A Slick, Smart, Enduring Mid-80s Classic

Rating: 9/10 (27 November 2018)

An endearing mad scientist cracks the secret to time travel and snares his young assistant in a complicated familial paradox. Do I really need to summarize? The original Back to the Future is one of the decade's most ambitious, identifiable smash hits, a genre-straddling film that's still effective more than thirty years later.
With a warm, slightly off-kilter personality, fabulous characters, a craftily complex plot and a fantastic musical score, there's no shortage of reasons why it's aged so well. Perhaps most impressive is the cast; one perfect fit after another. Michael J. Fox, at the onset of his overnight fame, is equal parts driven and perplexed by the chaos surrounding his life. Lea Thompson and Crispin Glover each nail double roles as deflated, defeated adults and their glowing, energetic teenage counterparts. Christopher Lloyd might be the best of them all as Doc Brown, the forever-old, slightly deranged mastermind who never completely believes he's accomplished his life's greatest goal.
The story has a few holes (what time-skipping adventure doesn't) and sometimes tries to be a little too cute, but such shortcomings are easily brushed aside as the large/small adventures unfold. Expertly written, directed, acted and produced, with memorable lines a'plenty and a charming, optimistic spirit, it's a well-worn favorite.