Time passes for us all. Through art, however, we’re able to return to moments that moved us. It being 40 years since the Robert Zemeckis-directed Back to the Future released, Universal Pictures is rolling out the red carpet best they can to celebrate the film and its global impact. To do this, they’ve repackaged the previously-released 4K UHD edition of the Back to the Future trilogy into three new sets — regular 4K UHD combo, 4K UHD combo steelbooks, and gift set — which include around 90 minutes of new bonus features *and* are re-releasing the original feature into theaters in multiple formats beginning Halloween 2025. Even with stories like Rick and Morty in existence (borne on the back of Back to the Future), the film series may not seem like much for younger audiences, but, trust me, your parents are going to be all over this.

Unfamiliar with the series? Let’s run down each film in brief.

Back to the Future (1985)

Teenager Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) works as the assistant to Doctor Emmitt Brown (Christopher Lloyd), an inventor viewed as the town crackpot, and finds himself accidentally sent back in time to 1955 (from 1985) to his hometown of Hill Valley, California, when his parents, George and Lorraine (Crispin Glover and Lea Thompson, respectively), weren’t married, let alone dating (or even in the same social circles). While attempting to return to his own time, Marty finds himself playing matchmaker for George and Lorraine in order to keep his future intact.

Back to the Future II (1989)

Having successfully made it home and even improve his present, Doc Brown takes Marty and Marty’s girlfriend Jennifer (Elisabeth Shue) to the future to help their children get out of trouble. However, in traveling to 2015, they unwittingly create an opportunity for older Biff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson) to steal the time machine and change everything. In order to reset things to what they were, Marty and Doc must return to the past, doing their best not to influence the original actions of their previous adventure.

Back to the Future III (1990)

While trying to reset the future while in the past, Doc Brown accidentally disappears in a flash of lightning, leaving Marty stranded in 1955. That is, until he receives evidence that Doc is alive in 1885, prompting Marty to go to 1955 Doc for help to travel back in time to Hill Valley’s western expansion period in order to find 1985 Doc and go home together. But things are never easy for Marty and it’s going to require everything he’s learned through these adventures to make it to the wild west, survive, and get home again.

The following 4K UHD home release review is based on a retail copy provided by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE) of the standard 4K UHD Combo set.

Back in 2020, for the 35^th anniversary, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released the Back to the Future films on 4K UHD for the first-time, so be advised that there are similarities between that edition and this one. I’ll highlight a few things, but, for the full breakdown of the 35^th anniversary editions, you can read about it on the official Back to the Future website.

To start with, the gift set edition is an Amazon exclusive that includes a whole host of materials from an OUTATIME faux license plate, a Jaws 19 poster, a cover for one of George McFly’s books, and more. At the time of this writing, unfortunately, that version doesn’t appear to be available on the website anymore.

BACK TO THE FUTURE trilogy limited edition packshot. Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

This leaves the trilogy as individual steelbooks and as a standard edition three-film set. Steelbooks are all the rage these days with their value mostly due to scarcity, so, if these are your primary interest, good luck acquiring them. Beyond the stills provided by UPHE, no hands-on feedback or recommendation can be provided. One can surmise, however, that the discs on the 35^th anniversary edition are the same here, therefore, if it’s the presentation you want, you’re going to get the same regardless of the edition you pick up.

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Each of the three films has both its 4K UHD and Blu-ray editions packaged together within its own amray case with all three cases then packaged within a soft-shell case. There’s one digital code provided that covers all three titles and the additional bonus features are provided on a separate disc within the Back to the Future I amray. This is immediately different than the 35^th anniversary edition which is a mediabook that holds each disc within a sleeve. Collectors have their preferences, of course, and mine is traditional lock storage vs. sleeves as there’s less of a chance for the disc to be damaged when attaching versus sliding in and out of the sleeve. The standard edition of the 40^th also allows for each film to be stored more easily in a collection as it can either be set down within the soft-shell case as one set or removed and placed individually. Storage space can come at a premium, so trading the mediabook for individual films allows for more flexibility of options. Each film has a version of its respective iconic poster from each of the initial releases on the front cover with the backs having the expected film summary, bonus feature listing, and home release information.

Thus far, there’s no major difference between the 35^th and 40^th anniversary (save for the extras in the Amazon exclusive gift set) that would drive someone to re-purchase the newer edition.

