Thursday, August 23, 2012

Back to the Reviews

And we're on to the Bs!  And what better way to go back to doing movie reviews than to review the Back to the Future trilogy?!?

Movie Review #18 - Back the Future

 Wait a minute, Doc. Ah... Are you telling me that you built a time machine... out of a DeLorean?


Everyone has seen this movie by now, right?  Well, I actually know one friend who hasn't seen this, but she has a valid reason.  But besides her, everyone has seen this multiple times, right?  I mean, it's a classic and it still holds up so well.  Whenever I think of Michael J. Fox, I think of Marty McFly.  Whenever I think of Christopher Lloyd, I think of Dr. Emmett Brown.  These are iconic roles in a classic movie and I can still watch this over and over. 

What makes this film work so well?  For one, Fox and Lloyd are absolutely perfect.  But it is not just them who make this movie.  The supporting cast is outstanding as well and totally complete the film.  The story in itself is hilarious and just so much fun.  I am sure it also has a ton of nostalgia for people born in the 50s, but I appreciate it no less by being born in '78.  Plus, it has the Sci-Fi elements that give an added element to the plot.  Overall, it just seems to have a little bit for everyone.  4.5 out of 5 cheeseburgers!









Movie Review #19 - Back to the Future II

You're not gonna believe this, we gotta go back to 1955. 

When I was a kid, the time between Back the Future and its sequel seemed like decades.  I liked the first movie so much and with the first movie ending on a partial cliffhanger, I eagerly awaited the release of the second film.  Now that I think of it, the 4 years in between wasn't THAT long for a sequel to come out, but it seemed like the longest wait over.  Was the wait worth it?  Well, as a kid, it totally was.  In fact, there was a time where the sequel was my favorite of the series.

So why did I enjoy this film so much?  Well, as a kid, all of the futuristic stuff really appealed to me: the flying cars, hover boards, multiple TV shows on one screen, holograms, etc.  This was awesome, imaginative stuff and I totally ate it all up.  Add all that to the already well established awesome characters and this movie had great replay value.  Now that I am older, I actually find the futuristic aspects of the film to be the weaker points and really feel like it doesn't reach its high point until they go back to 1955 in the final third of the film.  The future parts, while still fun, are a little over the top and cheesy.  They aren't bad by any means, but it lacks some of the magic of the first film.  But once they go back to 1955, all the greatness of the first one instantly return.  It's almost like revisiting an old friend for the first time in years and finding nothing has changed at all.  As a kid, it was the weaker part of the film, but not that I have grown up, the roles have changed.  These scenes turn a pretty good film to a really good film.  3.5 out of 5 cheeseburgers  









Movie Review #20 - Back to the Future III

 I wish I'd never invented that infernal time machine. It's caused nothing but disaster.

If the wait for the second film in the series was agonizing, the break between the second and third films, only months apart, was a welcome relief.  Filmed back to back with the second film, the third film in the Back to the Future trilogy was a good way to end the series.  Yes, the quality went down even further, but the film was anything but a disaster or a complete letdown.

As the first film went a few decades in the past and the second film went in to the future, the writers had to come up with another time frame for which to base the third film.  The old west seemed like a pretty logical choice because of the nostalgia factor.  And overall, it did pretty well at achieving this.  But by the third film, things were starting to get a little goofy, both in story and in character.  Yeah, it was  Back to the Future film, but the charm of the first two films had pretty much warn off.  Still, it does a good job of giving closure to the series and the characters.  3 out of 5 cheeseburgers



 
  

5 comments:

laura b. said...

I LOVED Back to the Future and it has held up as one of those movies to watch again and again. I think I've seen the second one a couple of times...and I have only seen parts of the third one.
I like your remarks about how our views of movies change over time. Very true.

Anonymous said...

I saw the first two movies, but it was so long ago, and I was so young, that honestly I could not tell you a single thing about the movie aside from Michael J. Fox and Christopher Loyd star in it. Some plot points I do vaguely remember-I'm sure if I went back and rewatched it a lot would come back to me. I do remember enjoying them though.

Tara said...

"Why do you keep calling me 'Calvin'?"

I saw the entire trilogy, but I wasn't crazy about the 2nd or 3rd and I only saw them once. The first "Back to the Future" is my favorite. Christopher Lloyd made me laugh.

Jessbacca said...

I remember seeing the first one in the theater with my dad and grandpa. I remember thinking it odd that it was called Back to the FUTURE when they traveled to the PAST. Like most, I've seen the first film WAY more than the second and third, but remember liking all of them.

Mom said...

These kind of movies totally mess with m y mind, as you know. As far as liking them, I loved the first one. It has been so long since I have seen any of them but I think the third one might have been my least favorite. Interesting perspective, however, on your view now.