Fifth Element Blaster Comparison HC, Foam And Original

[dexter1138]

Thanks guys and Matt I appreciate your input, after seeing your site you definitely know your stuff.

For the record I did speak with the guy selling the foam stunt and he had nothing but good things to say about you and HC. I apologize if it seemed like I was trying to push that auction, I just used the pictures and some info for reference.

Like you said though it is nice to own a casting of one of the hero guns used in the film.

Jon,

Now don't take this the wrong way, what a beauty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I only noticed a few minor things, knurling on the spheres, there is a silver stripe on the trigger guard near the bottom on the front, no green acrylic rod coming out of the cap screw in the sides (also there is knurling on that cap screw as well) and no Vector insignia detail, but hot damn what a crisp replica!!!!!!!!! Your front light is also much closer to the PIH gun.

Crisp, Crisp, Crisp! Looks like machined parts galore, I would have paid twice as much for a replica as sweet as that!

I also like the guns without the metal square on the front, I think it breaks the gun up and makes the barrel more pronounced. Anyway since Leeloo uses this version, I guess it's growing on me the most.

Very nice (best Will Ferrell impersonation)! :love

Dex

 

[b26354]

I only noticed a few minor things, knurling on the spheres, there is a silver stripe on the trigger guard near the bottom on the front, no green acrylic rod coming out of the cap screw in the sides (also there is knurling on that cap screw as well) and no Vector insignia detail, but hot damn what a crisp replica!!!!!!!!! Your front light is also much closer to the PIH gun.
Dex

The black socket cap screws holding the spheres in are knurled and the side stainless ones aren't on mine - I'm pretty sure thats the same on the PIH guns. The only reason I haven't put the acrylic rods in is - I can't find 4mm dia rod "off the shelf" down here and I keep forgetting to buy an offcut of 6mm when I stock up on acrylic sheet

 

[PHArchivist]

I think there's some weight to be put on the fact that most members of the forum who have posted in this thread seem to beleive what I'm telling them, without photos to back it up.

Matt I don't believe a damn word you're saying! But what do know - I ain't been around here too long at all...

Unless you tell be you're now doing voice overs for Jet Blue ads... But that's a different story!

 

[Aegis159]

awww c'mon I just made some popcorn.......

Although I'm not familiar with the auction piece that you guys are refering to, I do have quite a few pics of the pistol as well as a stunt version of the weapon... and other than the metal bar at the bottom (which is explained in several places in reference material) the HCG version matches my stunt version.
Hehe I still get upset thinking about missing out on the hero blster.... :cry

 

[Reaper57]

old ken said
"This is a community and one that MM is respected in,"

SINCE WHEN. :rolleyes

lol:lol

john :cool

 

[dexter1138]

The bar on the bottom of the receiver is absent in several shots of Ruby and Leeloo holding the hero that the stunt was cast.

The real stunt looks as if it may have had the rod at one point, there are small dark colored spots on the piece. Possibly it was torn off during filming, there are so many changes between the two guns.

I think the best thing to say it's all on the eye of the beholder when it comes to the Dallas Pistol.

Thanks,

Dex

 

[Aegis159]

When I say "I'm not familiar with the auction piece you're referring to" I'm talking about this new auction that you had supposedly linked to, not the PIH ones. I'm VERY familiar with the PIH ones.

 

[tommin]

Simon Atherton is shown as the Armourer on IMDB, doesn't mean he had anything to do with making the prop guns though.

Just looking at the 'stylistic' qualities of this weapon leads me to believe he did. Of course, I'm a big fan.

...and Jon, that's an absolute thing of beauty.

 

[dexter1138]

I found another replica on the web that stated it was built by Dean Dymerski. Does anyone have any info on that piece?

Dex

 

[Blad]

Dean built his replica based on screen-shots, it's not very accurate compared to later versions which had the enormous benefit of DVD's, 'making of' books and detailed auction pix, but it was a bloody good try and it's currently being recast without permission by notable reprobates such as Coolmodels(RCRobert).


Dean is a member here.

 

[kimncris]

this is Dean's sculpt I believe.

http://www.kimncris.com/props/korbendallas.php

ck

 

[dexter1138]

WOW!

That's a pretty cool version of the blaster and I would like to get one for my collection.

I bought one thing from Cool models and never again, it looked as if the piece were carved from soap and had about ten million air bubbles in the piece. I couldn't even get a refund, so be careful with that guy.

I didn't see the Corbin blaster on his list, but who knows.

I'll keep an eye on ebay if one pops up. Hopefully Dean would like to one day let us know what went into making the piece and what reference he used.

Thanks guys,

Dex

 

[PHArchivist]

Personally, I know of only one fan-made Dallas blaster that enters the 95%-ish accuracy range (considering the DD version is in the 75%-90% range; outstanding for when it was made).

As such, one might specualate as to teh source of the Cool Models offering.

I do have a Dymerski version I'd be willing to let go. However, its been cut into component pieces. I can offer pics.

 

[Blad]

Judgedredd made a Korbin Dallas blaster with removable side panel for electronics etc. very good, extensively researched and based on the springer airsoft Vector. Not sure if he made many, or if he still has the moulds.