What may help change things, however, are the five featurettes included with Back to the Future I. These five are the 25-minute “40 Years Later: Reflecting on the Future,” 16-minute “Back to Hill Valley,” 37-minute “Untold Stories of Back to the Future,” 16-minute “TCM Classic Film Festival Panel” hosted by Alicia Malone, and nine-minute “A Mystery in History.” Each of these invites fans of the series to learn something new, whether it comes from going through the sets of Back to the Future (the McFly home, set of the dance, lot set for the stunts, etc.), hearing the crew discuss the difficulties of bringing the vision of co-writer/producer Bob Gale (Back to the Future series; 1941) to life with the first feature, listening to stories such as how Fox’s (Mars Attacks!; The Frighteners) stunt double Charlie Croughwell (La La Land) accidentally got attached to the original production, and hearing a plea from the cast/crew to help find Marty’s Gibson from the Undersea dance. There’s very little overlapping information in the featurettes, which helps each one come across as unique, even when it feels more like an advertisement for Gibson (“A Mystery in History”) or the new theatrical edition (“TCM Classic Film Festival Panel”). That said, these five new featurettes *are* accessible via digital, so, if you’re contemplating whether or not to get this new version just for the featurettes, check your digital copies first. They may have been added as of October 14^th, the release date.

The 40^th anniversary release aimed at celebrating the film and doing so in a way that provides audiences several ways to engage as they like. Don’t have the 35^th anniversary set? Here’s a new version with the same on-disc presentation and bonus features, plus a few more, in a few flavors. Want to share the excitement of the original outing with your family? Find a repertory screening near you in one of several potential formats. Is it absolutely a cash-grab banking on your nostalgia? Sure, and it doesn’t pretend to be anything otherwise. But time passes and, as things grow harder to contend with day-to-day, sometimes looking back on the joys we once had is a valuable means of surviving. The trick is remembering that you’ve got to head back to the present, live in the now, and cultivate the future you want to see so that future generations can find the art they want to celebrate and pass down, too. To that end, the 40^th anniversary is a version worth recommending solely if you don’t already have the 35^th anniversary edition and are interested in an upgrade. Otherwise, find yourself a screening and head back to Hill Valley that way.

Back to the Future 40^th Anniversary Special Features:

• 40 Years Later: Reflecting on the Future – Co-writer/producer Bob Gale reflects on the legacy and cultural impact of the films. (25:10)
• Back to Hill Valley – Join Bob Gale along with Donald Fullilove (“Mayor Goldie Wilson”) as they revisit and discuss some of the most iconic filming locations. (16:43)
• Untold Stories of Back to the Future – Journey back in time with crew members as they share their personal stories from the set. (37:51)
• TCM Classic Film Festival Panel – Bob Gale, cinematographer Dean Cundey, and stunt double Charlie Croughwell reunite at the 40th anniversary premiere. (16:09)
• A Mystery in History – Discover the rich history of the Gibson guitar Marty McFly plays at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance and hear from the cast as they rally fans to help find the iconic prop that’s been missing for 40 years. (9:34)

Back to the Future Previously Available Special Features:

• Tales from THE FUTURE: 6-Part Documentary
• Deleted Scenes (Commentary by Producer Bob Gale available)
• An Alternate Future: Lost Audition Tapes
• The Hollywood Museum Goes BACK TO THE FUTURE
• BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL Behind the Scenes
• Could You Survive the Movies? BACK TO THE FUTURE
• OUTATIME: Restoring the DeLorean
• Looking BACK TO THE FUTURE
• The Physics of BACK TO THE FUTURE with Dr. Michio Kaku
• Huey Lewis and the News “The Power of Love” Music Video
• ZZ Top “Doubleback” Music Video
• BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Ride
• Archival Featurettes
• Behind the Scenes
• 2015 Message from Doc Brown
• 2015 Commercials
• BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Animated Series (2 Episodes)
• Michael J. Fox Q&A
• FAQs About the Trilogy
• Theatrical Trailers
• Q&A Commentary with Director Robert Zemeckis and Producer Bob Gale
• Feature Commentary with Producers Bob Gale and Neil Canton

Available on 4K UHD Gift Sets, Steelbooks, and 3-Film collection October 14^th, 2025.
Returning to select Dolby Cinema, 4DX, and D-Box theaters beginning October 31st, 2025.

For more information on the steelbook or standard editions, head to the official Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Back to the Future trilogy webpage.
To find tickets to a repertory screening, head to the official Back to the Future: 40^th Anniversary Fandango webpage.

Categories: Films To Watch, Home Release, Recommendation

Tags: 4K UHD, action, adventure, Amblin Entertainment, Back to the Future, Back to the Future II, Back to the Future III, Billy Zane, Bob Gale, Casey Siemaszko, Christopher Lloyd, Claudia Wells, Crispin Glover, Elisabeth Shue, family, home release, home video, Lea Thompson, Mary Steenburgen, Michael J. Fox, Robert Zemeckis, science fiction, streaming, Thomas F. Wilson, Universal Pictures