Review of Back To The Future Trilogy (3 Discs)

Introduction

Trilogies are strange things - a collection of films that have to live up to at least one criteria: one or more of the films must be either good or very successful. The thing that makes them strange is that there is some constant rule in them, which perhaps doesn`t make them starnge, but unusual.

There have been many infamous trilogies, for instance `classics` such as Star Wars and The Godfather. I use the term loosely, as how can anyone perceive a film being a classic unless a substantial amount of time has passed - and surely the amount of time has to be at least half a century, otherwise the word classic has been misused...the film has to retain its ageless nature for not just years but decades, otherwise it is not a classic, just a very good cinematic experience that will slowly wear off until the flaws are incredibly visible.

I have seen at least one instalment in most of the famous trilogies of the post Second World War film world (usually the first). Most of them have captivated me, and I can see that yes, a sequel was justified, but usually the sequel, or make that sequels, is/are weaker than the first. That`s the law of sequels - a law that is only very occasionally broken.

However, one trilogy I had never actually witnessed was Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis` creation - the adventures of American teenager Marty McFly and Dr. Emmet Brown, known as Back To The Future.

The first instalment was released in 1985, and due to its finger firmly on the pulse of the era, it shot to cult status and received critical acclaim and a worldwide following. After a four year wait, audiences got to see the second chapter, and a year after that in 1990, the concluding chapter (the second and third films were shot back to back...the most recent example of this is the final two chapters of The Matrix). The rest, as they say, is history.

DVD has finally been graced with the presence of the trilogy, in a deluxe boxset from Universal, boasting over five hours of extra material and a very attractive RRP.

Video

All three films are presented in 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, and all are passable as DVD prints, but for more detail into each film, read below:

Back To The Future
Considering this was made 17 years ago, everything has held up damn well. Granted, there is the odd print blemish and minor artefact, but nothing to hamper one`s enjoyment of the film.

The first instalment possesses two distinctive visual styles - a credit to the talents of director Robert Zemeckis. The first style is of 1985, where the film opens, and Hill Valley is showing signs of negligince and looks as if a new coat of paint wouldn`t go amiss. However, in 1955, when the town is fairly young, everything is spick and span, with no eye sores to speak of. The directing is good, with a fairly intelligent use of angles and the camera seems to capture the intensity of the scenes well.

Back To The Future II
Strangely the second instalment has the worst print - but I think this is actually the fault of the transfer and not the print, as the third instalment, shot at the same time as the second, does not have the same problems. The biggest flaw - and it`s not that big, just enough to put you off now and again - is the compression sign raising its ugly head from time to time. Nothing as criminal as other releases, and given the age of the film I suppose this is excusable. It didn`t affect my viewing to a great degree at all, but I think the (slight) problem needs to be exposed.

Part II opens with a trip to 2015 - ample oppurtunity for the film-makers to introduce some ingenius gadgets, and considering this is a plot-driven film and not an eye-driven film, the balance between real development and showcasing is just right. The gadget that becomes integral to the plot of not just this but Part III is the hoverboard...guess what this does. Just like the first instalment, Zemeckis uses good resources to tell the story, and director of photography Dean Cundey makes use of filters effectively to create a time contrast without distracting your attention.

Back To The Future III
The best print of the three - unsurprising since this is the most recent one. Crisp and clear print, no compression signs, free from dust and grain (well, there is the very, very odd bit...), and no artefacts: all of the three transfers are much of a muchness, but if one had to be picked as the best, then this would be it.

Again, the directing is good, and again, Cundey makes good use of the location - this time Hill Valley, 1885: set against the backdrop of the Wild West, and yes, it is indeed wild.

Audio

A choice of DD 5.1 and DTS tracks are provided for each film. Each film possesses the same audio quality, so breaking them down individually is unnecessary. All films have good audio...great use of the surrounds, a crisp and clear main audio stream for the dialogue, and good ambiance levels. One of the main pulls of the R2/R4 version is the arrival of the crisp DTS - slightly better, as ever, than the Dolby Digital track, it is a testament that yes, old films can indeed be remastered to good effect.

The scripts for each film are written by Bob Gale (Zemeckis did however co-write the first chapter), who also serves as producer on each chapter. They are all vivid and memorable, full of exciting set-pieces, quotable dialogue, larger-than-life characters, the odd twist and turn, and yes - some character development.

Features

The arrival of the trilogy has been a long wait, leaving many fans to wear out their already overwatched VHS copies. And, although there isn`t `over 10 hours of bonus material` as the original packaging stated, there is still a lot on offer:

Disc One - Back To The Future
The first extra, and possibly the best, is a commentary with writer-director Robert Zemeckis and writer-producer Bob Gale. However, calling this a straight audio commentary is a bit misleading - instead it is cut from a Q&A session with the film-makers, so in fact the commentary does not run for the entire 111 minute running time. But, for what we get, it is worth it: insight into the production from the two men who made the phenomenon (as usual Spielberg is missing...he doesn`t `do` commentaries).

Next up is "The Making of Back To The Future", which is a behind-the-scenes look, slightly PR themed, shot during the production. It is OK, runs for 15 minutes and does add a little to what must be a pretty vast production story.

"Making The Trilogy: Chapter 1" follows, which thankfully is more thorough than the last feature. It was made sometime in the 90s, and has retrospective interviews with the main players (Zemeckis, Gale, Spielberg, Fox) and is interesting if a little sparse.

There is a selection of outtakes - a short running feature that are amusing but not as good as some other outtakes on other discs.

A short selection of deleted scenes are up next, which haven`t been cleaned up as well as the film itself. They are good, but don`t add much to the plot, but one of the main reasons they were cut was due to certificate issues - such as the Doc looking at a porn magazine, and then later, Mary remarks to Doc: "God, I can`t believe I`m going to feel up my own mother! This is the kind of thing that could screw me up permanently. What if I go back to the future and I end up being...gay!".

