Viewed in
2009 (I've seen this trilogy in bits in pieces plenty of times in the past, so I don't count those as real viewings.)
Premise
Michael J. Fox accidentally time-travels back to when his parents were in high school, and he must find a way to get them to fall in love while try to get back home to 1985.
Who should watch
Everyone!
Thoughts
Arguably the film of the decade. Pretty much everything about it was great.
I loved the writing, especially how it made time-travel paradoxes accessible to the average moviegoer, while still keeping the story intelligent and entertaining. Scientifically, I know watching a photo change does not really make sense, but it's a great cinematic symbol for the state of the situation. The consequences and details were really well fleshed-out, and I'm sure multiple viewings would reveal wonderful insights and nuance.
The acting was fantastic. Not only was his acting excellent, Fox's size was a great way to show the underdog aspect, especially when comparing his character to Biff. But the acting crown goes to the one and only Crispin Glover as the nerdy George McFly. Words cannot describe how bizarre, weird, and demented, yet perfect his performance was in this film.
While I had seen this film in pieces in the past, this was the first time I got to finally watch it in one sitting, and despite watching it nearly 25 years too late, it amazingly holds up. On top of the writing and acting, I think it remains timeless because the story allowed the film to be a relatively low-budget science fiction adventure. The film makers portrayed the 1950's and 1980's America correctly, and there was very little need for special effects. (This will be an important point when you read my review for the sequel.)
This must-see film was a masterpiece and my favorite of the trilogy.
What I would change
Nothing.
Random
I think there was a continuity issue. Early in the film (in 1955), Marty was seen wearing Converse shoes when he invented the skateboard, but during the climax (still in 1955), he wore Nikes.
