Back to the Future (1985)
The Cast
Michael J. Fox .... Marty McFly
Christopher Lloyd .... Dr. Emmett Brown
Lea Thompson .... Lorraine Baines McFly
Crispin Glover .... George McFly
Thomas F. Wilson .... Biff Tannen
Claudia Wells .... Jennifer Parker
Marc McClure .... Dave McFly
Wendie Jo Sperber .... Linda McFly
James Tolkan .... Mr. Strickland
Casey Siemaszko .... 3-D
Billy Zane .... Match
Huey Lewis .... High-School Band Audition Judge
Directed by Robert Zemeckis and co-written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale
Right off the bat, I have to state that this is a review I'm somewhat nervous about writing. Travel to the future (err, scroll your mouse wheel) and you can see what the end result is, even though it's pretty much a foregone conclusion. Yes, this is a fantastic movie, there should be no doubt in your minds about that. However, it's my contention that Back to the Future is the quintessential 80s movie. Take all your John Hughes teen angst movies, all your Schwarzenegger blow-em-ups and just fucking burn them. You don't need them anymore for I am here to set you free from your false 80s movie worship.
First of all, nothing screams the 1980s more than Michael J. Fox. I'm sorry, I wish he was still a huge star nowadays, but it shone brightest in the 80s and sadly thanks to his health problems, he'll probably never see the height of that popularity again. Thanks to the ridiculous popularity of BttF, Fox found his iconic performance early on in his career. It's a wonderful role, showcasing his comedic sensibilities, his natural charisma and his infectious enthusiasm, not to mention the chemistry he has with Christopher Lloyd.
Speaking of Christopher Lloyd, his carefully measured and nearly unhinged performance as Doc Brown is nothing short of brilliant and underrated. He doesn't hold back when delivering a girlish scream of shock and horror. Even though he looks like a stereotypical view of a mad scientist, just listening to him speak gives you the impression of the intelligence rooted in the character. Seeing the relief wash over his face as he realises he's invented something amazing that could potentially change the world, or when he's sent Marty back to the future, those are scenes that I'd seriously consider in my Top Five.
Combine those two actors with a fantastic soundtrack - a mix of Huey Lewis rock and 50s "rock" - along with amazing special effects shots that age amazingly well (and in some cases actually are not special effects) and you've got a pretty alright movie. Then you add in the storyline. Wow. One of the few movies I've seen that actually seems to pay attention to potential time travel effects on one's self and the future world (hell they made two more movies based on those premises) as well as pay attention to it's own established details.
So you've got all that and then you add in a stellar supporting cast featuring the amazing Lea Thompson and the criminally underrated Thomas F. Wilson. It just keeps getting better and better and even though you know all the words, you just keep singing along. You know that if it weren't for this movie, there's a good chance you might not know what Chuck Berry did for rock 'n roll. If it weren't for BttF, you might never have developed that fear deep inside you that your future self might just be an asshole. There is no reason that you shouldn't own the Back to the Future Trilogy. Keep the 80s alive. Screw Ferris Bueller, my vote will always be for Marty McFly should there ever be a Best 80s Movie EVER Tournament held.
5 / 5