As a short but sweet on the set extra, there is a clip of some make-up tests. Interesting, but not the reason why extras were included on DVD`s.

Another great extra follows - this is in the vein of an audio commentary, except this instead is a visual commentary. Entitled "Did You Know That? Universal`s Animated Anecdotes", this is a feature that whilst you watch the film, text appears detailing trivia to do with that particular moment. Pretty damn cool, and useful to boot.

`Art` extras include production stills (photographs, original storyboards and props) which are good if a little bland, and then there is also the opportunity to compare storyboards of certain scenes to their final feature comparisons. Interesting.

Finally, there is the theatrical trailer - a (deliberate?) tacky affair that oozes 80s materialism. Watch once, and see how Hollywood has indeed got classier since 1985. Thank God...

Disc Two - Back To The Future II
The main extra on the second disc are the two documentaries exact in style to the first disc`s...the behind-the-scenes look (again OK, but again, rather sparse) and then the more insightful retrospective look. They explain various things, but the highlight has got to be how Crispin Glover (George McFly) threw a tantrum and wanted more money to reprise his role in the sequels than Universal would put in his grubby mits. Does the film suffer because of his non-appearance? Not at all. In fact, the new storyline is altogether more convincing...

Again, just like the first disc, there is a selection of outtakes - similar to the first they show more of the production`s personality I suppose (laid back yet still does the job well).

The deleted scenes aren`t as good as the first film`s, and they offer even less plot development. It`s easy to see why these got the chop...

Just like the make-up test feature on the previous disc, we get another on-the-set extra - this time a collection of hoverboard tests...forget CGI, these were the real deal: actors hoisted up on ropes as they tore away at the air as if they were Tony Hawk of the hover. All together now: radical!

Production stills (same sections as before) and storyboard to final feature (although this disc has only one of these...two less than the first) are again catered for.

And again, to cap off the second disc, we have a (slightly better) theatrical trailer.

Disc Three - Back To The Future III
This disc is identical to the second disc except from instead of getting the hoverboard test we get a music video: "Doubleback" by ZZ Top. And no, it`s not as bad as one would expect, although the video quality is shocking; and two more storyboards.

Oh, and of course, another change is that the content of all the extras is different, and focuses on the third production, and just like the first two discs, is interesting yet again, is frustratingly sparse.

One thing about the deleted scenes of this disc (make that deleted scene: there is only one), and that is it shouldn`t have been left on the cutting room floor. Yes, it isn`t amusing, but it adds to the dramatic impact, and develops two characters who will remain nameless as it will spoil the scene for you.

An 8-page booklet is also provided in the deluxe drawer packaging, and contains production notes and information about the extras. One thing though - chapter listings are not catered for, which is a bit strange.

The menus on all three discs are animated with music in the background and clips from the films, and they are themed to their respective films, and are easy to navigate.

Conclusion

Back To The Future
A true relic of the 80s...not only does it have its tongue firmly in cheek but it also manages to cram in some great action into its running time. The plot, although absurd on a scientific level, is engrossing and if you ignore the presence of the DeLorean, is real on a sociological level. Real care has been made to make every little detail correspond to the moment in time - something that is true to every film. Michael J. Fox is great as Marty McFly: he is a very talented actor and the news that he has Parkinsons is disturbing and to put it bluntly, very, very unfair. Christopher Lloyd is eccentric and charming as Professor Brown, and forms a great buddy-buddy bond with Fox. Although the effects may look cheap, the film itself hasn`t aged one iota. And yes, I do feel that this will become a classic in forthcoming years.

Back To The Future II
See the future, see the past, see the present...everything is catered for in the second chapter. The tone changes throughout the film, seemingly corresponding to the year, yet some classic hallmarks of the trilogy thankfully remain. The acting is just as good as the first, and although the plot is perhaps unnecessary complicated (if you are even slightly under the influence this will become confusing), it is still enjoyable. Setting up proceedings well for the final chapter, this suceeds due to the best film formula: great scripting, great acting and great directing. When you have these elements, effects and a slightly holed plot really don`t matter...

Back To The Future III
This is the only instalment in which the time period does not change after the first 20 minutes or so, as this is a Western if one strictly categorised it. But, even though the DeLorean is pushed to one side, due to great chemistry between McFly and the Doc as ever, it succeeds as a slightly different type of film. The addition of Mary Steenburgen as the Doc`s love interest is a bit of a mixed bag...it is something different but for the first time exposes the Doc as not being just a man dedicated to science, but instead more of an `average Joe`. When push comes to shove though, this still has the sparkle of its predecessors, and that is one great achievement to have.

Each film offers something very enjoyable, and every film has some magic in it. It is family entertainment, that still contains enough thrills and humour to please the more serious viewers. But the one thing that makes the Back To The Future trilogy defy the test of time (no pun intended...honest) is the sheer replay value: they can be watched time and time again, and DVD is the format to do this on. And as for the R1 more extras v R2/R4 DTS soundtrack debate, all I`m going to say is that extras are normally watched once, but films are watched numerous times. Although more extras would be nice, I think presentation is more important considering R2/R4 already has above-average features.

Each disc is above-average when compared to the other releases, apart from slightly-off visuals, but this only affects the films in the very odd place, and could have been a lot worse. Again, another flaw seems to be that Universal have cheated us a bit on the extras (full commentaries on all three discs would be the best improvement), but considering the RRP (£29.99 in the UK), this is not only an economically sound investment but a DVD sound investment.

Hope that Father Christmas has one of these babies in his sack for you this year, and if not, make sure your order is top of the pile come the New Year.