Tommy Olsen: Roads, Where were going we don't need roads

#5 Back to the Future

List of Movies: Back to the Future, Back to the Future 2, Back to the Future 3

Why I love these movies:

As a kid these were movies that I would watch over and over again, and to this day I can still watch them and never get sick of them! There have been a lot of movies that I liked when I was a kid that I've gone back and watched, and a lot don’t really hold up anymore, or they feel really out dated, but not these ones. Yeah the sequels can get a little silly at times, but that’s what makes them such fun and exciting flicks.

These films also have one of the most memorable villains, Biff Tannen. He’s not like your typical villain in most movies where he has an evil cackle or henchmen to always do his bidding. He’s pretty much just your typical bully that most of us have run into at some point in our lives, and that why he is such a great bad guy. Not only is he a real bully, but he does do some pretty evil stuff, even going as far as killing George McFly in an alternate reality!

These movies also have one of the best theme songs by Alan Silvestri, and don't forget the incredible Huey Lewis and the News song, "The Power of Love". Talk about a great love ballad! I was reading about this series on Wikipedia and a movie critic, named Christopher Null, described these movies by saying this "a quintessential 1980s flick that combines science fiction, action, comedy, and romance all into a perfect little package that kids and adults will both devour." I think that quote pretty much summons it up for me on one of the greatest movies series of all time!

One of the best music videos you will ever watch!

Favorite Film: Back to the Future 1

Yes. Yes. I'm George. George McFly. I'm your density. I mean, your destiny.

While the second and third ones added the awesome futuristic and old western settings, the 1950’s setting is still my favorite. Not because I like the 50’s, but because I love how Marty gets to go back and see his parents in high school. I think everyone has wondered at one time or another in their lives what it would be like to see what their parents were like when they were younger. It’s so fun to see Marty go back and meet his nerdy dad, and help give him some confidence. Then it’s creepy/hilarious as he tries to get his mom to stop having the hots for him, and set up a meeting between her and his dad. This movie also has some of the best dialogue from Doc Brown "Roads ... where we're going, we don't need roads" and “Great Scott!” as well as "heavy? Why are things so heavy in the future? Is there a problem with the earth's gravitational pull?” Another fun thing about this movie is that you really see some changes in Marty. In the beginning he's a punk teenager, but by the end he's learned a few valuable things about life. For me this movie is pure classic!

I think the next best film is the second one. One of my favorite parts is when Marty goes into the future. He goes to the year 2015, which is funny because that is 3 years from now, and we still don’t have hover boards! When I was a kid and I would think of the future, I would always imagine it looking like the future in this movie (so you can imagine that I am pretty disappointed that we still don’t have all the awesome stuff that’s in this movie). Its also pretty creepy when Marty and Doc go back to 1985, and find Biff running everything, and then on top of that Biff is now Marty's step dad! This one is probably also the most intense out of all the films. Not only does Marty have to get the almanac from Biff, but he also has to avoid not running into himself, and as well as his parents! Pretty “heavy stuff”.

The third one is my least favorite, but it is still pretty dang awesome! It’s probably one the best western movies I’ve seen. As a kid I didn’t watch too many western movies, so whenever I think of western movies this film always comes to mind. It definitely has all the right elements for one. The western part is just an added bonus though because this movie still has the feel of a Back to the Future movie, with all the same great cast! While the first two seemed to focus more on Marty's character development and family, the third puts Doc Brown more in the spotlight. In the previous films Marty is continually making mistakes and learning, and in this one it Doc Brown has some of those moments. In this film Doc Brown finally realizes how detrimental his time machine is when he says " I wish I'd never invented that infernal time machine. It’s caused nothing but disaster". This was a great character moment that was a great turning point for Doc Brown. He also finally gets the girl of his dreams! Overall, this film is such a fun movie that added a new spin to the already classic series.

"Who the heck is Clara!"

Final Ranking:

Favorite Scene:

When George McFly punches Biff in the face for the first time to save his future wife. Biff’s laugh in this scene is a laugh that everyone who has ever been bullied or teased has experienced, and it’s so awesome to see this nerdy guy take out the bully in one punch! This moment really is a defining moment for George as he overcomes one his biggest obstacles. “No Biff, you leave her alone…”