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Doc Brown has created a time-traveling DeLorean and he has invited his friend Marty McFly to see it tested for the first time at the Twin Pines Mall. Having doubts crossed some Libyans out of their plutonium for pinball machine parts, Marty finds himself sent back to 1955 with no plan to get back to the future. This catapults Marty into an adventure over various times and alternate timelines over three films. All he wants to do is get back home and The Doc is the only person who can help.
The BACK TO THE FUTURE Trilogy is directed by Robert Zemeckis and has become a staple in pop culture. The first film was released in 1985, the second in 1989, and the third in 1990. The transfers have been cleaned up from Universal’s meticulous restoration process to breathe new life into this 35-year-old film. Back when Universal did the restoration for JAWS and others for the 100th Anniversary releases, a lot of the films still had picture quality that was a step up from DVD but not as refined as it could be. Now, these three films have been cleaned, color-corrected, and properly adjusted for this format. The audio has also been remixed to an Atmos audio track.
Cast
Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly / Marty McFly Jr. / Marlene McFly / Seamus McFly
Christopher Lloyd as Emmett Brown
Mary Steenburgen as Clara Clayton
Lea Thompson as Lorraine Baines-McFly
Thomas F. Wilson as Biff Tannen / Griff Tannen / Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen
Elisabeth Shue as Jennifer Parker
James Tolkan as Mr. Strickland / Marshal James Strickland
Jeffrey Weissman as George McFly
BACK TO THE FUTURE
VIDEO QUALITY
The video is a 2160p HEVC presentation that is about as near perfect as it has ever been. The first thing you notice is that the images don’t have an artificially adjusted look to them. Skin tones and colors are bright but look natural as they would in the real world. Images are detailed and show off some little intricacies that may have been overlooked in previous releases. Textures on things like clothing are clearer. There is also a nice grain on the film that gives it some character. For example, there is no mistaking the material of Marty’s vest is synthetic so people seeing a “life vest” makes sense. Dust and dirt on objects can be seen with ease to give an effect that Doc may not be the cleanest inventor there is. Dolby Vision is also a factor here in the coloring of the film. It does feel more like a film with the color grading I mentioned earlier and the contrasting makes clean separated lines. Some of the lower-lit scenes have noise that is not exactly subtle but it is relatively fast. There are a couple of spots with small blocking but this is neither here nor there.
AUDIO QUALITY
The audio is a Dolby Atmos mix that will default to a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mix depending on your equipment. This mix is only on the UHD and not the newly remastered Blu-rays. The mix creates a larger sound space where objects in the sound field have wider movement. Sounds inside the car has a cool effect of using all of the speakers. The echoes during the band’s audition reverberate in the gym and create a much fuller sound. Alan Silvestri’s score is incredible on this track and rounds-off an excellent mix.
BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II
VIDEO QUALITY
The video is a 2160p HEVC presentation that has a very similar look as the first film. Of course, during the 2015 scenes, the colors are bolder with the style of the clothing changing in the future. Details are sharp and it feels like nothing should be overlooked by both the casual and keen-eyed viewers. The film grain hasn’t been taken out and is subtle. The Dolby Vision here also makes the colors bolder and, again, sharper contrast. Objects feel cleaner and work well with the lighting doing the scenes. The glowing neon of Biff’s casino is so bold and looks beautiful. The lighting throughout that whole scene on this release looks incredible. Low-lighting looks better here than in the previous film as well with shadows producing film-like scenes.
AUDIO QUALITY
The audio is a Dolby Atmos mix that will default to a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mix depending on your equipment. This track works better with this movie but, to be fair, it’s because there is more action in this movie. The flying cars and even flying through that storm, in the beginning, is immersive with the sounds field feeling like it’s moving around you.
Like the mix on the first movie, the score, the soundtrack, and the effects are well done here.
BACK TO THE FUTURE PART III
VIDEO QUALITY
The video is a 2160p HEVC presentation and this is the best looking of the three. As with the others, there is a light, natural grain that gives the film character. It could be that it is the newest of the three but we are only talking about a year difference from II. Either way, this movie looks spectacular in 4k. Because of the film taking place mostly in 1885, the textures from raw wood homes and fences, clothing, and the light layer of dust on almost everything. The colors are natural and suitable for the film with the dusty plains. There isn’t much coloring aside from Marty’s authentic cowboy clothes from 1955 and the sky. With Dolby Vision, the contrasting is perfect. Even in the low-lit scenes, the dark clothing doesn’t get lost in the images. The skin tones are warm and natural as well.
AUDIO QUALITY
The audio is a Dolby Atmos mix that will default to a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mix depending on your equipment. Like the video, this mix is perfect. Some of the best scenes to show off this mix are where Marty is chased by the Native Americans, the stagecoach chase, and, of course, the train scene finale. The effects of gunfire and horse galloping show off the strength of the mix. The score is wonderfully layered and well prioritized against the dialogue plus the effects.
SUPPLEMENTS & PACKAGING
BACK TO THE FUTURE
-Audio Commentary: with Producers Bob Gale and Neil Canton.
-Q&A Commentary: with Director Robert Zemeckis and Producer Bob Gale.
-Join Team Fox
-Tales from the Future: In the Beginning
-Tales from the Future: Time to Go
-Tales from the Future: Keeping Time
-Archival Featurettes
-Michael J. Fox Q&A
-Behind the Scenes
-Music Video: “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis and the News.
-Deleted Scenes
-Teaser Trailer
Part II
-Audio Commentary: with Producers Bob Gale and Neil Canton.
-Q&A Commentary: with Director Robert Zemeckis and Producer Bob Gale.
-Tales from the Future: Time Flies
-The Physics of Back to the Future with Dr. Michio Kaku
-Archival Featurettes
-Behind the Scenes
-Deleted Scenes
-Theatrical Trailer
Part III
-Audio Commentary: with Producers Bob Gale and Neil Canton.
-Q&A Commentary: with Director Robert Zemeckis and Producer Bob Gale.
-Tales from the Future: Third Time’s the Charm
-Tales from the Future: The Test of Time
-Archival Featurettes
-Behind the Scenes
-Music Video “Doubleback” by ZZ Top.
-FAQs About the Trilogy
-Back to the Future: The Ride
-Deleted Scene
-Theatrical Trailer
Disc Details
7-Disc Set w/ 3 4k UHD and 4 Blu-rays
Digital Copy
Digibook
Running Time
I: 116 mins
II: 108 mins
III: 118 mins
Edition Ratings
Rated PG
Region Coding
Region Free
Video Resolution
2160p HEVC H.265
HDR: Dolby Vision & HDR10+
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Mixes
English Dolby Atmos
English Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Spanish DTS 5.1
French DTS 5.1
Subtitles
English SDH
French
Spanis
THE BOTTOM LINE
This is the ultimate collection and the best release available. Universal treated this iconic collection with care and it elevates the films. The films themselves have a lasting legacy that has further been solidified judging by the quality of this release. The video is marvelous and the audio is outstanding. The extras are great and they included some legacy extras from previous releases. This is highly recommended and further solidifies this as one of the greatest trilogies ever made.
