Genres

Visitors Review

2013-05-13 10:37:06

great movie, poor quality

This review is from: Back to the Future (Amazon Instant Video) Trying to watch this on Amazon Instant Video was awful. Picture kept going in & out, & volume was waaay off. Think i'll stick to DVD's after this.

moviemuskie 2013-05-13 06:22:39

Corny no doubt but still awesome.

This is as typical of a teen eighties movie as you can get, in fact theeighties might have been the decade that those teen movies wereinvented, if not then this is when they definitely got popular. Theformula is generally the same, there is a self assured kinda rebelliousyoung man who sometimes gets in trouble, has a nice girlfriend, andgets into all kinds of trouble. He listens to cool music, says"ayyyyyyy" a lot, and most of the time has some sort of mullet. Some ofthe teen movies are good, some of them awful, but this one is a cutabove the rest, Back to the Future is one of the best movies of the1980's, and 80's superstud Michael J. Fox leads off this excellentmovie. He plays Marty McFly, a high school kid who hangs out with thecrazy scientist Dr. Brown, a wacky spaced out inventor played toperfection by Christopher Lloyd. The performances of Michael J. Fox andChristopher Lloyd and their chemistry really are what make this moviethey are perfect for their parts and really make this the movie that itis.The plot is very nice too. We see Marty McFly's neighborhood beforeanything was there, and it was just open land. We see the small town helives in when it was much smaller in size, and there wasn't so muchexpansion. We see a lot of cool stuff in this movie. This is a moviethat holds your interest through the entire thing. I have to admit I ama science fiction fan, and I have always been fascinated wit theconcept of time travel, and while this movie is a complete fantasy(they travel back in time in a Delorean) It is also interesting to seethe makeup jobs in this movie, we see characters 30 years in the past,and we see 40 year old people playing people who are twenty years oldand vice versa. The highlight of the movie remains Christopher Lloyd,who plays what might be his best part ever, he is just too funny forwords, and is so over-the-top he gives this movie the perfect tone, andcompliments everyone around him with his great performance.The story progresses nicely, the last half hour is priceless, as we seeMichael J. Fox play Johnny Be Good to a crowd who has never heard rockand roll as we know it. Then he goes back to the future and he almostmisses it. The movie has the Quantum Leap aspect of it as we see whatopens when you alter the past which affects the present in ways wenever would have thought of. This movie is both a nice timepiece forthe fifties and the eighties, showing at least the way that people inboth time would like to have thought they were, in an idealistic world,so the movie is interesting like that, and has a nice touch of comedy,and science fiction here. The two genre's mesh well here, and sometimesScience Fiction and comedy don't always go well together. (seeHitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy) It is also kind of funny to see thetime period conflict with each other, we see things that are done inthe eighties, and not in the fifties and vice versa. While there are nobelly laughs in the movie there are enough jokes and enough interestingmoments that will definitely make you think, this is not a sociallyconscious movie by any stretch of the imagination, but it is somethingthat is very interesting. This movie is probably the centerpiece ofMichael J. Fox's film career, he rarely had a films this successfulother than the two sequels, and this was a monster hit for the day.While it is one of the best eighties movies it is also one of the bestabout time travel, corny it might be but Back to the Future remains oneof the best of it's kind, it's kinda hard to classify, but of whatevergenre it is, it is one of the best.

ifilmstuf24 2013-04-19 16:45:47

25 years, and it hasn't aged a day...

I just got back from a 25th Anniversary Screening of "Back to theFuture" at The Puente Hills Mall. Which is the same Mall that was usedfor the film. It's like stepping into a time machine and going Back tothe Past.As a child I used to watch The BTTF Trilogy all the time on video. Myfavorite ride at Universal Studios was the BTTF ride. And I got reallyexcited when the Trilogy was released to DVD.Now as a teenager, I got extremely excited when I read that there wasgoing to be a Re-Release. The showing was awesome, there were so manyother fans, there was clapping during just about every scene.Now for the film. The film follows a really simple plot (which is rarefor most time travel adventures). The jokes seem new every time I watchthe film. They're always hilarious. And I have to credit the AmazingCast and Writers for that.For a Comedy, the movie packs a lot of suspense, the climax isbeautifully put together with its race against time situation.And what else can I say that hasn't already been said? The movie is onethat every person in the world should see. It's really one of the BestMovies of All-Time 10*** out of 10***

