Back to the Future

Throughout film history, there have been a certain number of movies that are considered timeless: "Jaws", "Cabaret", "Raiders of the Lost Ark", "Star Wars", "Nine to Five", "Rollerball", "2001: A Space Odyssey" and many others. These films are films that can be seen time and again and never tire of them. Another one of those films is "Back to the Future", so when Universal Pictures decided to re-release it, I had to view it, since the last time I saw it was during a retrospective back in 1989.

 

Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), a typical American teenager of the eighties, accidentally but inadvertently was sent back to 1955 in a plutonium-powered DeLorean 'time machine' invented by a slightly mad scientist, Dr. Emmett 'Doc' Brown (Christopher Lloyd). During his often hysterical, always amazing trip back in time, mishaps occur, so Marty must make his parents George McFly (Crispin Glover) and Lorraine Baines (Lea Thompson) somehow meet and fall in love so he can get back to the future. Between Doc and Marty can they team together to see that Marty's folks meet and subsequently fall in love or do things get worse and they're left to pick up the pieces?

 

Others to round out the cast are Thomas F. Wilson as Biff Tannen, Claudia Wells as Jennifer, Marty's girlfriend, Marc McCure as Dave McFly, Marty's brother, Wendie Jo Sperber as Linda McFly, Marty's sister, George DiCenzo as Sam Baines, Lorraine's dad, Frances Lee McCain as Stella Baines, Lorraine's mom and James Tolkan as Mr. Strickland.

 

This was directed by iconic director Robert Zemeckis ("Used Cars" '80, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" '88, "Back to the Future II" '89, "Back to the Future III" '90, "Death Becomes Her" '92, "Forrest Gump" '94, "Cast Away" 2000, "The Polar Express" '04, "A Christmas Carol" '09, "Flight" '12, "The Walk" '15, "Allied" '16). The frenetic energy of both Marty and Doc Brown was pure genius which kept the film moving and this is amazing directing. It was brilliantly written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale in that when time travel is the premise of any film, it has a tendency to get bogged down with confusion and so many time paradoxes that the storyline seizes to make sense. However, these two masters of script writing were able to weave an incredibly original story with paradoxes, but ones that the audience could grasp a hold on to and understand. There are writers today that cannot master this caliber of screenwriting. And with their subsequent sequels Parts II and III, this was a quality trilogy that will please any audience. Along with fine directing by Zemeckis, his music composer, Alan Silvestri writes a score that simply tells this story with clarity and finesse.

 

This is the quintessential popcorn flick replete with adventure, action, humor, quality writing, directing and acting. This is a fun, rollicking roller coaster ride, and if you haven't seen this on the large screen, hit the multiplex--you will not be disappointed. This re-release is one that is as entertaining this time around as it was in 1985.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                    Rated: PG                                       116mins.