Occasionally, a company does something truly unique and uber-cool – such is the situation with Weta and their line of Rayguns. Called “Dr. Grordbort’s Infallible Aether Oscillators” or just rayguns for short, these amazing retro sci-fi weapons were some of the best items on display once again this year at the San Diego Comic-Con. The concept is simple enough – produce a series of guns that look like something right off the old serial sci-fi shows, like Flash Gordon. However, these are far better than any movie prop. The designs, detailing, weathering, and quality are something to truly behold. I have a few photos of them in my Weta coverage from this year’s con.

These things are full sized props, however, made from metal, wood, and other ‘real’ materials. While that means they look just like they could really turn your enemy into powdered toast with the pull of the trigger, they also cost crazy money. We’re talking $500 – $600 US and more…far more than any mere mortal such as yours truly can afford.

For us, Weta has done miniature versions as SDCC exclusives for the past couple years. These look very much like their larger cousins, but are small enough to fit in your palm. They also aren’t nearly as detailed as the big versions, or made from as wide a range of materials. They also only cost $40.

This year’s version is called the Goliathan 83, and only 400 were produced for the show. They sold out of course, but you can always pick up the full sized version from Weta for a mere $690. Oh c’mon…you know you want to.

If you have any questions or comments, drop me an email at mwc@mwctoys.com, or check out the other reviews at Michael’s Review of the Week – Captain Toy. Let’s get blastin’!

SDCC 2008 Exclusive miniature Goliathan 83

Packaging – ***1/2
There isn’t a lot of text or background, but the package does have a very, very cool retro feel and look to it. The graphics are great, and the interior plastic tray (with plastic lid) is completely collector friendly. Pop it out, pop it back in, no damage, no fuss, no muss.

Sculpting – ***1/2
Obviously, the sculpts are going to be far more intricate on the full sized versions. On top of that, they use various materials to make the guns look extremely realistic, while the small versions are solid metal. Very heavy, very solid, but not as intricate.

Still, these are quite detailed for the scale. They’ve included the small notches on the power indicator, the various itty bitty antennae, and all the implied rivets and screws are sculpted on, not merely painted.

Paint – ***1/2
They got creative with some of the paint as well, using it t simulate some of the features of the larger version. For example, the tube on the top back (which reminds me of a super soaker) is painted with a glittery, translucent sort of paint, simulating a liquid in the tube. The effect works pretty well, particularly at first glance.

Small details like the tubes and dial notches are painted cleanly, and the overall weathering effect is solid. It’s not nearly as good as the big versions of course, but at less than 1/10th the price, that should come as no huge surprise. The gun still looks like something that’s been used and abused, blasting aliens and robots from the future to smithereens.

Design – ****
The real beauty here is the design, of course. Developing one really great looking raygun is hard enough – coming up with a whole series is quite impressive. There’s just enough doohickeys and gizmos on this weapon that it looks deadly, and yet not overdone and ridiculous. It has that perfect 1930’s sci-fi feel, and in fact the designs are quite a bit better than what used to be used on the old films.

Value – **1/2
It’s tough to really compare these to other things…how many all metal, realistic looking, funky sci-fi style rayguns are there out on the market? Yea, I really wish someone would go after the licenses for actual film and tv guns like Flash Gordon, Lost in Space, Buck Rodgers, etc. etc. etc. but until they do, there’s not much to judge against. The quality here is very high, and it seemed like an appropriate price considering the materials, the attention to detail, and the very low production run.

There actually is one other line these can be compared to: Master Replicas scaled Star Wars blasters and lightsabers. Those ran around this same price when they were released, and were produced in much larger numbers.

Things to Watch Out For –
The small metal ‘antennae’ that you see protruding from various parts of the weapon can be bent and broken with rough handling. But other than that, you should be good to anniliate your enemies.

Overall – ***1/2
Short of hitting the lottery, I’ll never own one of the larger versions. That makes me all the more pleased that Weta is producing these miniature versions. The designs are great, the quality is high, and they make nice little display pieces with the miniature Star Wars weapons that Master Replicas released. I certainly hope to see more of these come from Weta, even if it’s only a once a year thing.

Where to Buy –
Unfortunately, your only real choice now is Ebay. Try searching using MyAuctionLinks.com.

Related Links:
Check out Weta’s site for more information.

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