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DVD Reviews - Back to the Future

Back to the Future
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Back to the Future
(The Complete Trilogy)
(Universal Studios Home Entertainment)
DVD Release Date: December 17, 2002
Length: 342 mins.
Rated: PG
Format: Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1)
Languages: English, French
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Extras: 6 Audio Commentaries, 3 Text Antecedent Tracks, 14 Featurettes, Michael J. Fox Interview, Deleted Scenes, Outtakes, 2 Music Videos, Still Galleries, Screenplay Excerpts, Production Notes, Filmographies, Theatrical Trailers, Booklet

Spawning two tightly tethered sequels, it was the original film which certainly was one of the 80's greatest. Though the special effects may not match what gets put on screen today, the sense of fun still came through and can captivate with perfect portions of action, comedy and plot. And while each of the sequels delivered these ingredients well enough, both fell shy of recreating the level of magic from the first film. Part II emphasized the science fiction angle a little thick, but played very nicely as a follow up movie. Part III especially didn't resonate as much by shedding itself of the core time travel formula. It ended up more of a romantic western then as the end chapter to the franchise. But as a whole, the trilogy still held a satisfying tale and delivered a richly rewarding experience.

This set was presented on three discs chock full of extras. Each DVD had one of the movies as well as it's corresponding, "Making the Trilogy" segment, a behind the scenes featurette, deleted scenes (with optional commentary), outtakes, trailers, cast and crew information, photos, concept drawings, music videos, and production notes. The disc for Part I also had a screenplay excerpt and the one for Part III carried a text section which answered many frequently asked questions. And if all that weren't enough, there was also an informative collection of short clips spread among each of the three discs. They covered topics such as, production design, visual effects, storyboarding, Hill Valley design, the DeLorean, time travel, the promotional campaign, fan mail, hover board tests, and makeup tests. In terms of commentary, each film had two audio tracks and a text one. One audio track was a recorded Q&A session with writer/director Robert Zemeckis and writer/producer Bob Gale which disappointingly went from full length of the film, to half, and then to a quarter for the subsequent movies. The other audio track was of the traditional scene specific kind from Gale and producer Neil Canton. All three provided plenty of information any fan would enjoy, though they did tend to overlap in information at times. Added also on the first disc was a nice video commentary with star Michael J. Fox as he discussed his experiences making the films.

What do we call a film which still stands tall and entertains even after all these years? A classic.


The Movie: 10/10
The Extras: 10/10

Recommendation: One For The Library

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Phil Wong - Associate Editor

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