2013-04-19 12:02:42

Great Scott!! 20 Years Later This "Future" Still Burns Brightly

"What are you lookin' at butthead? Say hello to your mom for me." "If my calculations are correct, once this baby hits 88 miles per hour, your gonna see some serious sh*t.""If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything."- M.I.L.F hunter, Biff Tannen likes big butts, while the sh*t hits the fan in overdrive, as Doc Brown gets "Temporal Experiment #1" underway, but, all Marty McFly wants is to concentrate real hard to get "Back To The Future" Its been 20 years since "Back To The Future" was released in theaters on the Fourth of July weekend of 1985. The film that rocketed Michael J. Fox to stardom is still one of Director, Robert Zemeckis' best films is a modernday family classic. Its October 25, 1985, & Marty McFly is the typical, average American teenager living in the small town of Hill Valley, California. He plays guitar, skateboards, has a girlfriend, (Jennifer Parker) & gets detention from the school discplinarian. The one thing that annoys & embarasses Marty the most, is his family.His dad, George, is a complete wimp & ultimate nerd, right down to the pocket protector. The senior McFly doesn't even stand up for himself when, his boss & former high school bully, Biff Tannen brings the family car home totalled & a complete wreck. What's worse is when Marty finds out that his dad is basically doing Tannen's job, typing up reports & handing them into his boss to make Tannen look good.As for Marty's mom, Lorraine? After years of living & being married to George, that includes three kids, she's basically become a hardcore alcoholic. The family drunk. Marty's brother, Dave works the night shift at the local Burger King (the one next to Doc Brown's lab), while Marty's sister is still in high school.The future doesn't look to bright for the McFly family. Or does it?In the wee hours of October 26, 1985, Marty gets a phone call from his mad scientist friend, Doctor Brown, & travels by skateboard to the Twin Pines Mall. Once there, Marty experiences Doc Brown's latest invention, sitting in the parking lot - a time machine made out of a DeLeorean. Marty also finds out that the machine runs only on plutonium through the flux capacitor (that powers the time circuits) & the Doc has stolen a case from a group of terrorists. Of course, Doc Brown tells Marty the whole story just in time for the terrorists to come screeching into the parking lot, machine guns blazing. Through the fire fight, Doc is hit & Marty has no choice but to get into the DeLeorean & try to escape. Escape he does - 30 years into the past. Its the early hours of November 5, 1955 & Marty can't believe his eyes. The mall isn't there, his neighborhood, Lyon Estates, is in the early planning stages, & worse yet, Marty has no way of getting home (the case of plutonium was left behind in 1985 (or is it ahead?). Marty hides the car behind the Lyon Estates billboard & heads into town & his worst case of culture shock. The cruddy, almost deserted town square of 1985, is the spotless, busy town square of 1955. Things go from bad to disasterous when Marty has a run in with his father and changes the course of future events that lead up to George meeting & falling in love with Lorraine. Marty, after some convincing, gets some serious help from a younger Doc Brown. The Doc explains to Marty that if George & Lorraine don't fall in love, they won't get married, if they don't get married, they won't have kids, & if they don't have kids..., Marty will not only erase himself from existence, but, will also erase his older brother & sister as well. As for the problem of getting Marty back to the future & saving Doc Brown's life, thats going to be like catching lightning in a bottle. Then again, if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.After the success of "Romancing The Stone" in the spring of 1984, Robert Zemeckis shopped his next project around. Basically, the story of a teenager who has to learn about the concept of time. After every major studio passed, "Universal" picked it up only under the condition that Steven Spielberg be executive producer for the project. Zemeckis' first & only choice was Michael J. Fox for the role of Marty. But, when Fox wasn't available (he had commitments with the show "Family Ties") Zemeckis settled with Eric Stoltz. But, after Fox did some stern renagotiating at the 11th hour with "Ties" creator, Michael C. Gross, Fox jumped on board "Future" while Stoltz got a pink slip (this is a sore spot for Stoltz, even to this day).Fox's schedule was so hectic, filming between "Back To The Future" & "Family Ties", that he only got roughly eight to twelve hours of sleep each week. Fox was so tired it got to a point where, while getting ready to go on stage to film a live scene of "Family Ties", Fox was looking for the JVC camcorder prop that was used during the previous nights' shoot for "Back To The Future"! While the film was recieving great critical acclaim & box office, Michael J. didn't know exactly how big the film was. When "Future" first opened in the U.S., he was in Europe filming a "Family Ties" T.V. movie of the week. When Fox did come home he found people camped out on his front lawn waiting for him & his autograph!Christopher Lloyd is great as Doc Brown & should have gotten an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. He's the best mad scientist since Dr. Frankenstein himself.The comic timing & chemistry between Fox & Lloyd is classic. 20 years after its release, "Back To The Future" still looks bright enough to wear shades.