Clearly with the new licensed version coming soon fan-made versions would be a bit of a slap in the face to the licensee.

 

[dexter1138]

Blad,

I was just pointing out an older replica that was readily available a few years back and I would like to get one for my collection.

I wouldn't advocate anyone stepping on HC's toes, but if they are in private hands and someone wants to sell me one, it's already out there.

PH, please pm me photos, I may want to pick up your casting if it's not to far gone.

I'd like to see all the versions made and the source, I'm sure that the stunt castings that were sold a while back were used as reference for some of these models, they are just too perfect.

Dex

 

[Blad]

I missed the 'new' out of my sentence - meant to say 'new fan made versions'.

Your opinion on Coolmodels is spot on Dex, not only are the castings ****e, but virtually everything in his vast portfolio has been badly recast from other people's work.

 

[MattMunson]

WOW!

That's a pretty cool version of the blaster and I would like to get one for my collection.

I'm so confoozed. You're barely interested in the HCG piece which is cast straight off the firing hero because you're convinced is not as good as the stunt casting you have, yet you're interested in having a fan sculpted inaccurate piece in your collection????

I hang my head in utter confusion.

Oh, and for reference, those rubber stunts that were used to generate that resin piece you got on ebay? Those were cast from the firing hero. So the HCG piece is one generation out, whereas your resin piece is at least 2. Granted, the ebay casting didn't use the "Chinese casting method" that you've convinced us is sub standard, but instead used the "PF Casting method"!!! :lol

Judge Dredds sculpt was decent. Far more accurate than the dymersky piece, though I still cite deans work as fantastic. IIRC, the ONLY reference Dean had for that entire piece was the scan from the jacket artwork on the Fifth Element PC game. It was a tiny thumbnail of the gun, showing only the side with the LED counter. From that tiny picture, he produced a full 3d rendering of it. Amazing, truly amazing. And it's a beautiful piece. Inaccurate and oversized, but beautiful. I believe he made it before it was recognized that a Vektor was the base. At that time, it was "known" that it was built on top of an R/C remove :lol

JD's sculpt built on the Vektor discovery, so he was able to use the size to make it more accurate in that department. My PERSONAL opinion is that he did not have a stunt casting available. I think he made his BEFORE those got into circulation, which was really only about a year ago. I know, because I searched HIGH AND LOW for a casting of Pauls piece. He didn't start letting them out until fairly recently. There's also many differences between JDs gun and the stunt casting. Differences that would not have been introduced had he the stunt casting available. Even moreso, HAD the stunt casting been available, I don't think JD would have bothered with his sculpt. All my conjecture, based on time table and what I know about the piece. It's still a great piece though. I owned a kit for a while, but let it go when the stunt castings became available.

 

[Blad]

JD's sculpt built on the Vektor discovery, so he was able to use the size to make it more accurate in that department. My PERSONAL opinion is that he did not have a stunt casting available. I think he made his BEFORE those got into circulation, which was really only about a year ago. I know, because I searched HIGH AND LOW for a casting of Pauls piece. He didn't start letting them out until fairly recently. There's also many differences between JDs gun and the stunt casting. Differences that would not have been introduced had he the stunt casting available. Even moreso, HAD the stunt casting been available, I don't think JD would have bothered with his sculpt. All my conjecture, based on time table and what I know about the piece. It's still a great piece though. I owned a kit for a while, but let it go when the stunt castings became available.

That's absolutely right - in fact JD was really keen to see my stunt casting to compare his sculpt to the 'real' thing.

 

[MattMunson]

Just wanted to add that I find it STRIKING that Dex has SO much knowledge about the history of this piece and the people who have been selling them on ebay and the RPF, yet he's only been a member for a couple of weeks. I would have expected someone with such a fiery passion for Fifth Element stuff to have been a member here long ago. Strange that he shows up so close to the release of the HCG piece, with the primary and obvious agenda of detracting from it.

Or is it just me???

 

[dexter1138]

Matt,

I am a huge fan of Fifth Element, that's all. Why can't we have a Fifth Element Blaster discussion?

I'm not pointing out other works to detract from HC, but to see what's out there. The DD blaster is far from accurate so I doubt it would detract from HC’s blaster. I may have only recently joined, but I've been collecting since around 2004. This site is full of great reference and a simple search on Fifth Element reveals a lot of useful information.

If it were all in one thread you wouldn't need to go searching around.

I bought my stunt blaster on ebay in about January of 2006 and I know I had seen them on ebay previous to that. It was one of the first resin casting that I acquired. As you've stated it's cast from a hero and I'm darn happy about that.

I'd love to see a thread where all of the guns could be documented and archived. Not to point out the flaws that each gun may have, but to document the hard work that went into each piece.

I've seen from this thread alone that pointing out the flaws in a piece that claims to be molded from a screen used original, but doesn't have the characteristics of that screen used original are a no-no.

I’ll do you one better, a member can ask for a thread to be removed, so if the mods feel this thread is an attack on a licensee another member, please remove the thread and let’s move on. Maybe another thread could be started documenting the 5E blasters that have been made along with a review.


Dex