Brilliant Scenario!

Rating: 10/10 (29 June 2008)

Few things are as difficult to accomplish as a movie dealing with time-traveling. To take on themes as risky as paradoxes and time loops you primarily need a healthy dose of courage and ambition, but most importantly loads of writing talent and cinematic vision. The scenario of "Back to the Future", courtesy of director Robert Zemeckis and co-producer Bob Gale, is honestly one of the most brilliant ones ever penned down and, thanks to the financial support of several acclaimed producers (including Steven Spielberg and Frank Marshall), it also became one of the most massively entertaining films of all time, with sublime special & sound effects, diversity of genres and some of the greatest casting choices and acting performances ever. "Back to the Future" is quintessentially speaking a Sci-Fi comedy, but Robert Zemeckis admirably also hints at the more emotional and melodramatic aspects regarding time traveling. Also, even though the film boosts some of the greatest effects ever, their use merely remains functional and occasionally, so that the emphasis continuously lies on the story and the development of the characters instead of on flamboyant machinery and overlong speeches about scientific theories. The DeLorean is a stylish and original piece of scenery, but other than the fantastic and already legendary vehicle there are no giant laboratories with thousands of flickering lights. Marty McFly is a typical mid-80's teenager with a skateboard he knows how to use and a delightful high school sweetheart that loves him very much. His parents George and Lorraine, however, are a pitiable and hopelessly old-fashioned couple and thus he spends most of his free time with his genius but slightly eccentric friend Doc Brown. The latter invented a time-traveling device and, following a series of bizarre events, Marty accidentally travels back to 1955; the year his parents met and fell in love during the school prom. Marty has only one chance to return to the future, but in the meantime he has to correct the events he tampered with in order to save the future and even assure his own birth. The script is very well constructed and literally stuffed with witty little details that refer to earlier events and/or events that have yet to appear, either later in the film or even in one of the sequels. The humor works, the light-headed tone and atmosphere puts a big smile on your face, you come to care for the characters and the awesome soundtrack even makes it difficult to remain in your seat. Michael J. Fox, Lea Thompson and Thomas F. Wilson all give away excellent performances, but my two preferred roles are for Christopher Lloyd (with his confused looks and bizarre facial expressions, he makes a superb mad scientist) and Crispin Glover. The latter appears to be born to depict weirdos and uncanny freaks, so the role of introvert and mysterious George McFly fits him perfectly.