For a long time this film series has been one of my favorite films.  I saw it for the first time a long time ago and was immediately captivated by it's unique blend of comedy, adventure and science fiction.  With its new trilogy DVD release it returns to the screen in digital format with tons of great extras, I have returned to this film and my appreciation for it has only increased with time.

As we are now closer to 2015 than 1985 in 2004 the film seems much more dated than it was intended to.  Watching the 1985 scenes feels like going back in time!  This brings a whole new dimension to watching the film.  The 1985 scenes that were not intended to be historical anachronisms, like the 1955, 2015, and 1885 scenes, can now be seen in the same light.  Such as, in the opening scene of Doc Brown's clocks, none of his clocks feature a digital LED readout.  There is however a clock that looks like a Laserdisc!  Marty has trouble negotiating around Doc's cluttered residence due to the lack of a cordless phone, another household item that has become commonplace since 1985.  (Marty however has a cordless phone at his house... it appears that although Doc is an inventor he doesn't jump up at every technological innovation that is available.)  Doc is still using a rotary dial telephone, something that has now become totally phased out. 

The 1980s were also the dawn of the product placement and Back to the Future abounds in many of these.  Pepsi-cola is everywhere.  Just the opening scenes reveal, Budwiser, Burger King, Texaco, Mountain Dew, and Toys 'R Us and Toyota.  All are done through the ordinary flow of the film not appearing out of place but where one would expect them in real life. 

The real beauty of the first film though is the unique plot element of being able to go back in time and observe what your parents were doing when they were your age.  Marty's mom, Lorraine, is always telling him how she never went out with boys when she was young, but in 1955 she actively pursues Marty and asks to go with him to the school dance.  In regards to Marty's father, George, less has changed since 1955.  He and his high school bully Biff are still performing the same routine they were in 1955.  Much of this film contrasts what has changed and what hasn't changed in 30 years.  For example, the ketchup bottle in the dinner scene changes from glass in 1955 to plastic and squeezable in 1985, but the use of ketchup at the dinner table has remained constant.  It also appears that the place of meat loaf at the American table has not changed in 30 years as well.   Of course a lot of this routine is for laughs and to set up jokes later on in the film. 

The sequels were never originally intended to be made but the popularity of the first film convinced the producers to produce the second and third parts to make a trilogy.  Much of these films are occupied with preventing space time continuum paradoxes which makes the second film a bit confusing.  The series does have one of the most ingenious sequel plot elements ever devised of going back into the first film and observing the same events from a different perspective.  Many consider the second part to be the weakest of the three films.  The comic 2015 sequences are done just for laughs due to the outrageous technology and cartoon like appearance of the 2015 courthouse square with flying cars and hoverboards.  The realism of the other time periods is set aside in the future in order to avoid the problem of inaccurately predicting 2015 events.  The 2015 scenes are actually most important in the third film because they set up the character development that Marty makes in order to avoid his rather dysfunctional life that we see in the 2015 McFly family scenes. 

The alternate 1985 is uncharacteristically dark compared to the rest of the series.  It is mostly in place to set up why Marty and Doc must go back to 1955 and also the dangers of interfering with the timeline for your own benefits.  Much of the negative aspects of the original film are seen way over the top in the alternate 1985.  Biff instead of mocking George has murdered him.  Lorraine who is an alcoholic in the opening scenes is a severe alcoholic and sexual plaything/wife to Biff.  Biff openly sees other women besides Lorraine.  Biff's obsession with Lorraine appears to not have satisfied his corrupt nature.  The power given to Biff through his riches has created a world where all the good elements have been wiped out. 

The 1955 scenes are a wonderful call back to the original film.  It is interesting to see how they have constructed a new plot line and intertwined it with events from the original film.  The central plot element now becomes Biff's anger with Marty for wrecking his car in the first film.  Since now there are two Marty's in 1955 it gets confusing for Biff and his cronies as they try and track him down.  Eventually of course Marty does get the all important sports almanac back from Biff, but with no help from his weakness to people calling him names.  This leads into the third film by having Doc get struck by lightning in the Delorean a call back to the first film. 

The third film has less to do with time travel than any of the other films.  The main plot element is how to get the Delorean which is out of gas up to 88 miles per hour in 1885.  A part from this the film is a western/romance involving Doc Brown and a character he meets in 1885 Clara Clayton who in the original timeline dies in 1885 but thanks to Doc's intervention is saved.  This lets Doc fall in love with her without seriously altering the time line.  The romance between Doc and Clara occupy most of the film as well as Marty's attitude problems landing him in a gunfight with a notorious gunman Beuford "Mad Dog" Tannen, Biff's rather uncouth ancestor.  The producers had a lot of fun trying to work in as many references to classic Western films such as Monument Valley, "My Darling Clementine" as the song Doc and Clara dance to, Beuford's character being modeled on "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" and a cameo from ZZ Top. 

The main reason for these film was to make a fun movie which they succeeded at.  However the underlying principles, although not serious, are well done.  The final conclusion is that the future is not written yet and instead of going back in time to correct your mistakes you should make it your goal to live life to the fullest in the here and now.  The final scene has Doc and Clara happy as a family flying off in their time travelling train leaving Marty and Jennifer in 1985 to make a future for themselves having learned what they did in 2015 about their potential future.