Back to the Future: The Complete Trilogy

When DVD first hit the scene not that many years ago there was immediately a list of most desired titles for the new format. Near the top of almost every list was the Back to the Future trilogy. This phenomenon was then repeated when many collectors moved up to the high definition format of Blu-ray. The original film remains one of the most beloved movies of the eighties and there are many fans for the second and third installment of the saga. We all know the stories, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) uses a time machine invented by his friend and mentor Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) to travel back in time to help ensure his parents would actually meet and fall in love. This seemingly simple task sets into play a chain of events that take Marty and Brown through alternate time lines of 1985, into 2015, 1955 and eventually the old west. At the core of all the movies are stories of relationships. How Marty grows to appreciate the fact that his parent was really teenagers once with the same enthusiasm for life and hopes for the future that he has. Bullies are always the same no matter where or when they are. Most important perhaps is that small, seemingly insignificant moments in live can have many serious repercussions.

Although there are many mixed reactions to the two later films Universal decided not to release the individual discs. This seems consistent with the thoughts of many that the overall arc of the story requires all three films to be considered together. While there is validity to this view the option would have been nice to have for those that were just interested in a single film. For the price the three disc set is well worth the investment. Now that Universal has decided to release the entire trilogy in Blu-ray now is the perfect time to add this cinematic treasure to your collection.

The initial DVD release was plagued with production problems including some artifacts, especially with the first film and an infamous framing problem in the second film. This finally resulted in a free exchange program and a new pressing. They certainly made up for this with this recent Blu-ray edition. The video is flawless and exceptionally well balanced. The colors are saturated perfectly and there is not ant compression artifact in sight. This holds true for all three films each presented on their own disc. The first disc remains the best of the three. The black levels are extraordinary; nearly reference quality. It should be noted that there was some very slight edge enhancement problems but you have to look hard to notice them. Just about everything that marred the DVD release has been addressed very well in the re-mastering to high definition. I must have seen these movies dozens of time and they never looked better and that includes theatrical showings.

The audio also received a make-over for this release. The DTS Master Audio soundtrack is perfection. The rear speakers were under used in the DVD but come to life here. The sub woofer roars out as the 88 miles per hour is hit sending the car through time. You can hear the vehicle zoom through you living making you want to duck. In both the video and audio the greatness is in the details, clothing comes across with textures you never saw before. The sounds of each prop are audible giving you a full appreciation of the Foley artist at work here.

The Blu-ray format features a lot of additional room over that of DVD. Those looking for extras will not be disappointed with this box set. Each disc is full to the brim with additional content although some is held over from the previous DVD release. Some of the Blu-ray specific features are in common to all three films. BD Live permits online access to additional information about the film in whole or specific to the current scene. For people like my friend Ed and I we tend to watch movies with a laptop logged in to glean extra information. This feature permits you to stay focused on the film while pushing a button on your remote to get facts and trivia on demand. There is also something called U-Control which gives you the ability to dissect a scene looking at story boards, connections between the three films and a trivia track. One nice little touch is called ‘Set-ups and Payoffs’. With this you get a notice to note a certain bit coming on screen later show how this pays off later on in the film. There is a lot of attention paid to integrate watching the films with mobile devices. pocket BLU™: USHE's groundbreaking pocket BLU app uses iPhone®, iPod® touch, iPad®, Blackberry®, Android™, Windows and Macintosh computers and more to work seamlessly with a network-connected Blu-ray™ player and offers advanced features such also Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray™ player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live™ functions with ease. There is content specifically intended to access through you mobile device.

Tales from the Future: New six-part retrospective documentary featuring interviews with Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Director Robert Zemeckis, Producers Bob Gale and Neil Canton, plus Executive Producer Steven Spielberg.*

In the Beginning . . .: Delve intthe genesis of the project, casting, re-casting, the DeLorean, sets and overall pre-production.

Time tGo: Production stories through the release of the first film.

Keeping Time: The score and the songs of the Back tthe Future Trilogy.

Time Flies: Learn more about how the sequel came about, the futuristic look, the special and visual effects, recreating 1955 and more.

Third Time's the Charm: Learn about building a western town, Doc Brown's love story, the casting of Mary Steenburgen, the train sequence and completing the Trilogy.

The Test of Time: Back tthe Future becomes a phenomenon! President Reagan quotes the film, the Back tthe Future ride opens at Universal Studios theme park and fans rebuild the iconic DeLorean. The film's cast and crew take a look back and discuss why these beloved movies live on.

The Physics of Back TThe Future: A discussion with celebrity best-selling author and physicist Dr. MichiKaku about the overall appreciation of the science in the Back tthe Future Trilogy*

Nuclear Test Site Ending Storyboard Sequence: Storyboard sequence of the original proposed ending of the film.*