Superb

Rating: 10/10 (23 October 2015)

This fusion of sci-fi, action, romance and comedy could have been a dreadful mess, were it not for writer-director Robert Zemeckis and co-writer Bob Gale's refusal to let a loose line or idea escape their pens. The funnies come thick and fast – Doc excitedly describing the forthcoming high-school dance as "a rhythmic ceremonial ritual"; Marty's hapless dad (the incomparable Crispin Glover) tremblingly telling his ma "I'm your density..." – but more satisfying still is the intricate interplay between past and future. It turns out that Marty's Uncle "Jailbird" Joey loves, as an infant, to stay in his cot ("Better get used to these bars, kid"). The young Doc's incredulity on hearing of actor Ronald Reagan's next job – "Who's Vice-President? Jerry Lewis?" – spoke for the world, and Marty's means of returning to 1985 is a stroke of narrative genius. Scheduling clashes very nearly led to Marty's being played by Eric Stoltz, but (with all respect to the very capable Stoltz) thank heavens a solution was found, as the film would have been immeasurably the poorer without Fox's uniquely energetic charm. It's particularly cruel that so physically nimble a performer should since have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but he continues to approach it with a hero's grace and humour, and has become a major figure in increasing awareness for the disease.