Movie Review – “Back to the Future”

This film review was requested earlier today. Direct any other
requests here. You
can even pick from this
list
if you want the review to come relatively quickly.

Premise

Marty McFly stumbles about 30 years into the past, and hijinks
ensue.

Cast, Crew, and Other Info

Complete cast and crew information is available from the IMDB.

Michael J. Fox plays Marty McFly.

Christopher Lloyd plays “Doc” Brown.

Lea Thompson plays Lorraine.

Crispin Glover plays George McFly.

Thomas F. Wilson plays Biff Tannen.

Marc “Jimmy Olsen” McClure plays Dave McFly.

It was co-written and directed by Robert Zemeckis. Bob Gale
was the
other writer.

High Point

Doc Brown’s reaction to the bug in the simulation.

Low Point

The blue screening looked fake in 1985, and it looks fake now.

The Scores

This is an interesting twist on the grandfather paradox. It’s also
the only comedy I can think of with incestual undertones among
characters the audience is meant to like. I give it 5 out of 6 for
originality.

The effects that didn’t involve blue-screening look
great.
Those that did need blue-screening have some very visible matte
lines. I give it 4 out of 6.

The story was packed with more nuance and subtlety
that most
comedies are. (Just watch the name of the mall, for one
example. I
also get a kick out of the dog named after the scientist who
revolutionized the way we look at time.) The only flaw is the
amount
of early exposition (with the first meeting of Marty’s parents, etc.)
I give it 5 out of 6.

The acting is excellent. Michael J. Fox is good, but
he’s
also got an accurate enough view of the world around him to stay
out
of Christopher Lloyd’s way and let the genius do his thing. Crispin
Glover, Lea Thompson, and Thomas F. Wilson easily pull their
weight,
playing to their character types with ease. I give it 6 out of 6.

The emotional response this produces, after 18
years worth of
annual viewing (or more), is still strong. Much of the film still
amuses me, although the High Point is the only moment
guaranteed to
make me laugh out loud every time. I give it 6 out of 6.

The production is excellent. The editing keeps pace
with the
action quite well, and the cinematographer knows where to point
the
camera for maximum comedic effects. There are also about a
dozen
instances of Michael J. Fox trying to naturally reposition himself
so
that his facial expressions are visible around the more animated
cast
members, which is no small feat. Alan Silvestri’s score is also
perfect; it keeps a light comedic tone, even while imparting a
sense
of impending danger when needed. I give it 6 out of 6.

Overall, it’s a classic comedy that appeals to people
who
aren’t even fans of the science fiction genre. There’s a reason
the
IMDB voters have placed it in the top 150 films of all time. I give
it 6 out of 6.

In total, Back to the Future receives 38 out of 42.

2 replies on “Movie Review – “Back to the Future””

    • Re: Ah, my request is done…

      Ye gods, that was fast! Thanks!

      My tendonitis is acting up this weekend, so I’ll be spending a lot of time
      watching DVDs instead of doing online research for one of my
      Education classes (like I should be doing.) One of the perks to taking a
      film studies course is that you can watch just about anything and call it
      studying; I just got through six more episodes of Robotech,
      and hope to finally have the third review of that series finished by the
      end of the week.

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