It's no secret Back to the Future is one of our favorite movie series. You've read Tate Blackmore's BTTF Compendium, and you've seen my coverage of the imported BTTF Kubricks. Then we received the three die castBTTF DeLoreans by Welly and we knew we were in for some serious shit. Our friends at BTTF.com had a lot to do with the proposed designs of these cars, and we're especially excited to give you the rundown.
There is something majestic about seeing a DeLorean... I wasn't old enough in the 80's to have any other association beyond that of time-machine. Each window box displays the DeLorean inside with both a side and top view. Welly wants you to see the beauty here. And bask in it. Now I know in a perfect world, you'd purchase all three. Each one is slightly different, and if it's there, why wouldn't you get it? It seems cruel to separate them. I'll give you the specs on each one so that if you have to choose, you can wisely choose which one. Which one?!!! THIS ONE STUPID! [Ed note: Sorry, wrong Robert Zemeckis movie]
Back to the Future
I must pace myself if I'm going to injest it all... I rip open the first BTTF DeLorean. 1:24 Scale. Die-cast metal. The box promises a lot. The window is nice, there is a diorama of the Twin/Lone Pines Mall parking lot printed on the back behind the vehicle. The box is purple and features a lightening motif, and there are scenes from the movie on the back. So what does a die-cast BTTF DeLorean feel like in your hands? Well I had thought I'd never see, much less touch, much less own a die-cast metal DeLorean, so there was this gigantic rush of euphoria. I can only liken it to a blind man finally seeing, of a bird first learning to fly, or the first time you reached second base.
So extreme emotions aside, let's look at the detail. I spent hours going over the nooks and crannies, the detail in the back section, on the hubcaps, even on the widdle bitty Flux capacitor in the rear of the cabin is in place. Everything is securely attached too. I'm not recommending you roll it down some stairs or anything, but you could get on your knees and vroooom it around the room a bit without it falling to pieces. Great solid construction here. Between the attention to detail and firm construction, I love the fact I pulled it out of the box and it was ready to go. I love the detail and intricacies of model kits, but I don't want to spend a long time gluing things together. (Stikfas and playmobil are the only things I like to assemble) The car is screwed into the box, like the Simpsons playsets, but after undoing those, you're ready to roll.
I like the effort that was put into pulling this off. The wheels are rubber, the tail lights are colored plastic, there's a little sticker of the 1985 license plate, they painted the interior pretty well for the size, the gull doors open right up, the driver and passenger side mirrors are really mirrors, and there's a lightening rod. The best part about this particular set is the lightening rod you can lead straight into the flux capacitor, er, plug into the back of the car. It's complete from the hook at the end to the little wires running all the way down it's shaft. It's the perfect accessory to round off this package. Another sweet aspect of these cars is that they are kinda in scale to the BTTF Kubricks. Unfortunately, neither Doc nor Marty can sit inside the DeLorean very well, but standing next to them, it looks pretty sweet. If you pop off an arm and the legs, you can get some good photos. To me, there's not a single thing I would change. This is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, and it lived up to all my hopes and dreams, even surpassing it a bit. Much like the first time I reached second base.
Back to the Future II
I finally put down the first DeLorean and fumbled to open the second one. This one has a blue colored box, with scenes of the future acting as a diorama behind the car. The Flying DeLorean is my favorite fictional vehicle of all time. I would take a "real-life" flying DeLorean over a TIE Fighter, The General Lee, KITT, Airwolf, and the A-TEAM van all rolled into one. [Ed note: I dunno... Airwolf is pretty sweet.] This DeLorean had bigger expectations to live up to, and thus, falls a little short. Ironically, like the films these cars are based on, the first one is a timeless gem, the second one is not as much of what I was hungry for, and the third one restores all faith in the line and leaves a pleasant taste in my mouth. [Ed note: Die-cast DeLoreans are not appropriate for babies who put things in their mouth]. Ok, so the wheels do not fold down. Yes, its a bit disappointing, and a little confusing. How much would it cost the collector to get one with folding wheels? $5 more? I'll pay it. C'mon.... con exclusive anyone? Don't forget to drink your Ovaltine sums it up.
So anyway, let's not let that aspect get in the way of the fact that this is a great toy. The plutonium chamber has been replaced with a great little Mr. Fusion. Look at how incredible this is, first off, the brown sections are clear, and the words and logo are so small, they baffle my previous conceptions of what's possible in the world of tiny print on little pieces of plastic. I was worried my camera wouldn't pick this up, that's how tiny it is. Anyway, there is still a great attention to detail, and this is a high quality toy. But, I wouldn't be running this web site if I didn't have a nit-picky observation to share. The license plate is still the Outta Time tag... at the end of the first movie, they already had the reflective bar code tag, so this is just a mistake. Not a cost thing at all. But really, this is a good toy, and worth checking out.
Back to the Future III
So we've had a bumpy ride, but this landing is sweeter than Yoo-Hoo. [Ed note: All future dairy-type-drink references have been removed] We start off the beautifully crafted, super-detailed DeLorean from the first film. Then we add in the Mr. Fusion piece from the second film. Now, for the third, they add the hood box of 1950's technology, and the 1950's tires and hubcaps. These hub cabs are bright and shiny, and the white walls with red trim look fantastic (I don't know how to talk about tires and rims, much less tires and rims from the 50's). The hood array is masterfully put together. The vacuum tubes are a clear plastic, the little gears and hoses all feature little ridges and details. Did I mention before the little bolts on the boxes near the hood? This thing is loaded with detail, and it looks just great. At one point interchangeable tires (train wheels of course) were recommended, and that would be cool, however if something else was added, I really wanted the little extra temperature gauge (that showed when the different colored logs would catch). That and a little plastic (doesn't have to be removable) pink Hoverboard behind the driver's seat. Though these are lacking, you hardly notice. This a thing of beauty... ok, ok, while we're on the subject of adding little tiny things, I'd have an arrow coming out of the side, because I think that would look funny. Anyway, this thing is so easy on the eyes, it's delicious. And there is the bar code license plate!
Even the non-toy-collecting, non-sci-fi-fans in my office wanted to pick up and check out these DeLoreans. One was a bit cautious picking it up, because he knew that models like this in the past were very fragile. I re-assured him, this is die cast metal. Welcome to the land of milk and honey. [Ed note: knock it off]
Aside from the lack of folding wheels on number 2, I think these cars are works of art. They possess a great balance of detail and quality construction. They look really sharp on my desk, and I don't have to worry about them disintegrating when I touch them. I didn't disintergate anything. The molecular structure of both Einstien and the car are completely intact.
These cars are made by Welly and are available from BTTF.com's new store. You can go there and order one with confidence. Lou, gimme a milk... chocolate. [Ed note: haha, very clever... you're done.]
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