Finally! This has been a long time coming, but it's finally here, and it's everything I hoped for! This is a very simple kit, a bit over a dozen parts, but it is very well done. The parts fit well, and for the slap together modeler, they fit very tightly without cement-almost like a snap kit. All the parts that are supposed to be clear are superb, even the rarely seen lights on the bottom from where the anti-gravity legs come. The neck even rotates, but does not flex. All clear parts are molded in the correct green, and the eye is actually 2 clear parts-an inner lens in red, and the domed outer lens in clear, making it look very realistic. This kit can also be fully illuminated without too much trouble-I used clear LEDs for all the green parts and a 3mm red led for the eye. I modified the stand to provide battery power to the model using a 1/4 headphone jack in the model and matching plug on the stand. It makes for a sturdy stand that the model can be rotated on, as well as supplying the power. I don't recommend getting the plated version-plating usually looks too shiny and fake on a model, and you can't fill and sand seams. Tamiya flat copper paint over a black (To block stray light) primer coat makes it look positively beautiful.

I'm a huge WotW fan and always thought the Martian War Machine was one of the best sci-fi designs to come out of 1950s sci-fi. There have been other kit versions of this craft in the past, but none really captured the shape and menace of the film version... until now. If you are a diehard WotW fan, this kit is for you. If you are a general model-building enthusiast but not necessarily keen on this specific source material, you might find this kit too simplistic. Personally, I just slathered metallic copper paint on the hull of my kit, then glued the whole thing together. The entire assembly took about an hour, even allowing for the paint to dry. One more thing... this may sound lame, but while I admire this kit, my favorite part to paint was the display base. I really went to town painting North America, the Atlantic Ocean, clouds, the Arctic... the works. Great fun.

This is an excellent replica of the menacing war machine featured in the 1953 film, War of the Worlds. With a little patience and know-how, the kit can be effectively lit through the transparent parts. Although a bit more difficult, a flashing red LED will fit in the cobra head heat ray. Terrific model when completed.