The Tardis measures 6 1/2 inches from its base to the tip of the lantern on top, without the clear spin-base attached. The width and depth are 3 inches each. The doors push in and lock open inside. To close, you pull lightly on them, and springs push them closed. The lack of a button to close the spring-loaded doors could conceivably be a problem for a very young child, or an adult that has no patience. I dont mind it at all, and I can close my Tardis doors easily with no fuss. There is an on/off switch on the bottom for lights/sounds. The take-off and landing sounds are loud - maybe too loud for a desk at work, but fun to play with by picking up and putting down the Tardis without the spin base attached. The interior is not lighted sadly, but the lantern on the top lights and pulsates. The plastic is textured really very nicely to look like painted wood. If you look closely, two panes of the windows are textured, exactly like the Tardis on the show and add a great detail to the toy. The St. John's Ambulance decal is nicely detailed, as is the Pull to Open phone box sticker. Sadly, there is no little phone in the door. The lantern on top is molded very nicely with great detail for such a small plastic piece. The silver door handles and lock are painted well with no bleed-over on to the blue of the Tardis wood grain. There is some slight bleed-over where the white border of the windows are painted on to the black 34;glass34;, but I think that was done intentionally to give the windows the illusion of depth into a dark interior. When I look down at an angle at the windows, it works quite well. Head-on, not so much. The wood grain is highly detailed. The blue plastic is weird in the sense that it changes hue depending on the lighting conditions around it. In subdued lighting, it appears dark blue, but directly under a bright desk lamp, it appears lighter. The doors seem sturdy, and I dont expect they will break anytime soon. The Tardis is 34;weighty34; for its size, and does not feel like a cheap toy. The 3.75 inch Dr. Who figures are compatible in size. My only gripe is the speaker holes and battery compartment screw. Yuck. They detract from an otherwise really nice looking toy. At least they are on the back and out of view. If you are looking for an inexpensive, small but not tiny, Tardis that has some sound effects, then this little Tardis is great. I could gripe about 4 things regarding this Tardis: The wonky font on the police box sticker, the black windows, the clear spin base, and the lack of a button to close the spring-loaded doors. None of these is a deal-killer for me. OK, the font is wonky...big deal... The black windows are not accurate to the show, but it doesnt bother me. The spin base could use some rubber stoppers to keep it from sliding on a smooth surface when the Tardis is spun. On the other hand, how many times has the Tardis been 34;out-of-control34; on the show? So I actually like the spin base a lot, and I often spin my Tardis when I walk past it on my desk. Historically, there were three versions of the Spin and Fly Tardis released by Underground Toys. For informational purposes: 1) Original release: Box has round 34;bubbles34; describing the Tardis features and yellow strip at the top and bottom of the box that went all the way around the box. Black windows. Dark blue exterior. 11th Doctor's (blue-ish) interior. Font of the 34;Police Box34; stickers around the top of the Tardis is 34;smushed34;. 2) Ver.2 release: Box has hexagonal polygons describing features, and no yellow strips around the box. Black windows. More saturated blue than original exterior, but still appears dark. 11th Doctor's interior. Font smushed. 3) Ver.3 release: Hex features, no yellow strips. White windows. Lighter blue exterior. 12th Doctor's (orange-red) interior. Font more accurately reflects the Tardis on the show. -All three versions have the same sound effects, as far as I know. This Tardis is ver.2 of the series. Overall, I think the Spin and Fly Tardis was meant to be a desk ornamentation, at home or work. It doesnt take up too much space, and it is really fun to spin with the base attached. Dr. Who purists might have issues with it, but I love my little blue box, and often day dream of taking timey-whimey adventures to distant planets when I spin it. I highly recommend this Tardis to anyone looking for an inexpensive Tardis.
Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]