb as you grip the handle. The Force FX even automatically turns itself off after 2 minutes if you leave it unattended, a nice battery-saving touch!
Conclusion:
So is it worth it? That’s really up to you. No amount of money in the world will get you a ‘real’ lightsaber. They don’t exist. And while the Force FX aren’t perfect, they’re darn close. They are rather expensive as a collectible for the average user, but for what they offer and deliver in terms of fun and coolness I think they’re worth it. Especially in comparison to lightsaber replicas that don’t do anything and just sit there to be admired (although they are of much higher quality) and cost hundreds more! Be realistic and don’t expect miracles in bright indoors or daylight, but when the sun goes down, and everything is quiet, it’s time to let your imagination out!
The Darth Vader Force FX Lightsaber from the Empire Strikes Back is a very well made piece and an exemplary model of the 3rd Generation Force FX line. The switch to 3 AA batteries from 6 is a great move and brings it down to proper scale (previous generations of Force FX hilts were overly large). The sounds are much, much improved and the bright LEDs put the ESB Vader in class of its own, far outstripping the older ANH release. If you have a hankering for the dark side, or just the like the red blade, the ESB Vader is the one to beat, and I for one can’t wait to see what Master Replicas has planned for the future!
No pics yet, but here's the video I made so far:
http://rapidshare.de/files/2789045/VAdersabermovietest.wmv.html
Topic: *REVIEW*: DARTH VADER Force FX Lightsaber from TESB *Updated VIDEO & NEW PICS* (Read 16165 times)