2013-04-08 22:47:46

Quite simply, a cinematic classic

There are films that are good, and there are films that exhibit that extra something special that renders them truly great, endlessly entertaining no matter how times one sees them. Back to the Future is a great film, one that might appear to some people superficially slick and commercial, but which after repeated viewings clearly proves itself to be a cinematic triumph, an effort that will stand the test of time. The three BTTF films actually comprise one long, inventive, clever, and hiliarious presentation that never disappoints. Everything about this film is thoughtfully crafted and gorgeously executed: the casting, the acting, the writing, and camera work, the editing, and the music--everything works. Christopher Lloyd is PERFECT as Doc Brown, and despite his other successes (especially in TV comedies), I think that Michael J. Fox will be best remembered for his role as the irrepressible "everykid," Marty McFly. Even a lot of the little details in casting and dialog are unforgettable--"Mr. Strickland," the cop-like vice-principal in charge of "discipline" that every public school graduate will recognize from his or her own school years; the crazed "Libyan terrorist" vainly firing his automatic weapon at Marty as McFly flees through Twin Pines Mall in the gull-winged DeLorean. Terrific! Of course, one of the true highlights of the first BTTF film is the impressionistic but highly accurate portrayal of "Hill Valley, 1955," including the hilarious sequence in which a car pulls into the Texaco station and is promptly greeted by four uniformed service station employees providing old-fashioned "full service." As long as one doesn't take too seriously or think too hard about the time travel paradoxes that abound, this film is sure to please.

Joel Reed 2013-04-08 09:59:56

A Zemeckis Sci-Fi Masterpiece

Marty McFly (Michael J Fox) is a teenager in Hill Valley, California in1985- and then in 1955. Dr Emmett Brown's time machine has flung Marty 30yearsback in time and he's stranded there unless the 1955 Doc Brown can helphim.Worse: Marty's own mother, here a high school teenager, is falling for himinstead of his father.It sounds like a clichéd science fiction movie that could only appeal tofans of the genre - but that couldn't be more wrong. A huge hit, itappealedacross the board for its invention, its exuberant energy, and the famousfinale - so tense, so very exciting and yet able to make you gasp andlaughat the same time.Looking back at it now, it seems less subtle than it did on release andyoucan't help but recognise how carefully the story sets out to manipulateyou.Every scene, every line works but then later you see how you were set up:nobody says anything that doesn't become important to the plot later. Thatshould be terrible, but it's done so very well that it's a treat. It'sundeniably formulaic but so outstandingly executed that it vindicates theformula.No surprise then that there were two sequels (and subsequent videoreleasesof the film had the line "To Be Continued" added to the closing moments).They are good but not quite to the standard of this gem.

Altaira 2013-03-31 05:44:41

The start of a very entertaining trilogy

Ohhhh...such a great film, even after so many years! I first saw Back tothe Future as a seven-year-old, and while I enjoyed it then, I didn'tgraspall the subtle implications. The idea of a teenager accidentally muckingaround in his parent's first romance is mind-boggling, but enjoyable. Insome ways, this is not only a sci-fi flick (which really it isn't) but acharacter drama, a comedy (at many times) and a period piece. Thecontrastbetween the 80's and the 50's is comical in a time when both decades arepart of America's colorful past.After you've seen Back to the Future at least a dozen times, you start topick up on the attention to detail--and how one incident in the past candrastically affect the future. The name of the mall, for instance, ischanged from Twin Pine to Lone Pine in one fell swoop of an out-of-controlDeLorean.Such comedy arises from Marty's encounters with his family-to-be.Lorraine,his mother, is infatuated with him, much to the dismay of her family; herfather remarks, "He's an idiot. Parents probably idiots too. Lorraine,ifyou ever have a kid like that I'll disown you." If he onlyknew!!!BTTF also sets the pace for the rest of the trilogy, and you really havetowatch the first to understand any of the movies. Plus, if you look at thetrilogy as a whole, one big incorporate story, it's really a veryinventive,involving joyride. Plus, Christopher Lloyd makes a very amusing nuttyprofessor-type, and the soundtrack's great. The costumes are convincing,asis 50's Hill Valley. A great experience for anyone.

neilg345 2013-03-30 17:20:27

my favourite film

Ah Back to the Future without a doubt my favourite film from childhood andsure it seems dated now but that just adds to its charm. Michael J Fox hasnever been better than in the BTF Trilogy and everyone else in the castplays there parts to perfection especially town bully Biff Tannen. Its aclassic feel good movie that delivers on all levels and even now 16 yearsafter its release it still has the power to leave a smile on yourface

2013-03-23 16:26:27

One of the best movies of all time

This review is from: Back to the Future (Amazon Instant Video) Childhood favorite that I still love today. Really gets the imagination going. Great for kids and great for adults! Christopher Loyd and Michael J fox are awesome in this movie!

