Plastic Galaxy: The Story of Star Wars Toys (2014)

To me, this movie is perfection.

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Boring

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Documentary focusing on the creation of the original Star Wars toy line by Kenner and the subsequent collecting fandom that has sprung up around it over the last 40 years.Not a lot of new info here for the seasoned vintage era collector (like myself), but interviews with former Kenner employees do offer a peek behind the curtain of the creation of a legitimate pop culture phenomenon in its own right, and featured collectors show off their impressive and drool-worthy collections. Strictly for the Star Wars fan; particularly the collector or those who grew up with these toys in the 70s/80s.

It's astonishing how a collector can remember his very first Star Wars toy, and I totally struggle to remember mine, let alone the ones I had- because unfortunately, I broke them or grew out of them. This film is pretty much for the people who wish they hadn't conformed to "growing up" and being able to see all these toys again. During the film, I was like "did we have that one?", or "we used to own him/her/it". It was great to see all these collectors display their collections, and accurately know the history of it. So many Christmases I've forgotten which toys I unwrapped, whether it was He-Man, GI Joe, or Star Wars, and the worlds you created with them all. Maybe I was a little too young for Star War toys initially, as I do remember my first GI Joe. But, I digress.This documentary is interesting for the fans, and the kids who collected these toys, but it also gives major insight into the history of Kenner's acquisition of the products, and how they mass-produced them. It was great to see the designers feel satisfied with their creations upon a generation of children, as well as explaining the history of a certain toy like Boba Fett for example, or attempts at toys- the R2-D2 train was a terrible idea, but it was interesting to see. If you are a Star Wars, or a toy-collector; then this documentary is for you. Documentaries are usually pretty good, and when it's based on a fun topic, then it's especially good.***½ out of *****!

I didn't expect much with "Plastic Galaxy" because I figured I'd done all the research over the years and knew the story. But it sucked me right in and even had a few things to teach. It's crowd-funded and brief (a quick 70 minutes), and that unassuming nature adds to its charm.They do a pretty good job tracing the toy line's history from inception to the mid-nineties rebirth, which includes touching on the actual company. It's really cool that they actually shot outside the Kenner building in Cincinnati (would've been nice to go inside, but you can't fault them for that - were the company still in Cincy, we probably would've gotten inside access). There's some interview material from actual Kenner employees (even Lucasfilm's in-house aficionado Steven Sansweet's involvement bolsters the movie's credibility), but the movie rests mostly on insight from private collectors. The good news is that these are not just resale-value hunters - they're actual childhood fans; people who who played and grew up with these figures. These testimonials have heart.All in all, it's a pretty well done movie for the budget. It's fun for those who love this stuff and accessible for those who are new to the game.8/10

Although I was never a big Star Wars toy collector when these first toys were released I did purchase various early items as new and have displayed them ever since. Includes a few sets such as Jabba's throne room and the characters inhabiting that space in the film as well as Max Rebo Band, the original giant walker toy (still works) a few of the 12 inch dolls and other bits. I never realized how much research and work went into these 'toys' until viewing Plastic Galaxy. Very entertaining, educational and very well done! Brings a whole new dimension to me as a sci-fi collector in general and also a Star Wars fan/collector. The quality of the production/DVD is simply beautiful to watch.3 thumbs up!!!