EMvTW 144: Gomtuu

NOTE:  You can click on most pictures to get a larger view of them.

A new month is upon us and even though the U.S. Post Office re-routed my package to me by way of old fashioned Pony Express, AND completely damaged one of the model's boxes, I now have two, surprisingly undamaged, models to review.

Just in time for the U.S. celebration of Easter Weekend, we get to look at the egg shaped starship called Gomtuu.  We are introduced to this starship in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode called "Tin Man".

This is an interesting first for Eaglemoss as they tackle a "living" ship in their standard line of models.


Per Memory Alpha and Beta, "Gomtuu was an intelligent lifeform that lived in space for several millenia up through the 24th century. It survived a near-extinction of its race and may have been the last of its kind. It seemed to have been "born" far from Federation space, possibly in another galaxy. Upon its discovery by the United Federation of Planets and the Romulan Star Empire, it was dubbed "Tin Man" and the "Star Creature", respectively."

If you would like to read more official stuff on this type of ship, feel free to check out the following links:

Gomtuu Information: Memory Alpha LINK and Memory Beta LINK

First, let us take a look at my standard views of the model...

 

 

 

 

I normally don't talk about the stands for the models as my review is supposed to by about the model itself.  This stand is different from others in that the model just sort of rests on it.

 

Honestly, there is nothing wrong with the stand.  It seems to be a stable enough stand to keep the model in place.  It was just different and I felt obligated to point it out.

One would think that this model would be tough to sort out which end is up, but thanks to the magazine's pictures, and Eaglemoss' attention to details, it appears that we can figure it out.  Simply look at the front (cone end) of the ship.

The top of the ship has what looks like a view port line going across it, while the bottom has two blocks on either side of it.

 

Top                                                   Bottom

The Eaglemoss model is very lightweight.  I had seen on several FaceBook group posts that the only metal in the model is a small weight that was glued inside the two plastic halves.  That is not really what "die cast" models are supposed to be made of.

The sculpt and mold work are very detailed.  The all plastic body affords for some very crisp and clear detailing.

The paint work is nice, but doesn't really wow me.  The model sports a slight weathering effect which does convey the ancient nature of the ship.  The glowing seams have all been painted yellow and do a somewhat decent job of following along the molded details.  The paint work is not perfect though, and in some cases does not line up between the upper and lower halves of the model.

I think the most noticeable issues with the model are in regards to the seams and joins.  The point where the upper half and lower half joins together is very noticeable.

And for some reason, a mold line shows up very clearly along the top of my model.  This is produced when the plastic molds do not fit securely together during the molding process.

And that is all the pictures and comparisons I have to share on this ship at this time.  The model is still fairly new to the U.S. and it looks like I can find it on eBay for around $25 to $30 (shipping included).  Luckily, this model is still available on the U.S. Eaglemoss WebStore for around $23 (shipping unknown).  Even at that price though, I am having a hard time justifying this one.

Given the all plastic nature of the model, the noticeable joins and seams, and the underwhelming paint job, I don't feel comfortable recommending the model for that price tags that I am finding online.  If I wasn't collecting these standard Line of models for reviews, I would almost dare say that I would skip this one.

As always, I hope you found this article useful and informative.  If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to comment below.

So for now, "Live long and prosper!!!"



Additional Links To Photos Of My Collection:

Eaglemoss   

Other Reviewers Take On The Eaglemoss Model:
Some Kind Of Star Trek
Star Trek Starship Collection [NO REVIEW YET]

NOTE: Whoever was running the Star Trek Starship Collection Review blog at THIS LINK, seams to have dropped off the grid after their review of Warship Voyager.  While commenter's have asked the writer if he/she was OK, there has been no reply.