Review of Back to the Future (1985) by Kevin P — 09 Jul 2018

Strengths: Another movie that's a classic for a reason. Time travel isn't an original idea, but this was an inventive take on it. It works for all age groups, from people who just want to have a good time, to hardcore sci-fi fans. Michael J. Fox (Marty McFly) plays a fantastic, iconic character with unbridled joy. He's having the time of his life and it's all over his face. His chemistry with Christopher Lloyd (Doc Brown) was electric. Their scenes together were always great fun. Lea Thompson (Lorraine Baines) and Crispin Glover (George McFly) were both a lot of fun, as was Thomas F. Wilson (Biff Tannen). The time travel aspects were handled with enough care that they felt complex, yet simple. It's a tough balancing act. Keeping the main plot to being about something related to family allowed the movie to be something that everyone could enjoy.

Weaknesses: I wasn't big on Lorraine's character. She was so obsessed with Marty and it was overboard. It was like they wanted to get the point across so badly that they beat us over the head with the idea. I know the film was made in 1985, but the special effects were still rough for that era. They don't hold up at all.

Overall: A clever time travel movie that remains a blast even three decades later. It's the pinnacle of Lloyd and Fox's careers. There are many greats from this era, yet Back to the Future remains near the top of the list.