Back to the Future Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Back to the Future Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 5, 2020

Universal and Best Buy have collaborated on a store exclusive three film, seven disc UHD SteelBook release for the 'Back to the Future' trilogy. The disc and digital content is identical to that found in the wide release. See the 'Special Features and Extras' section of the review below for more on the SteelBook's look and feel.

For full film reviews, please click here; note that this link points to the original 2010 Blu-ray release.

Back to the Future Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For full UHD video reviews, please click through the following links:

• Back to the Future
• Back to the Future Part II
• Back to the Future Part III

Back to the Future Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For full UHD audio reviews, please click through the following links:

• Back to the Future
• Back to the Future Part II
• Back to the Future Part III

Back to the Future Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The SteelBook collection ships in a fairly basic slip box (as opposed to something more substantial like the heavy duty, foam lined cases the Rambo and Batman SteelBook collections ship in). But since the cases are meant to be displayed front side-out, all in a line, that is not a surprise. The artwork on the slip box does differentiate from the wide release, featuring Marty in the middle, 1885 Doc Brown on the left, and 2015 Griff Tannen on the right, all in front of their respective era's courthouse. The embossed franchise title with "35th anniversary Limited Edition Trilogy" text appears below in the familiar orange-yellow gradation arrow. The rear panel offers the usual assortment of clutter, including movie still thumbnails, a blurb, supplemental content breakdowns, digital inclusion notices, legalese, and more. Tech specs for each film appear in tiny print on the box's bottom side. Top and spine are identical, offering the franchise title and "35th Anniversary Limited Edition Trilogy Gift Set" text. The only difference is the inclusion of a UHD logo, a Universal logo, and a small type number on the spine.

The SteelBooks share a common aesthetic. They are all textured and flat rather than slick and glossy. The front panels all show the courthouse form their respective "time travel" eras: 1955 for the first film, 2015 for the second, and 1885 for the third. The structure is similar on the first two SteelBooks (the main difference being the burn mark on the clock face in 2015) while it is shown under construction as seen in the third film. Also featuring prominently on each SteelBook is part of the DeLorean: its hood and front left tire on the first film's SteelBook, the cockpit (with Marty looking out the window) for Part II, and the vehicle's rear in the third (which also includes Mr. Fusion). Across all three panels a tree sits on the left, presumably the same one; it's smallest in 1885 but looks much larger on the other two SteelBooks. Each front panel also includes some small touches as they relate to each individual film: Marty's 1955 parents can be seen walking together on the front for Part I along with a Hill Valley welcome sign and a poster advertising the "Enchantment Under the Sea" dance floating through the sky top right; a flying police car and a floating Hill Valley sign top right for Part II; and a flagpole, a tumbleweed, a dirt road, and a banner advertising the Hill Valley Festival strewn across the top for Part III. A fun added touch is an arrow sticking out of the car on this panel, too.

The rear panels are more straightforward, each featuring stills from the film: Marty and Doc standing in front of a fire trail at the Twin Pines Mall parking lot for Part I; Marty fleeing on his borrowed Hoverboard from Griff and his gang across the water from Part II; and Marty waiting to have his duel with Buford Tannen in Part III. On each rear panel small Universal logos, legalese, and model numbers appear bottom center and bottom right. The spines match, all featuring dark blue colors with each film's title in relatively small print (in the familiar color and aesthetic) center. Universal logos appear at the bottom of each one.

Inside, the Blu-ray and UHD discs are staggered-stacked on the right-hand side. Part III also houses the bonus disc on a single tab on the left. All three feature a common aesthetic, which is essentially a collage of images from each film, representing main characters, vehicles, props, places, and key scenes from each: Marty, Doc Brown, Marty's parents, various Tannens, the clock tower, the DeLorean, the train, the Sports Almanac, and so on and so forth.

For a breakdown of what's included on each disc, please click through the following links, and please click here for coverage of the bonus disc content.

• Back to the Future
• Back to the Future Part II
• Back to the Future Part III

Back to the Future Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Give Universal credit for a pretty cool idea, though with so many collectors more than likely crunched for space (this reviewer included) it might be difficult to find the shelf space to display these SteelBooks as they are meant to be presented, face out and all in a line rather than simply shelved with the spine visible. Either way, the SteelBooks are rather nice looking in sum, though one can imagine some more interesting components (the license plate, the Flux Capacitor, the clock tower, the clock face for the discs, and the like) making up the various surfaces. The UHD video and audio presentations are excellent and the included extras are numerous. The movies are classics. Though the SteelBooks themselves are a bit meh, this set still earns my highest recommendation, mostly for the disc content inside.