Playmobil Back to the Future (Toy) Review

Gotta get back in time. Playmobil goes back to the year 1985 for a pair of new sets that celebrate the classic original Back to the Future film.

Heavy

Does anyone not like the original Back to the Future? If there are such people, I have yet to meet one. The first movie in what would be a trilogy from director Robert Zemeckis, Back to the Future was an instant classic that more than stands the test of time even today.

It’s also a movie that’s making a big time comeback in the world of pop culture. That’s a comeback that includes Playmobil’s newest licensed line which includes two sets right from the film.

The first is the Delorean itself, and man what a set it is. The Delorean comes complete with Marty and Doc, as well as Einstein. It honestly doesn’t even look like a Playmobil toy. It could easily be just an awesome-looking model of the car. It even lights up!

As for the second set, that’s a lot smaller, but just as cool. A two-pack of figures, the second offering is Doc and Marty in their 1955 attire. It actually plays right in to the main set too, but more on that later.

Let’s dig in.

Build Quality

If you’re familiar with Playmobil in general, then you should know what to expect here. The company’s ‘building sets’ are more along the lines of old school toys than something like LEGO.

You know the ones; where you had to snap together a few pieces out of the box, but the toy was otherwise complete? Well, that and the labels. Can’t forget those.

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Both the car and the figures are fantastically sturdy. They could likely take quite a licking and keep on ticking. Mostly. There are a few parts on the Delorean itself that seem to enjoy falling off more than they should. These are mainly the hoses. That’s something that would definitely become a challenge for a child during play. Though keep in mind that these are really meant to be collector toys. As that, they shine.

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I would recommend though, if you’re thinking of getting these for a youngster, that you remove the smaller pieces from the sets. Actually, maybe the battery compartment from the DeLorean too, depending.

Otherwise you should be just fine.

Aesthetic

Have you seen the film? This is the car from that film, with a few ‘Playmobil’ exceptions. It’s seriously a fantastic interpretation of the movie’s Delorean, right down to the Flux Capacitor, which actually lights up.

One of the coolest parts of the main set is that there are light-up features. Pressing the button on the battery-box underneath the car sets its lights pulsing for a short time. Pressing it twice results in a ‘stay-on’ light-up effect, and a third press turns everything off.

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As you can (hopefully) see in the pics, the actual lighting is excellent. It courses up through the car, taking advantage of translucent parts, and the Flux Capacitor looks phenomenal as well. I will add here that I really would have loved to have seen some sound effects to accompany the lighting. That’s a little bit of a drag that we didn’t get that included as well.

Getting back to what we do get, the Delorean also fits two figures comfortably, so you can have plenty of simulated time-traveling adventures on your shelf. It’s excellently detailed too. I was actually surprised by how well-detailed this thing is.

While I don’t exactly have the movie car memorized, this looks really close, and even has a removable plutonium canister, and the hot from the end of the movie too. That’s a little detail that works well with the optional figure pack, with the 50s versions of Marty and the Doc.

Speaking of the figures, they’re all great. While they all have the typical Playmobil faces, the rest of the deco is spot on, across the board.

Extras

Packed. Both sets have a lot of neat little details that are included in the form of accessories. That even includes an extra figure in the form of Einstein, Doc’s dog. And yes, he’s even articulated.

Aside from Einie though, the figures all include some kind of accessories. 85 Marty and Doc come complete with a skateboard, watches, and assorted gear. On the flip side, 55 Marty and Doc come with a newspaper, gloves, a and a guitar from the famous school dance scene.

The Delorean set itself is also loaded up with a whole bunch of cool stuff. Chiefly among that is the camcorder, and the security case with extra plutonium. All of it looks cool, and the camcorder in particular has some nicely sculpted detailing on it. No stickers!

Overall

Playmobil is absolutely spoiling fans with these licensed sets. Their Ghostbusters collection set a pretty high bar, but the Back to the Future selection that we’ve seen so far easily meets it.

Great figures, a fantastic vehicle, and the light-up features make this a set that fans will definitely want to check out.

Playmobil Back to the Future
Release date: Available now
Manufacturer: Playmobil
MSRP: $49.99 (Delorean set), $15.99 (Figure Set)