Hi everyone, Max from Impassionedcinema and Clair from Cinematic Delights are back to talk about another trilogy. This week we take a look at the Science-Fiction Comedy series Back to the Future. Get your Delorean’s ready.
Back to the Future
Max: There’s something really satisfying about Back to the Future that I can’t quite place my finger on. Whether it is the perfect chemistry between Marty and Doc or the science foundation behind the time-traveling, it’s just something special. Marty is fully believing of Doc’s inventions when others could’ve just thought he was nuts. This time Marty gets stuck in 1955 and he better be careful because the events he could change might even effect his birth! One of the most classic scenes is when Marty takes the stage and starts playing Johnny B Goode. Also who can forget the clock tower that is always striking towards the deadline.
Claire: Until about four weeks ago I’d never watched the Back to the Future trilogy before, much to the surprise of a certain person called Dan who writes the blog Top 10 Films! I don’t know exactly why this was but, at the age of 23, I have finally watched all three. Up until 26th January all I knew about Back to the Future was that it involved time traveling and that Michael J Fox was in it. On that basis, however, I thought the film would be something I’d enjoy. Was I disappointed? Not in the slightest. Back to the Future is a fantastic film that combines sci-fi, comedy and action. I did guess the plot within the first 10 minutes but it was very enjoyable nonetheless. Seeing what my parents were like when they were teenagers is something I’d love to be able to do. In Back to the Future, Marty (Michael J Fox) has this opportunity. Much hilarity (and calamity) ensues – fantastic.
Max: Instead of heading back in time, Marty and Doc head forward. They have learned that Marty’s kids might be in trouble. What they fail to acknowledge is that old Biff has discovered the time machine for himself and has changed the future to how he seems fit. If you watch Back to the Future 2 right after the original it really feels like a mirror image. It follows the exact formula from the first film and even the villain is the same. It’s funny to see how they imaged 2012 to be back then (we still don’t have those awesome hover boards!). It took me a long time to ever see the second film and while people generally hold it in the same esteem as the first, I’m not one of those.
Claire: The DeLorean is back but this time it takes Marty and Doc Brown to the future instead. Marty and Jennifer (Marty’s girlfriend from Back to the Future) children, which haven’t been born yet, are in trouble and it is up to Marty and Doc Brown to prevent this from happening. While I did enjoy Back to the Future 2, for me it is the weakest of the three. The main ingredients haven’t changed, and it is fun to what things may have been like for Marty in 2015, but there was something about the film that I didn’t enjoy as much as the others. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more when it was released in 1989 and 2012 seemed like a long time away.
Max: I hadn’t watched this for years so all I remembered was the famous train scene at the end of the picture. It’s no surprise because that’s easily the most enjoyable thing to come out of this money grabbing three-quel. This movie felt completely unwarranted and the convoluted storyline at the beginning of the picture had my head spinning. This year’s Doc had to go back in time to save that Doc, but Doc might die, so Marty has to save him? Maybe? The movie certainly makes lots of nods to the classic western film, A Fistful of Dollars, featuring Clint Eastwood. While things do get tied up in a neat bow in the end, the picture just felt tacked on.
Claire: Marty and Doc Brown are back once again, though this time it’s a rescue mission. Following on from Back to the Future 2, Marty must travel back in time to the Wild West, where Doc Brown has got trapped. While the comedic element does still remain, a new element has also been introduced: a love interest for Doc Brown. This adds a whole new dimension to the plot, but Marty and Doc Brown are the same loveable duo that they’ve always been, helping each other get out (and in to) of trouble. Back to the Future 3 is also a satisfying end to the series, with all loose ends tied up nicely.
Max: There’s no question about which of the three I like the best. If you only watch one of the three watch Back to the Future. If you enjoy the formula and characters enough for more there’s plenty of the same in the sequels. Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd are the glue that holds the franchise together and it would never be the same without them.
Claire: My favorite of the three has got to be Back to the Future. It’s straight forward but not in a boring way, and it does something that I’d love to do: see my parents when they were younger. If you’re a BTTF newcomer like I was, and a fan of 1980s films with a light hearted edge, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
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