Review of Back to the Future Accessories Set

Introduction

NECA has found success producing several action figure accessory sets as part of various licenses. Under the Universal Monsters theme, they've produced sets for Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Mummy, with an Invisible Man set hitting soon. In the Gremlins series, they did a terrific set I added to the collection awhile ago.

Just shipping is the latest accessory set, this time for the Back to the Future license. Unlike the previous sets, that were available at retail, this one was only sold through the NECA online store.It originally cost $35, but you're only real option now is the secondary market.

Packaging - ***1/2
The box is the usual sturdy cardboard, with the fifth panel that opens up to reveal the contents. It's all collector friendly of course, with very little damage necessary - a cut piece of tape, a snipped tie - to remove the accessories themselves.

They also went with a rather nifty design - the flux capacitor. It's iconic, but not something they've used with the boxes before.

Sculpting - ***1/2
There's a nice variety of items in this set, and the sculpting is excellent across the board. Everything is in scale, and the designs are screen accurate.

There's even one head sculpt included, making this category even more appropriate. They've added in the head of Doc Brown, wearing the brainwave scanner. While the likeness is quite good, it's also quite cartoony, almost Tooney Terrors level. Doc Brown definitely had some extreme facial expressions, but this one is just a smidge over board. Still, I'm only docking them slightly, and I'm going to swap this head onto the Doc Brown in my collection going forward.

Another stand out for this category is Einstein, who actually looks just like Einstein. You'd think that wouldn't be a big deal, but Hot Toys didn't get the sculpt right in a much larger scale.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint work is super clean across the board. Of course, this is most important on the additional head, but it's also critical on big items like Einstein. His fur is shaded with a subtle hand, something Hot Toys couldn't manage with their Einstein release.

The work on the plutonium case is also great, and extremely realistic. They also added in several printed pieces of paper, and the work here is accurate and sharp. For example, the 'you're fired' fax has a dot-matrix print appearance.

Articulation - **
Any score here is actually a plus overall, because there's no real expectation of any articulation with a bunch of accessories.

One item that counts here is the plutonium case. Not only is the lid hinged, there's one rod and canister that are removable from the case.

The other case - for the shoes - also opens and closes. It doesn't work quite as well as the plutonium case, but it does allow you to fit the shoes inside.

Accessories - ****
This is a set of accessories, so they better do well in this category.

I mentioned the extra head, and it's really the number one reason I bought this set. It gives the shelf a completely new look that really stands out. The head swaps easily.

There's two hands you can swap in as well. One is the vulcan hand sign, perfect for the spaceman Marty, or a tight gripping hand, designed to hold the license plates or the thin paper products. While I won't be using either, your mileage may vary.

I will definitely include the plutonium case on my shelf, with the extra canister and rod inside. It looks great, and the scale is spot on. There's also a walkie-talkie, as well as two versions of the OUTATIME license plate, one clean and one damaged.

Another extra to go with the radiation suit Doc is the helmet for the outfit. It fits easily over the head, and is another piece I'm going to include in my display.

There are three printed paper extras as well - the 'YOU'RE FIRED" fax, the letter fro Marty, and the torn out page from the phone book. I'm not a huge fan of paper extras, but this series does allow you to insert them into particular hands, and they can add something to the look.

They didn't forget future Marty either, including the case (with the folded jacket down in the bottom) and a set of shoes you can put inside. Obviously, it closes as well. I couldn't get the folded jacket out, however. Since my figure is already wearing the shoes, I won't be using this item, but it's still nice.

Last but not least, there's Einstein. He's excellent, a terrific sculpt and paint job and well worth picking up this set to include in your display. He's wearing the stop watch around his neck.

Fun Factor - ***
There are extras here for multiple figures in the series, and there are definitely key additions - like the case or Einstein - that will improve the look of any display. It's actually pretty rare to get this many useful extras, even with figures themselves, let alone as an extra set.

Value - **
This set was originally $35, the same price point as other NECA items. It's a little steep for accessories, although there are key items here you won't want to be without. The bigger issue is that it was a NECA exclusive, and is now going for way more on the secondary market.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. Everything was sturdy, and I had no trouble swapping hands or heads.

Overall - ***1/2
NECA is doing a great job with these accessory sets. I've picked up all the Universal Monsters versions so far, as well as the Gremlins set, and they've provided extra items that really make the line pop. While I don't expect to see more in the BTTF or Gremlins lines, I'm hoping they continue to produce them for the Universal Monsters where appropriate. Can you imagine some of the cool goodies they could give us for the Creature?

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - **
Accessories - ****
Fun Factor - ***
Value - **
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
This set was originally only available through NECA online. Other options now are limited, but you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
If you like sixth scale, Hot Toys has some nice figures including a part 2 Marty, part 1 Marty, and part 2 Doc Brown. Hot Toys re-did part 1 Marty, this time with Einstein.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

Enjoyed this review? Be sure to head back to the main page to find thousands more just like it!