2013-03-23 07:17:39

This is a good series

I personally enjoy this movie :) I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a good movie and some great action from the 80's!

2013-03-21 22:22:05

DVD is Better.

This a good movie, on video.But it`s a Great movie on DVD.'nough said.

wannasurf2 2013-03-21 16:34:12

Very durable

Any time this movie is on, I get sucked in. This movie is easily the mostdurable of any that I can think of. The only close competition fordurability would be the Shawshank Redemption. This is one of those moviesthat I would see at the theater again, if they were to show it on the bigscreen! I would recommend this for kids too, because it is timeless. Orwait, it isn't timeless, it is full of time.

t_stainforth 2013-03-19 12:36:08

Good but slightly flawed

I have liked Back to the Future since I was a kid. It has a fascinating story and concept, but I think that the concept might betoo much of the reason why I like it. The story is hugelyentertaining, especially the first time you watch it, but there are somany plot holes and vaguely idiotic concepts that it can start to bea bit annoying. I won't get into the plot holes, since they really don'tmatter, as they say, you just have to suspend your disbelief.However, the 1950s are presented in such a cliche way that I thinkthe movie misses a chance. So many people see the 1950s as aperfect time, a clean, simpler time, that movies just reflect thiscommon misperception. The truth though is that the 50s was atime with its problems and issues too. I don't think that the movieshould have been used as some sort of documentary, or educational opportunity, but I think it would have been moreinteresting if the moviemakers hadn't relied so much on cliches.For example, everything is clean, wholesome, the soda bar, etc... Itwould have been fun to make more fun of Marty's perceptions ofthe time.Also, the fact that he changes 1985 "for the better" is kind of stupid.He wouldn't know any of those people, his family, or his girlfriend.They would all be totally different. He might have been better offstaying in 1955 since the end result would have been the same,and he wouldn't have to cope with that sort of freakshow.Those are only minor problems, I think it would have been a bettermovie if they had taken those two points into consideration, but itstill is a really fun movie.

rzajac 2013-03-19 00:23:59

Just watched the trilogy again (2008)

What can I say; it's the usual Spielberg/Zemeckis sensibility; a littledumbed-down and "B-movie"-ish, while delivering genuine humor andpathos.They're movies "for the masses;" the writing, scenario work, pacing,directing is carefully designed to fill in the blanks for our slowerbrethren, but it works on many levels and has something for everyone.After all these years, it's still a great trilogy.Which reminds me of perhaps the most amazing thing of all. In starkcontradiction to the immutable law of sequels, the trilogy gets betterwith each installment; the third is a marvel, feeling like thestoryline has reached maturity. Perhaps, by the time they were shootingthe third, the money folks backed off a tad and let the creative peoplebreathe: You can feel it. The hyperbolically directed leads areactually given some slack to ply well-honed stage-style theatricalskills, and it looks and feels well-rounded and true.Also, the film is simultaneously dated--'80s American youth values,without serious circumspection--and yet somehow timeless. Perhaps thefeeling is that there *is* a kind of circumspection; that Marty, bystory's end, has actually grown a little. Always nice to see some ofthat leak out of a "pop" movie.

lazarou789 2013-03-17 00:30:58

A classic tale that everyone will like to live: to go back in time to live the time your parents met

This is the best film of the Back to the future trilogy. This specifictrilogy is proof that most sequels are always worse than the original(although the sequels of it are quite enjoyable but perform far fromthe "classic status" of the original).Its a classic and probably the best movie of the 80s. It is veryenjoyable and engaging because you get drawn to it as you (in laterviewings) try to find the small hidden changes that come by alternatingthe time-line.The cast is also brilliant - it was like they were born for theseroles: Christopher Lloyd is the perfect mad scientist, Michael J.Fox isvery believable playing a teen (although in his twenties) and LeaThompson is great (and obviously very talented) playing the differentLorraines in different time zones. Unmissable for all the sci-fi(especially those that have to do with time-lines - also seeFrequency)maniacs or 80s nostalgia maniacs or comedy maniacs or any ofthe actors fans.

