Back to the Future Review

 

        Spielberg dominated the 80s in a way that no other director has come prior or since. Aside from making his movies, he also produced films that have become classics. Some may accuse him of ghost directing since the movies have his distinct touch. Back to the Future is the quintessential time travel movie that is timeless. And to put it simply, it’s one of my favorite movies. 

1. Marty McFly

        What can I say about Marty? He’s probably the most likeable protagonist that you can find in any movie. From the start, he is chastised from the principal saying that he’ll end up like his Dad, by doing nothing in his life. Marty is the perfect example of being an underdog. One instance is when he and his band perform in front of school officials for prom, only to be turned down.

        Interestingly, he helps the eccentric scientist Doc Brown. Marty just goes along with what he’s doing, such as testing a new time machine. It’s never really explained as to why Marty assists Doc, but they have a good chemistry among them. Really the movie shifts gears, so to speak when we see the time machine. It’s practically a part of pop culture, but what makes the DeLorean work is that it acts like a commercial and poking fun at it. I’ll explain later in the next tab. 

        How the movie treats the time travel is done so well with Marty. Literally, he’s a fish out of water when he’s in the past. Everything is alien to him since the things that he knows don’t exist. Not only is the film strictly sci-fi, it also uses comedy to its fullest. The moment where his own mom has the hots for him never feels cringey in the least bit. Like, of course Lorraine gets fond of him, but never in a sense where it’s perverted. 

        I think the best moment is that he takes the initiative to right the wrongs of the past. Since he’s in the 50s, he can at least make a difference, for better and worse. What I mean is that his actions have the consequences we see in the beginning and in the end. Like attempting to get his Dad to get with his Mom. Which I’ll explain now in the next tab.

2. Courage and Fear

        Aside from Marty being a fish out of water, I feel that the film is really about the ideas of Courage and Fear. Courage in a way that Marty never gives up. Like I mentioned before, his band gets rejected to play at a dance. There’s a vindicating scene where Marty just wails on the guitar that is awesome and hilarious. I think this overall idea helps Marty be a well-rounded character because he has urgency. 

        With the threat that he’ll be wiped away due to a time paradox, Marty coaches his dad to be able to stand up for himself. And we see just how bad George gets it in school. Marty even sees it in the beginning when the villain Biff walks over his dad. The bonding moment feels cathartic since Marty wants to at least help his dad. 

        Now let’s talk about Fear. Another aspect of the film that I kept noticing is that there’s failure that’s permeating in the film. It relates to fear so let me explain. Obviously, the DeLorean is supposed to represent that since it’s faulty when Marty wants it to work. And Doc feeling like he hasn’t accomplished much. Lastly, Marty attempting to get Lorraine and George together, but circumstances impeding that. 

        Marty is the anthesis of that since he has the motivation to not be like his parents. The little moments where he coaches his Dad to be more assertive is fun and endearing. It never feels selfish where Marty wants to change his family which I like. But it’s that urgency that he wants to right the wrongs that his family and he did so that everything can be normal. 

3. Legacy

        Can you really say much about how much influence this film had on the public? One would think that it would be a one-off movie, but it had sequels where it’s not on par with the original. And they’re not terrible, like it felt obligatory to have Marty go into the future and in the Wild West. 

        Kind of shock that it also inspired the adult swim show Rick and Morty. Technically, the animated short "The Real Animated Adventures of Doc and Mharti" is spoofing the very idea of Back to the Future. Which prompted co-creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland to make the show as twisted and demented as you think. 

4. Overall

        Back to the Future is one of the great sci-fi films of the 80s. It never feels dated which makes it timeless. Also, it’s one of the few movies to not have gotten a remake, and I’m glad.