A Diamond Select Release! Usually a welcome sight in systems across the Milky Way, the starship Enterprise isn't always commanded by the good guys... Featuring a design based on the fan-favorite "Mirror, Mirror" episode of the original Star Trek television series, this sixteen-inch starship sports a new look as the Mirror Universe's I.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701! Each ship includes light and sound effects plus a removable display stand.

The "Mirror Mirror" episode is one of my favorites and I was so pleased to be able to find a model of the ISS Enterprise. It's an excellent model of the ship, even down to the nacelles not glowing like the USS's do. I'm pleased to have it in my ship collection.

This toy was made specifically for collectors, so my review will reflect that.
This project is pretty fragile and will probably break under continued, rough, or heavy play, but again, for display on a shelf or in a collection, where it's not likely to see heavy action, it should hold up pretty well.

Overall this product is ok. It'll make a nice addition to any Star Trek fan's existing collection, but there are some quality issues that prevent me from giving it a better rating.

UNADVERTISED STUFF - The model's primary paint job is not the bright white displayed in the Amazon.com photograph, but a gunmetal gray. I actually liked this and found it to be a welcome surprise when I got the package. I feel the color gives the "evil" enterprise a very militarized and almost sinister look. The portions of the model that light up are all in the saucer section. The top and bottom of the bridge and the red and green running lights on the top of the ship (covered by phaser array paint on this model) all light up. Surprisingly, the red and green lights shine just fine through the gray paint.

JUST AS AN FYI - I read in a review of another Diamond Select Enterprise that they had trouble getting the 5 second light-up feature to work. The ship comes in "Try Me" mode, as many toys do, and will repeat only a single phrase if you don't turn it off. You have to unscrew the display stand at the bottom to access the batteries and change this function. There should be a little switch with three options... "Try Me"; "Off"; and "Play." Set it to "Play". Then you can hear all the SFX, or hold down the button for 5 seconds to get the lights to stay on for an extended period. It takes 3 AAA's.

GOOD STUFF - There is a great deal of detail on this model and it has a creative paint scheme. Overall, the ship looks almost exactly like the Enterprise with a mirror paint job. The dimensions are accurate, and the light and sound function is fun and displays quotes from "Mirror Mirror", along with generic Enterprise sounds.

DISAPPOINTING STUFF - The paint job is a little rushed. From a distance, the ship looks fine, but if you examine it closely, you can see where some of the details are smudged, where some paint was glopped a little, and where the colors are slightly off. This might bother some of the more meticulous collectors. In addition, there are some issues I have with the sculpt. Namely, it looks worn in places. On the bottom where the display stand goes, there is a fair level of wear where you put your finger in to pry it out. In addition, the deflector was slightly bent, and on very close inspection, some of the pieces don't fit together perfectly. Also, there are some very ugly screw hole plugs on the side of the ship that ruin the aesthetics a bit.

PERSONAL ISSUE - The metal screw on the display stand to access the batteries was worn on my model... to the point where I almost couldn't get it off. This was very irritating, and my rating reflects my irritation. Luckily I was able to get it off, and replace it with the screw from the alternate (non-display) battery cover. This really irked me, as it was a NEW product and it was already worn, almost to the point where I couldn't open it. Most other Diamond Select models I've gotten haven't had this issue out of the box, but I mention it here because it annoyed me.

OVERALL - It's a cool addition to a collection, but there are some sculpt and paint issues where you can tell the model was rushed in production. That plus the worn battery screw make me give this toy a 3/5. It's ok. Not amazing, not horrible, just ok.