In the original Star Wars: A New Hope, at the time of the filming, there were almost no characters in the film that were not played by humans in costumes. Even in the most alien-centric scene at Mos Eisley SpacePort, it was easy to see that all of the inhabitants were people in various degrees of makeup and prosthetics. This is because it was really the only option available. Later of course, there were creatures added in via computer graphics to complete scenes Lucas had not been able to previously.|attachment.php?attachmentid=11&cid=18|100|57| |on_nl2br|0|0|0
|11|Every fan of the series has wanted one thing besides seeing more of Leia in her slave bikini or Jar Jar hung from the rafters and that is to wield a real life light saber. In this quest, people have tried to use various items as pseudo sabers including things like fluorescent overhead bulbs which are quite dangerous if they break and are not recommended. And of course there have been plenty of toy versions like those sold in the stores and at carnivals that have the plastic that lights up and extends out when you swing it. Those might be durable enough for battle, but they look really hokey.
But alas, a true light saber for the collector and fan is available. Master Replicas, who originally created them and Hasbro, who has picked up on them, are the closest sabers you can get to the ones in the film. Each has been designed to match its owners as closely as possible. Models include the light sabers of Luke Skywalker (in both A New Hope and in Return of Jedi), Mace Windu, Obi-Wan, and Darth Vader. For those that like the double edge variety, there are also Darth Maul and Asajj Ventress models. And even younglings can get in on the act with a smaller version based on Yoda’s light saber. And while they took every effort to replicate the film props, there are slight differences due to the requirement of a battery compartment and electronics in the hilt.
The blades themselves do not actually compact. Their polycarbonate construction gives them a semi clear plastic look in the light. Where these really shine is the series of bright LED lights inside the tube that give the blade the illusion of glowing and powering up and down (which it does by rapid succession of the igniting the LEDs in rapid succession from hilt to tip or vice versa).
Adding to the realism are sound effects recorded strictly for these items. These sounds are exactly how you would think they would be and are great reproductions of the familiar buzzing and clashing that we’ve come to love in the movies. Motion sensors in the hilt tell the electronics what sounds to make, giving the light sabers quite a bit of realism.
There is something to keep in mind though when deciding to use one of these to challenge your friend to a duel. They are made to be collectibles, not toys and so while they may be durable enough for light hits for show, they aren’t made to really go at it. The blades can break. Newer versions do allow for the replacement, but be warned that the blade itself goes for a good portion of the entire price.
These unique items go for around $100 or more depending on the model. They can be found at retail outlets like Target and online at Amazon. If you know a Star Wars fan, these really do make great gifts.
