Back
To The Future: 30th
Anniversary Trilogy
(1985, 1989, 1990/Universal Blu-ray Set)
Picture:
B+ Sound: B+ Extras: B Films: A
Not
many trilogies (or film series in general) are enjoyable throughout.
The
Godfather,
Star
Wars,
Indiana
Jones
are obvious exceptions, but typically not the norm. Most sequels or
trilogies suffer from either rehashing the same (but not as good)
story as the first film or are just blatantly bad. The Back
to the Future Trilogy (like
those films previously mentioned) happens to be another exception to
the all too common dribble that is delivered by follow up films.
Why
does it work? Hard to say, but I would like to think it has
something to do with the fact that it is a complex, almost abstract
story (rooted in science fiction) that remains amazingly relatable.
It is relatable as it captures the whimsy of the ''what if?'' The
same 'what if' like that of an archeologist going after the Holy
Grail, or a man forced to take over the family business, or that of
princesses and knights in a galaxy far, far away. Back
to the Future
(1985) uses the relatable teenage Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) to ask
why are parents so lame? Were they ever cool? Do they even know
what it's like to be me? And from these questions being coupled with
the sci-fi edge of a mad scientist and his time machine, we are
transported into a world where anything is possible.
Robert
Zemeckis has already gone on record to say that Back
to the Future would
not be a hit if made today, if it could even get made at. He
suggests that the concept of the film is too odd and with the coming
of the internet, cell phones, and just a shift in the way we think
Back
to the Future would
not have the impact it had on audiences in 1985. I can see what he
means, but concurrently it is hard to say as the film has honestly
shaped all sci-fi and time travel films and series that came after
it.
The
first film introduces us to Marty (Fox) and Doc Brown (Christopher
Lloyd); an angst ridden, rebellious teen and the mad scientist he
(why don't really know why) hangs out with. Marty is an oddball,
seemingly cool with hip clothes (circa 1985), a hot girlfriend, and
just the right amount of 'tude; but at the same time is down to
earth, kind, and nerdy enough to hang with a scientist. This is why
he has such mass appeal as a character; cool, but not too cool. The
film hits the ground running as the concept is easy enough to
understand; Doc Brown has built a time machine, but got mixed up with
bad guys while trying to obtain the (illegal) nuclear material he
needed to fuel the machine. In a fight or flight moment Marty is
transported back to 1955 where he runs into some familiar faces; his
parents. The faces may be the same (ala younger), their
personalities are much different. Marty is suddenly placed into a
pivotal time in his parents' developmental lives; and they aren't as
strict and lame as he remembers. Whereas the glitz and glamor of a
science fiction epic featuring a time machine is crucial to the plot;
it is character development and Marty's interactions with people that
make the film.
Biff
Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson) is the film's main antagonist as he is the
bully that tormented a young George McFly (Marty's dad, played by
Crispin Glover) and sought the affections of Marty's mom (Lorraine
played by Lea Thompson). As Marty enters the scene, Lorraine has the
hots for her future son; Marty finding out his mom is more of a vixen
than the nun he thought he knew. George concurrently is seeking the
affections of Lorraine, but he is seemingly a nerdy, peeping tom.
Marty sets out to make things right for good ol' mom and dad, but
doing so will be no easy task before returning to the future.
Back
to the Future: Part II
(1989) is a direct continuation of first film, but this time around
we are transported 30 years into the future (the year 2015!) as Marty
attempts to save his kids from a disastrous future. Unfortunately,
things did not work out for Marty as he expected; he's not a rock
star driving a fancy car, instead he lives in a bad part of town with
ungrateful kids who are more lost than he could have imagined. Marty
manages to fix the mistakes of his future offspring; but a wrench is
thrown in the works as 'future Biff' secretly steals the DeLorean.
He delivers a 2015 Sports Almanac to 1955 Biff; giving him the edge
he needs to become one of the richest men in the world. Marty and
Doc return to 1985 only to finds things have drastically changed;
Biff is married to Marty's Mom, George McFly is dead, and Marty might
be next. Doc and Marty have to return to 1955 to stop Biff from ever
getting the Almanac; reliving some of the events from the first film
in the process.
Back
to the Future: Part III
(1990) departs from the first two films as it takes on a bit of a
sillier premise with Western Roots. In Part
III,
Marty and Doc go way back in time to the small California town's
humble beginnings, when cowboys and Indians ruled the land. Part
III has
throwback moments to the first two films and solidifies that
seemingly small happenings can drastically alter the future. The
third film is more of a popcorn flick than the other two as it is
just pure fun. Yes, it retains all of the elements that made Parts
I and II wonderful,
but is not as refined or impressive from a storytelling point of
view. The better moments are as we see Doc Brown and Marty place
themselves in bits of history or as they introduce the future to the
past, again altering the course of time.
Overall,
I see the Back
to the Future Trilogy as
a whole; each film (of course) standing on its own, but much better
as a three part serial. What Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis did (with
a splash of Spielberg) remains astonishing; they created a timeless
(no pun intended) classic that will stand the test of time as it hits
issues that are relatable throughout generations. Even as the films
have caught up to current day, they do not feel forced, goofy, or
dated. Whereas Zemeckis thinks that Back
to the Future could
never be made today (and that might be true), it was created at the
perfect point and time and no DeLorean can change that.
Like
going back in time, this new 30th
Anniversary
Blu-ray set features the same video/sound and extras featured on the
previous Blu-ray release with the addition of 1 bonus disc. The
video is a AVC-1 encoded 1080p 1.85 X 1 that looks amazing and is the
best available at the time of this review. The blacks are dark, inky
and framing with a bright, saturating color palette. The vibrant
colors only aid the pictures crisp, clean look; and thankfully there
is not an overuse washing with DNR. In the past the films felt (on
TV and video) grainy and soft, but here on Blu-ray they look amazing!
I will say that the effects (green screen and makeup/prosthetics)
with the much improved image quality stick out like a sore thumb at
times; but that's ok. The sound is a very well done lossless DTS-HD
MA (Master Audio) 5.1 track on each film that is fantastic from
beginning to end. The speakers capture the entire soundscape,
utilizing the full speaker range as the viewer is immersed in sound.
The musical scores (yes, Huey Lewis too) are spot on; crisp, clean,
clear and transport you to a different time.
The
extras include:
2015
Message from Doc Brown
Doc
Brown Saves the World
Outatime:
Restoring the DeLorean
Looking
Back to the Future
The
Script
Casting
Marty McFly
Christopher
Lloyd Reflects on Doc Brown
The
DeLorean Time Machine
Building
Hill Valley
Prepping
for ''Johnny B Goode'' Scene
The
Score
Rushing
the Cut
The
Legacy
Back
to the Future the Animated Series (2 Episodes)
2015
Commercials
-
Michael P. Dougherty II
