Doctor Who Sonic Screwdriver Review (Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith)

If your child is a fan of Doctor Who then the number one must-have toy has got to be the eleventh Doctor sonic screwdriver. We got ours around a year ago, when the toy was newly launched, so are in a good position to review whether it is a good toy - assessing how well it works, how much play time your kids will get out of it and whether it is robust or not.

Dr Who Sonic Screwdriver - good points

The best thing about the toy Doctor Who sonic screwdriver is that it is a very faithful recreation of the one used by Matt Smith in the television series. It doesn't just look the same; it is also the right size, making it bigger and heavier than previous generations of toy sonic screwdrivers. We got ours when this toy was new on the market and visiting kids and even adult Doctor Who fans were captivated by how realistic it is.

Pressing a discrete button will release the spring loaded action, extending the sonic screwdriver and opening the claws. The force behind the spring is impressive, giving the action a satisfactorily powerful feeling. Both the extended and none extended positions have lights and sound effects, (in extended mode you need to open a secret cap on the bottom of the sonic screwdriver to access the button for activating the light and sounds).

But my personal favourite thing about this toy is that it has never really lost its appeal. Sometimes toys can be a bit "flavour of the month" - played with obsessively when they are new, but discarded and ignored once the novelty has worn off a bit. I thought this might be the case once the first series of Doctor Who (starring Matt Smith, that is) had come to an end, but actually Tiny Toy Reviewer #1 still role plays with it quite consistently.

Any bad points?

I've heard that it is not uncommon for the sounds function to break pretty quickly on the eleventh Doctor Sonic Screwdriver, but we've certainly not had that problem. This toy has been in regular use for nearly a year, (some of that time in the hands of a destructive two year old), and the lights and sounds still work perfectly. However, the spring function has recently gone on the screwdriver so it is always extended. It doesn't seem to have bothered Tiny Toy Reviewer #1 or spoilt his enjoyment while playing with it, and I suppose it isn't surprising that the spring has gone given the amount of use it has had by my boys and their friends. Another criticism I've come across is that the quality just isn't great for the price (retail price is £14.99). To some extent I agree with this, but I think it is a criticism that can be made for many toys. I definitely consider it better value for money and higher quality than some other Doctor Who toys available for the same recommended retail price, for example the Flight Control Tardis. Besides, having been available for nearly a year it can now be purchased for only £8 which renders it a moot point.

Verdict

Despite the fact the spring function no longer works on our Sonic Screwdriver I still really like this toy. It did withstand an awful lot of abuse and rough play, and even with this minor fault still gives the boys hours of enjoyment. When it was released it was quite an expensive toy for what you are getting but it is now available on Amazon for just £8.49 (at the time of publishing this review). This, in my opinion, makes it a great present for any young Doctor Who fan.