Written by Robert Zemeckis And Bob Gale
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Marty McFly: "Wait a minute. Wait a minute, Doc. Ah... Are you telling me that you built a time machine... out of a DeLorean?"
Dr. Emmett Brown: "The way I see it, if you're gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?"
I turned forty this year and I was overdue in writing a review for the highest grossing movie of that year. Yup, of course I had to finally get around to this very movie.
It's such a simple take on time travel and it's consequences. You've got an average teenager in Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox). He's got a geeky father, George (Crispin Glover), an alcoholic mother, Lorraine (Lea Thompson) along with two siblings Dave (Marc McClure) and Linda (Wendie Jo Sperber). Oh and a girlfriend named Jennifer Parker (Claudia Wells).
Some of those relationships are a bit more explored than others but it's Marty's relationship with eccentric scientist Emmett "Doc" Brown (Christopher Lloyd) that was a good focus. Mostly because Doc's experiments with time travel had quite the effect on Marty and the future/past of his parents.
The time travel machine of choice was a car named the DeLorean. Marty went from being in 1985 to ending up in 1955 where the origins of his parents romance came very close to not even happening. In fact, Marty really had to play matchmaker with socially awkward George and the more rebellious Lorraine.
Of course what the movie needed was a really good villain. We got that with local bully Biff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson). He was George's boss in 1985 and his tormentor in 1955. He also got a little too handy with Lorraine and even came close to scuppering Marty's plans in 1955. His fate in 1985 after Marty changed things however was a nice comeuppance for the character.
Now this movie could have been a nice one and done but even before it was enough of a box office success to justify two sequels, Doc's reunion with Marty and Jennifer did set up further adventures. Something had to be done about their kids.
- Doc had the "Great Scott" catchphrase as well as dogs named Einstein (1985) and Copernicus (1955).
- Eric Stoltz was originally cast as Marty McFly before the role was recast with Michael J. Fox.
- Standout music: Hey Lewis And The News The Power Of Love.
- Chronology: 1985 and November 5th 1955 in Hill Valley, California.
Like every one on the planet, I love Back To The Future. It's a perfect movie that has aged brilliantly, never outstayed it's welcome and will always put me in a good mood when I watch it. A classic for the right reasons.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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