BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985) - ♦♦♦♦♦

Directed by - Robert Zemeckis

Written by - Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale

Starring - Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover

"This time travelling tale sees a teenager named Marty McFly sent back to the fifties where, in order to prevent his own disappearance, he must bring his mother and father together after his interference with the course of past events might prevent their meeting. 

Back to the Future by Robert Zemeckis can be easily considered as one of the most beloved science fiction films of all time. It's easy to see why. Aside from it being great, with a narrative that escapes even the conventionalities of the time travelling subgenre, it overflows with creativity and cleverness as well as some truly spectacular special effects that add to its overall thrill and excitement, kept quite high throughout the film's duration.

On top of this, Zemeckis is quite smart to flirt with an air of nostalgia through elements of old americana and a charming juxtaposition of the charismatic youth culture of the fifties with the youth culture of the eighties, the time in which the film was originally released. 

The characters are also very likeable and memorable. Iconically played by Michael J. Fox, Marty McFly is cool and good natured yet just nerdy enough to come across as a relatable anti-Flash Gordon type jock figure of adolescent heroism. Equally as delightful is Christopher Lloyd's colourful turn as the eccentric and goofy mad scientist figure of the Doc. 

Together, they also represent a sense of humour, sometimes even gloriously campy, a further welcome tribute to B-movie drive in sci-fi features prevalently produced in America during the fifties. This intelligent touch further distances Back to the Future from the serious scientific mumbo jumbo of previous films of the kind, in which it quickly established itself as a landmark work."

Science Fiction, USA