In Back to the Future: Part II, Marty McFly was thrown back into the DeLorean where he found himself in the futuristic world of 2015. He encountered a variety of outlandish technologies seemingly ridiculous in comparison to 1985. Today in the current year of 2015, some of those inventions have become realities while others are just as ridiculous as they were thirty years ago.
The first glance of 2015 the audience gets is the DeLorean not only running on old beer, bottles and bananas but flying as well. While today flying cars running on garbage aren’t the societal normal, these inventions have been recently introduced. In November, Toyota unveiled a
vehicle that can be fueled by garbage(News.com.au Article). A Slovakia company called AeroMobil has been developing a flying car since 1989 and has recently revealed its functionality (Business Insider Article). While the country may be far from sky highways seen in the film, modern automobile technology has meet these expectations.
The fashion style of the film is quite different from today’s modern trends. In the eyes of 80’s film designers, 2015 has a weirdly similar style to the stereotypical 80’s attire with a lot more tech involved. The sneaker company, Nike, has released the shoe that Marty wears with automatic laces (Times Article). The shoes are set to be released this year. Maybe neon colors and fishnets will make a comeback later in the year.
One of the most anticipated tech gadgets seen in the film was the hoverboard/scooter Marty rides to get away from Griff Tannen. A company called Hendo Hoverboards held a successful Kickerstarter campaign that raised more than $500,000 for their product (Hendo Hoverboards). The company plans to officially launch their product on October 21st which is also the day that Marty McFly went back to the future.
Another trademark from the film is theinteractive TV in future Marty’s home. The TV is able to receive video calls and print out messages like Marty’s famous “You’re fired” fax. This technology is readily available and common today. The Apple TV and other similar brands have ability to sync a TV with a computer, telephone and even a printer. Wireless connection has made it possible for such technological connectivity to be achieved.
Other elements from Part II of the series are not so common today. Marty’s mom makes dehydrated pizza in a hydrating machine that looks like a microwave. Thankfully, the normal food eaten today is not dehydrated Pizza Hut, although that might make their food more appetizing. Doc states that he attended a regeneration clinic with “an all natural overhaul” that removed him of his wrinkles, repaired his hair, took out old blood and added 30-40 years to his life while replacing his spleen and colon. Medical practices such as this may be possible today but adding years onto one’s life is a far reach from now. Thankfully the Jaws films ended at the fourth installment and the American public was not subject to fifteen more movies to that series.
Back to the Future: Part II offered interesting predictions to life in 2015. While some have become a reality and others are still in the making, the impact this movie had on the public is still evident today. Nike, a major shoe company, developed a special shoe just for this occasion. The Hendo Hoverboard company plans their release date for October 21st. While fiction cannot mirror reality, it can leave quite an impression on real people.