Back to the Future Part II Predictions: McFly or McFail?

Emily Sartin
Staff Writer      

The future is now! Click "read more" for the rest of the article and more photos.

      Thirty years ago today Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) traveled to the future with eccentric Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd), or "Doc Brown", in order to prevent a disaster. Well, this future is about to become the past; McFly traveled in the DeLorean to October 21, 2015 at 4:29 p.m. This raises the question of how right and how wrong Back to the Future Part II was in predicting the future.
      Not only did the film foresee the future, but it also influenced and inspired the development of products today. Back to the Future correctly anticipated easy to use digital cameras, Vietnam being a surfing attraction, and the Cubs are still in the running for the World Series. The movie has inspired the development of real-life hoverboards; currently, there is a working hoverboard, but it only works over metal surfaces. 

      Furthermore, Back to the Future was able to envision video calls as seen when McFly is fired by his boss over a video call that looked similar to Skype or FaceTime. There was even information about McFly’s boss scrolling across the bottom of the screen, which resembled answers to Facebook profile questions.
      The wearable devices used by McFly and Doc Brown are similar to today’s Google Glass, Oculus Rift, and smartphones. However, according to screenwriter and co-producer of the trilogy Bob Gale, “The fact that everyone can have one device that’s a computer, that’s a camera, that’s a recording device, that’s a calculator, that’s a flashlight...we didn’t think of that.”
      Other correct suppositions include the use of fingerprint scanner and the use of drones, but in a different way than used in the movie. Also, the movie did foretell television screens being flat and large but not to the extent to which 3D holograms would be available for home entertainment.
      On the other hand, Back to the Future Part II did not get everything right. People do not have flying cars, there is no Jaws 19, and there are still lawyers. Princess Diana never became the Queen of England, and there has not been a woman president.
      The fashion of Back to the Future’s 2015 was clearly inspired by the 1980s. While this is not entirely off, with many people still holding nostalgia for the 80s, the fashion of today is very different from what was worn in the film.
      While the movie’s hypothesis was a combination of McFlys and McFails, it did inspire the release of new products from Pepsi and Nike. Pepsi has announced the “Back To The Future fizzy cola drink” known as Pepsi Perfect. Pepsi Perfect is made with real sugar, like the Pepsi sold in the 1980’s, and will be sold in the 16.9 ounce bottles show in the film. Pepsi is set to release 6,500 bottles, which went on sale today for $20.15. While Pepsi has publicized the release of Pepsi Perfect, Nike has only publicized the development of the power lacing sneakers, Nike MAGs, and published tweets hinting at the release being today. Yesterday, the official Nike twitter tweeted at Michael J. Fox, “@realmikefox see you tomorrow.” Also, it is being reported that the first pair of Nike MAGs are in New York City.  
      While watching Back to the Future Part II, 2015 may seem eccentric and far from reality. If one closely examines the hunches made in the film, the majority are either in existence, more advanced than predicted, or in the process of being developed.