Fred M. Carrito 2013-03-16 07:39:58

The true definition of Classic Movies!

It's hard to believe it's been 22 years since the original BTTF cameout, so the fact that the movie is that old shows it truly is a CLASSICin every sense of the word. I'm so glad they made this trilogy, what awild ride it was. It certainly holds up to the test of time becauseit's just as fun to watch it now as it was back in '85. The world haschanged so much since then and watching these movies is a nice escapefrom today's nerve wrecking reality. I wish I could get my hands onDoc's time machine so I could go back in time to fix the mistakes Imade in my life... who doesn't!?! Cherish these movies and show them toyour kids and grandkids... they will love them so much you can count onthem sharing the adventure of Marty Mcfly and Doc well into theirFUTURE!

Howlin Wolf 2013-03-15 20:48:37

Pure Movie Magic.

One of the most genuinely enjoyable movies for enjoyment's sake. I justcannot conceive how they could have made this a bettermovie. It seems like Fox was born to play McFly, and try as he might, he cannever get away from the part now. Although he's done good work elsewhere,this is the one he'll be remembered for. His definingrole. As someone else mentioned, Lloyd overacts, but somehow I never mind. LeaThompson has an indefinable quality, so I won't even try. Crispin Glover isjust wonderfully weird as George McFly. No one could have played the rolelike him, and I think perhaps the reason the sequels suffer a bit incomparison to this one is his absence (tighter scripting would also havehelped...) Still, don't wanna give the guy a big head, 'cos when all's saidand done he aint the star of the show... What's also impressive about this is the attention to detail. It wouldhave been so easy to turn out a pale imitation of what we actually got withthis premise, but thankfully the film-makers didn't. Every little in-jokeand movie reference adds to the created universe and involves us more withthe characters. Thanks guys, you can tell you had a lot of fun with thismovie. Also, there is no better director than Robert Zemeckis for creatingescapist cinema. This is a bona fide classic and will be no matter how farinto the future you travel...

2013-03-15 11:38:27

Back To The Future

Have you ever wanted to travel through time? To see the future? To witness historic events? Marty McFy(Michael J. Fox) finds hinself facing this when his friend "Doc" Emmett L. Brown(Christopher Lloyd) builds a time machine. Marty is accidentally sent back to 1955 (from 1985) ( he's only 17, so he hasn't been born yet) and disrupts his parents'(Lea Thompson and Crispin Glover) first meeting. On top of that, he might be stuck in 1955 because there isn't much plutonium around yet, and that's what makes the car a time machine.The actors do a great job of combining reality and science fiction to make my favorite movie.Do not show to young children who do not know cussing is wrong, as charactars swear freely.

Jim-500 2013-03-14 10:00:24

A wonderful movie

One of my all-time "best" movies. If you're looking for sheer entertainment with a lot of laughs, clevernessand zaniness, watch this gem. It has a lot of hidden gags you definitelywon't catch on the first viewing. It even has some social commentary forthose in the high-brow set.The only thing I didn't like about it was the beautiful Claudia Wells--shelooks just like my girlfriend who had just broken up with me when I saw it. It was hard to watch her kiss!

tedg 2013-03-14 06:47:41

Zemeckis Flies

This year, John Hughes died, and we were reminded of the depth of hisinsight into subadult suspension. Being reminded of his work impressedme. What will we think when Zemeckis dies?Certainly we will be reminded of how he balanced fantasy and reality inall of his projects. Possibly it will be noted that he softened theSpielberg approach by unintuitively adding incoherence.I think I will remember two films: this one and "Roger Rabbit." Theseboth are deceptively trivial. Was this the first mainstream movie thatplayed as cleverly with time travel conundrums? It was not intended to spawn a sequel, and you can see that certainconventions were established that hurt the successors. But seen byitself, the idea of superimposing actors, characters and times in thesame package works well. Makes this a gem.Notable is once again the scientist. You have only two types: pipesmoking, chin stroking blackboard thinker who explains, or what we havehere. Lloyd is wildhaired, wild-eyed. A hardware guy, not an idea guy.An active risktaker, frantic in demeanor, but with apparently no senseof scope. For instance, he spends more time on a model of how toexplain catching lightning than on the apparatus itself.The film revolves around his instabilities and mirrors those asinstabilities in the world. It all starts when he bumps his headgetting off the toilet, folded into his minute of death from jiltedterrorists. Everything that follows is his wacky vision, joined byMarty when knocked out by the nuclear guitar amp.Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.