THE BACK TO THE FUTURE TRILOGY
- jackcooper98
- Oct 21, 2015
- 4 min read
Great Scott…
The year is 1985. Then it’s 1955. Then it’s 1985 again. And then it’s 2015. And then 1985 again, but a different 1985. Then it’s 1955. Then 1885. Then it’s 1985 again, but this time it’s the proper 1985. I need a lie down.
The Back to the Future trilogy can get a bit confusing at times. But it is undoubtedly a classic. Or classics. Seeing as today is the day (you know what I’m talking about), I thought I’d review the whole lot of them in one. So, here goes…
Part 1: The first Back to the Future is one of those movies that’s just always been good, and always will be. It’s fun, quirky, and brilliantly done all at the same time. The plot is simple: Marty McFly (Michal J. Fox) goes back in time, and, after some questionable shenanigans, has to make sure his parents end up together. Oh, and get bully Biff out of the way as well. Of course, he doesn’t act alone. Alongside him is Doctor Emmet Brown, by far the best character out of the trilogy. He’s got crazy hair, crazy catch phrases and is perfectly acted by Christopher Lloyd. Their means of time travel? That would be the DeLorean. What now seems like a banged-up old wreck, which has the power to travel in time using…..A flux capacitor? I don’t know. I was too busy humming along to the theme tune.
On the whole, Robert Zemeckis’ first part of the trilogy is pretty great. It’s well paced, hugely entertaining and you can never really take your eyes off the screen. Plus, a brilliant theme tune by Alan Silvestri (Avengers Assemble) only makes it better.
Part 2: The second movie features a lot more time travel. Taking place over three different periods, (Four if we’re counting alternate realities), Back to the Future Part 2 is a great film, but because it’s so complicated, you find yourself struggling to keep up. Of course, the time period everyone talks about is 2015. Specifically, October 21st, 2015. Strange how things work out. In this part of the Trilogy, Marty and the Doc travel into the future, which to us is now sadly the past, to save Marty’s kids. Things unfortunately go wrong, nd they retreat back into 1985. But things are different. Their actions in the future have changed everything. Marty’s Dad is dead, and his Mother is married to the now-million/billionaire Biff Tannen. Striving to make things right, they go even further back, once again ending up in 1955. And yes, Marty does almost run into himself, as does the Doc. Long story short, they save the day. Just as they are about to go back/forward to 1985, the DeLorean is zapped by lightning. Moments later, Marty receives a letter. The Doc’s alive…
Like I said earlier, this movie just tries to make itself too complicated. While it’s always fun to laugh at the movie version of 2015, the rest of the film isn’t anywhere near as good as the first. It’s still fun, but just feels like a repeat. Again though, Zemeckis makes it entertaining. Yes there are parts that don’t need to be there. There are parts that definitely needed to be there. (Hello Hover Board chase.) As much as you might want to fight yourself over it, you can’t really not like this movie. It’s just too fun.
Part 3: This is where things start to fall apart. Ok, so we pick up at the end of Part 2. Marty is stranded in 1955, but now knows the Doc is alive in 1885. Enlisting the help of 1955 Doc, Marty succeeds in making it to 1885, and the Doc waiting for him there. After some cowboy stuff and more manure, Marty and the Doc use a local steam train to push the broken DeLorean up to 88mph, and get Marty back to the future. (Sorry, I had to.) But the Doc stays behind, having fallen in love with Clara Clayton. But, back in 1985, (the real one, this time), Marty is visited by the Doc and Clara, who have converted a train into….A timetrain. Which can fly. Going out with Silvestri’s iconic theme, the trilogy ends.
Seems cool right? Time travel, cowboys, trains fallen off cliffs? Unfortunately, this movie suffers from one major let down. And I’ve always stuck by this point of view and always will. The woman. Or as she’s actually called, Clara. I have no issue with the character herself. Introducing a love interest for Doc is a great idea. Wait, no it’s not. I….I still can’t decide. The problem I have with her is the way she’s portrayed. Mary Steenburgen’s acting is nothing short of terrible. She’s just a bumbling damsel in distress, who can’t seem to say the word Emmet without saying ‘oh’ in front of it. Yes, the movie itself certainly has fall downs. But she is definitely the worst. Thankfully, we are treated to more brilliant scenes between Marty and the Doc without her.
On the whole then, the trilogy is, more than anything, fun. Time travel rarely is. Unless it’s an angry Romulan on the hunt for Spock. But that’s a whole other story. Yes it has fall downs, and yes it has….Her, but still, the first two can still be enjoyed on their own. In fact, Part 2’s cliff-hanger ending is superb at the very least. And Fox and Lloyd give excellent performances throughout. Plus, Y’know…It’s got a really catchy theme.
8/10
Comments