By Graham "GSM" Matthews With the "Back to the Future" trilogy being my favorite franchise of all-time, it was only a matter of time before you would see me featured it here in Director's Cut. I think the only reason I waited this long to finally review the series was because I hadn't seen any of the movies in years, and only just recently found the time to watch them all (consecutively, might I add). There should be no questioning that this movie review will be almost all (if not entirely) positive, but you might have just as much fun reading it as I did writing it and watching the movies again for the first time in a long while. I was first exposed to the "Back to the Future" franchise in my elementary school years and fell in love with the movies almost immediately. I rode the Back to the Future ride at Universal Studios when I was very young and I even remember riding it, but it was before I saw the movies, so I didn't appreciate/enjoy it as much. It is a shame, too, considering the ride closed down in Florida in 2007. Anyway, I believe I watched all three movies in order and I became enamored by the idea of time travel. All these years later, I am still very much in love with the movies and consider them to be my favorite of all time. Watching them back again just recently brought back childhood memories for sure. When you think of a science fiction film, you think it would normally be something that only "nerds" would like. Much like the Star Wars saga, Back to the Future ended up being beloved by all people, regardless of age and what their interests were. It became a part of the culture soon after former United States President Ronald Reagan referenced it in his presidential address. It went far beyond simply a trilogy of movies and ended up launching the careers of Michael J. Fox (Marty) and others. It is such a family friendly film, and the time flies (no pun intended) while watching them, so watching all three movies back-to-back this past weekend went by fast despite the fact it amounted to six hours in total. Perhaps it is because I love the movies so much, but it is also due to the plot being easy to follow and extremely enjoyable.
I appreciated all the small cultural references throughout the movies, which many children may not pick up on (I know I sure didn't when I first watched them). However, they are a very nice touch and made me giggle while seeing them. The first film, without a doubt, is an instant classic with such a fantastic storyline that it is hard not to be captivated by it. The idea of traveling back in time 30 years wasn't explored much around the time of the movie's release in 1985, so it was something fresh and exciting. I didn't know this until just recently, but Michael J. Fox was originally intended to by Marty, as he was already committed to a role on Family Ties. In fact, they had someone else, Eric Stoltz, playing the role at first, before the director decided "it wasn't working" and went with Fox instead. I am grateful that they ended up going with Fox, as the Marty character wouldn't have been the same without him. My favorite star of the entire franchise, however, would have to be Christopher Lloyd as Emmett "Doc" Brown. His character is so over-the-top and Lloyd plays the part to perfection. It is zany and unpredictable, yet likable. It is an innovative inventor for the first two films (and part of the third), but finally develops a love interest in Clara Clayton in the third. That movie focuses more on Doc, and we get to see his softer side for most of the movie while also getting to know more about his character. Marty also learns to stand up for himself throughout the movies, as he comes to the realization in the third movie that he shouldn't care what people say about him and shouldn't let his pride get the best of him whenever he is called "chicken" (or "yellow). Speaking of such, not only is the Back to the Future franchise fun to watch, but it also teaches a number of morals as well. The would have to be, as previously mentioned, to always stick up for yourself. As seen in the first film in the scene where George McFly knocks Biff Tannen out cold, standing up for yourself at any one moment could forever change the course of history, so allowing your voice to be heard and standing up for what you believe is right is a common theme throughout the movies. Another lesson that comes to light at the conclusion of the third movie is to shape the future into what you want it to be and the future hasn't been written yet. That line by Doc at the end of the movie resonated with me personally and I found it to be rather inspiring, regardless of how corny it may have sounded. Of all the movies in the trilogy, it is hard to pick a favorite, but I would have to say that I enjoyed the first sequel ("Back to the Future Part 2") the most. The first film is an instant classic and will forever live in the minds of people as one of the greatest movies ever made, making it "vintage" in the process. However, I often think that Part 2 is underrated in terms of its unique story and how it meshes with both the first and third film. Although it may be seen as a "transitional" film in that sense, it intertwines with the events of the first film and takes an interesting look at both the future and the past. Many people seem to think that when it came to predicting the future, the directors of the movie got everything wrong. What some people fail to realize is that the directors were never trying to make an accurate depiction of the future. Sure, they consulted with some scientists to find out what they thought would be possible in 30 years, but never did they think that flying cars would be a legitimate possibility in the future. Instead, they opted to take a comical twist on the future, with Jaws 19 being a prime example. The scary part is that a Jaws 19 has never been and probably will never be released, it relates back to our obsession with sequels. Additionally, there is an existing hover board in the world (it can be stood on or even touched), 3D is now as popular as ever before, and wireless video games are now a thing of the present. As for the Cubs winning the 2015 World Series, I am still holding out hope! In the end, I could go on and on for days about how great this movie franchise is, but it would be pointless since I am pretty sure already realizes its awesomeness. Time travel isn't for everyone, but even for those who aren't fans of the films, it is interesting to think about what you would do with a time machine if one was to exist. On the topic of time machines, I would love to own a DeLorean as a car someday. That would be the greatest thing ever. Anyway, take the route that I did in finding time to watch all three movies in a row, especially if haven't seen any of them yet (yes, there are people out there who aren't familiar with the franchise; frightening, I know). Should you watch this movie? Yes. |
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