Blu-ray Movie Reviews

"Back To The Future": When teenager Marty McFly is blasted to 1955 in the DeLorean time machine created by the eccentric Doc Brown, he finds himself mixed up in a time-shattering chain reaction that could vaporize his future - and leave him trapped in the past. "Back To The Future Part II": Picking up precisely where they left off, Marty and Doc launch themselves to the year 2015 to fine-tune the future and inadvertently disrupt the space/time continuum. Now, their only chance to fix the present is by going back to 1955 all over again before it is too late. "Back To The Future Part III": Stranded in 1955 after a freak accident, Marty McFly discovers he must travel back to 1885 to rescue Doc Brown before he becomes smitten with school teacher Clara Clayton. Now, it's up to Marty to keep Doc out of trouble, get the DeLorean running, and put the past, present and future on track so they can all get back to where - and when - they belong.

I loved these films when they first came out. I saw all of them in theaters, more than once, and have continued to enjoy them from time to time on what seems like their endless run of showings on your local cable. I don’t think I ever visited them on DVD, simply because they were on every other night on some cable channel. So this is probably the first time I’ve viewed them “properly” in a home theater enviroment. Universal has obviously spent some time sprucing up these films and they look terrific on Blu-ray. The prints seem to be in quite good shape with hardly a scratch or mark to be seen. Detail is preserved nicely and colors still have quite a bit of pop. The image looks slightly processed at times, but it never distracts. Overall these look far better than I was expecting! All three films have a newly remastered soundtrack that is delivered in DTS HD Master Audio. The sound design holds up quite well though the dynamics aren’t quite a match for the soundtracks we have today. Still, these deliver some great surround presence, decent LFE and some nostalgic tunes.

This box set is a collector’s dream with LOTS of in depth features that explore this popular trilogy. There is a great documentary on the films with interviews with the cast and crew, tons of behind the scenes that delve into every facet of the production and even some deleted scenes and outtakes. You also get music videos, feature commentaries with the director and some interactive features such as storyboard comparisons and a trivia track. Universal also includes digital copies of each film for your portable device.

These films are just as fun now as they were when I was little. I honestly can’t believe how well they’ve held up! Universal has done a great job with the A/V presentation and extras making this a must-own for fans of the trilogy.