Doctor Who - Dr. Who 12th Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver - Peter Capaldi - Touch Control With Lights and Sounds

And so begins the current reign of the regenerated alien from Gallifrey, The Doctor now played by Scottish actor Peter Capaldi in the characters 12th incarnation (or he's the 13th Doctor depending on Whovians responses). Me being a fan of Capaldi since his 2009 film, In the Loop (which is also a spin-off of The Thick of It) and Doctor Who I was the most excited about seeing play the Doctor in a long time. And just now, the current series of Capaldi now into its third episode as I write this review, has been a solid start and a solid Doctor. So what better way than to revel in Capaldi's Doctor by having his sonic screwdriver.As most other reviews have pointed out and in more illustrious detail, the most obvious thing sticks out about the product: it's the Eleventh's screwdriver in just about every way. The weight, handling, sounds/effects, etc. Even the earlier packaging photos months leading up to the release of the new sonic screwdriver sort of scared people because it looked like the product was simply being re-packaged again but with the Twelfth's name on it. To be fair, it is mostly the same case and I can see the confusion and disappointment with some people.But now that we have seen Capaldi's screwdriver and see how it is the Eleventh's screwdriver again, you really cannot blame the product entirely. Capaldi could have made another screwdriver and maybe he might receive a new one in the future, but for now he still has the Eleventh's and for this toy product, at least some effort was put forth to improve it for fans. The biggest changes/improvements goes to the button usage. The Eleventh's had it where you must press a button for the claw to extend and press another button to activate the lights/sounds which made things a bit tedious. Still a great item, it just had a tiny snag or two. But this new version under the Twelfth's remedies that problem and now has a another button just underneath the release tab that activates the lights/sounds with or without the claw outward, as well as keeping the small claw release button from the Eleventh's but it feels a bit more sturdier to press. And the lights and sounds, to my knowledge, look/sound better than the Eleventh's screwdriver. So overall, it's a vast improvement over the Eleventh's screwdriver .Although the Twelves sonic screwdriver happens to be identical to the Eleventh's because of the show, it's a bit of a bummer this new version of the screwdriver is greatly the same as the previous screwdriver. I do wish maybe a few extras features added would have made more of a difference and price, but the manufacturer did manage to improve on an already a solid product. So I will not give this a shining 5-star review because of those flaws, but I will be happily to give it a solid 4-star review. If you do not own the Eleventh's sonic screwdriver, this is a big upgrade. But if you do already own the Eleventh's, It is entirely up to you if you wish to pay for a strongly similar screwdriver or stick with what you already have.

Excellent replica of the 11th/12th Doctor's sonic screwdriver, with only a few minor nitpicks.Pros:Looks absolutely brilliant. Nice detailing on the black "leather" handle in particular as well as the extending claw section. While its all molded plastic, the brushed brass(?) and steel look is pretty good with a moderate sheen.The light is pretty bright, and the sound volume is strong.Spring action works great, almost a little too strong, but very fun to use.Four sounds (2 of them hidden). Thankfully, the two normal sounds that cycle with one press of the button sound accurate to the 11th/12th Doctors' sonic in the show, while the hidden sounds require 3 and 4 presses to activate.Cons:The extending claws are a bit wibbly-wobbly and might be getting a bit looser over time. Not sure if anyone has figured out how to tighten them without damaging the toy.Appearance-wise, the wires to the light are visible when the claw is extended, inside the green "crystal". Doesn't bother me though, and only noticeable close-up. The screw things on the extending claws are a bit distracting, but that might be just me. Also, the white section of the handle has noticeable seams in the plastic, but I suppose that's unavoidable. The black "leather" part, while well detailed, still looks like plastic unless seen from a distance. (Can we ever get a version with pleather? Please?)One thing that is a minor nitpick is that you can't keep the lights/sound activated while extending the device, as this unpresses the button within the sonic. But at least there's only the one button this time.Comparisons to other versions:11th Doctor: Main thing is that there is no separate button on the base this time to activate it while extended. This is fantastic not only for ergonomics' sake but also because the distracting hinge is gone on the base. This version is far superior.12th Doctor Touch Control version: Note that this version, while called "Premium" has a very obnoxious, noticeable battery compartment in the white handle portion. Which for me, ruins the whole thing. I think this one-button version is the superior version of the 11th/12th sonic screwdriver.10th Doctor: If for whatever reason you're picking between the 10th and 11th/12th, I would definitely go with the 12th one-button sonic, as it generally looks higher quality and mimics the real version better, as well as being a more fun version to play with with the spring action and all. Plus the 10th Doctor's screwdriver annoyingly cycles between all 4 sounds (2 being inaccurate to the 10th's sonic in the show, being classic sounds) with one touch, rather than hiding them with multiple button-presses as is done with the 12th's.

Okay I'm not a HUGE doctor who fan or a Whovian as they may be called but I like the show enough to grab a nice replica prop if it pops up on amazon lightening deals like this one did I think it was like $16-18 at the time and at that price I feel like this is great deal. It fits the bill for both Matt Smith and Capaldis screwdrivers so far as I can tell, aside of the back button deally but appearance wise I would say it’s the same to an untrained eye.Firstly it seems large/big I mean I’m 6’2” and it feels large in my hands, and judging by the show it’s totally got to be bigger than the original. Also it is NOT shiny like it is in the picture, it’s just matte plastic nothing is chromed or the brass version of that kind of process.It has 2 sounds for the default button push, another if you double click and hold, and a third that sounds like it’s on the frits if you triple click and hold. The extra sounds are mentioned nowhere in the directions so it pays to play around.The button and spring release for the head movement is definitely cool, you have to push it back in my hand though. I noticed that the teeth if you want to call that around the tip doesn't fit very tight to the tip of the screwdriver, which is kinda sad but relatively expected of a cheap “toy”.PROS-Price-Looks “good”-It’s a sonic Screwdriver-Bonus soundsCONS-Big size?-Not as pictured-lesser quality upon close inspection-doesn't work on woodOverall a good buy just don’t expect it to be replica or prop quality, good to have sitting around, or use as a costume prop.