Playmobil continues to prove that when a company goes the extra mile, a toy line targeted at kids can be coveted by grown-up collectors too.
Its Ghostbusters line knocked it out of the park, and after releasing a delightful recreation of a time-travelling DeLorean last year, Playmobil is expanding its Back to the Future collection with new sets that finally deliver some fan-favourite accessories. The two new sets will officially launch on May 7, but Gizmodo got an exclusive early hands-on look with all the new toys, vehicles, and accessories. Having managed to tear ourselves away from recreating Marty’s time-travelling adventures, we’ve snapped a few photos of what’s all-new.
The pricier of Playmobil’s two new Back to the Future sets is the $US50 ($65) “Marty’s Pick Up Truck” which, as the name implies, features a fun recreation of the 1985 Toyota SR5 pickup that Marty McFly would eventually call his own after altering his parents’ timeline in the original film. It’s hard to imagine anyone choosing it over the DeLorean time machine given the choice, but that shiny black pickup truck would have been a great consolation prize and remains one of the coolest vehicles of ‘80s cinema.
Playmobil’s version takes some generous liberties; it’s technically not a Toyota truck anymore, and it lacks the sleek contours of the pickup appearing in the movie. If the Playmobil BttF DeLorean was a perfect recreation of Doc Brown’s invention, this pick-up truck is more of a loosely inspired homage to Marty’s dream ride. (It actually looks like it’s the same vehicle from this Playmobil Adventure Pickup Truck set.) But the new set does include three figures from the altered future at the end of the original movie: a vestless version of Marty McFly, as well as the first Playmobil versions of Jennifer Parker and Biff Tannen, who comes with a spray bottle and rag.
The more appealing of the two sets for collectors, and the cheaper one at $US35 ($45), is the new Back to the Future Part II “Hoverboard Chase,” which recreates the film’s big opening action sequence as Marty McFly is introduced to the wonders and perils of the 21st century in 2015. Unlike the other sets — which feature larger vehicles, figures, and accessories — this is more of a playset, including a recreation of the pond outside the courthouse in downtown Hill Valley where Marty learns that hoverboards don’t work on water. The set includes a bunch of accessories like signage promoting Goldie Wilson’s hover conversions and Jaws 19, a police officer on a futuristic motorcycle, a copy of Grays Sports Almanac, and three 2015-era figures: Marty McFly, Griff Tannen, and Doc Emmett Brown wearing a futuristic yellow trench coat. Which, rather neatly can be swapped for a shorter version so he can fit inside the DeLorean itself.
The set also brings us our first Playmobil hoverboards, including the neon pink, definitely-not-Mattel-branded board that Marty rides, and Griff’s Pit Bull which, thanks to its power, has no problem gliding across water. (It’s unknown if H2O will actually be the Achilles heel of hover vehicles, as 2015 didn’t actually deliver what we were promised.) They don’t really hover, of course, but they’re both very detailed recreations and might be the second-best reason to grab this set.
The best reason, however, to grab the new Hoverboard Chase set is because it includes a Mr. Fusion upgrade for the original Playmobil DeLorean, replacing the time machine’s plutonium chamber and lightning rod connector. I’m still not entirely sure why these optional accessories weren’t included with the DeLorean itself — which already featured the 2015 Goldie Wilson hover conversion that Doc had done in the movie. Sure, it’s better late than never, but it’s also unfortunate that collectors wanting their DeLoreans to be screen accurate might have to cough up another $US35 ($45) — even if that includes hoverboards.
Playmobil’s new Back to the Future sets will release this week, on May 7. Stay tuned for local news on Australian pricing and availability.