Go 'Back' to the Magic

Rating: 10/10 (3 July 2009)

What teenage boy didn't want to be Marty McFly (Fox) if they grew up in the 80s? I certainly did. He had it all: someone he loved and loved him back, a best friend that could literally send him on adventures, played guitar in a band, a carefree spirit – using vehicles to accelerate his skateboarding, including a cop's and to be able to time-travel – catching his parents in future lies. I grew up on 'Back to the Future'; I must've watched it 50 times as a kid, never knowing I was taking for granted how much this comedic adventure masterpiece was completely unique and rarely a movie such as this comes around. Watching this now, having watched 1000s of movies since its release 24 years ago, I appreciate it all the more. The movie has great, pitch-perfect lines/comedy, extreme adventure, a heart, still well-made special effects and it certainly reminded me of how great movies used to be made: pre-CGI. Nothing against CGI, a lot of movies today benefit from the effect, but you have to appreciate the 50s town they recreated to scale, making me believe I was there. Marty accidentally gets sent back to 1955 by his best friend (played perfectly by Christopher Lloyd) Doc Brown and after a few scenes to convince him he's really back in time, he seeks the aid of Brown to get, well, "back to the future." At the same time, its damage-control with the paradox he creates that almost erases his own existence. Sure, it had minor flaws: Fox definitively didn't look like a teenager in the sequels –he barely pulls it off here and of course there's the typical 80s numerous product placements, down to the DeLorean itself – ironically, not enough to save the doomed car. Still, an absolute must-see.