Note: This film was the main topic of discussion on Episode 0 of my podcast, The Cinescope Podcast. Give it a listen for a more in-depth discussion!

Back to the Future is my all-time favorite movie. From the plot, to the actors, to the special effects – I love everything about this film, ever since I first saw it when I was ten years old. Time travel has always fascinated me, which might be why this film appealed to me in the first place. It by no means handled the concept of time travel perfectly, but it deals with the idea of travelling through time and the consequences of it in a way that is fun and full of life lessons.

There are so many positive things that can be said about this film because it works on so many levels: it’s a comedy, it’s a romance, it’s an action-thriller, and it’s a science fiction film. The cast meshes together incredibly well, with the highlights being Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox. Fox has a natural comedic timing that works really well in this film…which comes in handy because he manages to make something very awkward (his mother falling in love with him) something extremely funny. Christopher Lloyd is perfect as the eccentric inventor Doc Brown, bringing laughs with his wild exclamations and goofy behavior. The detail paid to the period and to the changes made between times (i.e. “Twin Pines Mall” to “Lone Pine Mall”) is terrific; one of my favorite aspects of this movie is the attention given to setups and payoffs, i.e. a plot choice made early in the film being explained by the plot later. Every choice made in the making of a movie has a purpose (or, at least, it should), and director Robert Zemeckis does a splendid job of making sure there’s a reason for everything he does.

I mentioned earlier that there are plenty of life lessons found in this film, the most prominent of these being a quote said multiple times: “If you set your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.” It’s about standing up for yourself and for others, about taking control of your own future, and about the strength of friendship. It’s about believing in your abilities and about doing anything for the people you love…and it teaches all of this without preaching or losing any entertainment value.

I’ve spent hours on this review…I’d never have dreamed that it’d be so difficult for me to put my opinion on this movie into words. I once read a film review by Adam Smith over at EmpireOnline.com that said, “To put it bluntly: if you don’t like Back To The Future, it’s difficult to believe that you like films at all.” I agree completely – it wouldn’t be far off to say that Back to the Future is the film that kicked off my interest in cinema in the first place. It’s timeless in the way that it still attracts audiences even today, more than 25 years later, and it never fails to bring smiles and constant laughter every time I watch. I can’t recommend this movie quite enough, and, if you happen to know me personally, you should strive to watch it with me…I give quite the commentary.

-Chad

Rating: 5 (out of 5)

MPAA: PG