'Back to the Future' Day: 6 Predictions About 2015 That Did and Didn't Come True

Wednesday commemorates Back to the Future Day, a long-awaited event devoted to the blockbuster '80s sci-fi flick that spawned decades of hope for levitating cars and hoverboards. In Back to the Future Part II, the second of three films in the time-traveling series, the plot drops main character Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, squarely on Oct. 21, 2015, giving viewers an idea of what the film writers imagined science and technology would achieve in 26 years' time.

For a movie released in 1989, Back to the Future Part II depicts a lot of predictions about what the year 2015 could look like. Though some of the technological advances portrayed in the film have yet to materialize, some of them have come to fruition just like the writers conceived. 

Self-lacing shoes: Nike did, in fact, release a replica model of the Back to the Future Part II shoe in 2011, though the special-edition sneakers were limited in quantity, didn't self-lace and each pair sold for thousands of dollars. 

Hoverboards: Levitating boards are real, and apparently there's already a variety to choose from (though they certainly have their limitations). "Great Scott!" 

Holographic movies: In the film, Marty McFly stumbles on a cinema complex where Jaws 19 is playing. Though 3-D movie tech has come a long way, it hasn't advanced to this degree. Additionally, the cult classic, shark-attack series never made it past a fourth sequel. 

Food re-hydrators: In 2015, food delivery services and mobile apps can make food appear with near-magical speed. However, we haven't quite achieved the "food re-hydrator" branded by Black and Decker that appears in the 1989 film. 

Thumbprint technology: In Back to the Future Part II, we briefly see instances of thumbprint scanning and recognition technology. Fingerprint sensors have become increasingly common in the age of smartphones, although we still can't pay for cabs with the touch of a thumb. 

Flying cars: Alas, cars cannot hover like boards. In the film, a futuristic car called the DeLorean could fly, but more importantly, it could also travel through time. Although we've yet to achieve flying cars in 2015, Google and Tesla have made major strides is the area of self-driving cars and electric-powered tech. 

In anticipation of the pseudo-holiday, reactions to the film's predictions are percolating across the Web. Some outlets are publishing "gotcha" posts while others praise the film's technological foresight. In the lead-up to Oct. 21, the Back to the Future Part II reflections have been trending enough that Fox and Christopher Lloyd, who plays Dr. 'Doc' Emmett Brown, joined in the fun. Watch the film's co-stars reunite in a Toyota commercial below.