Back to the Future

Sequels: “Back to the Future II” (1989) and “Back to the Future III” (1990)

“Back to the Future” is the perfect time-travel movie.

In “Back to the Future” (part 1), Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is a normal teenager living in 1985. One day, his best friend, Doc (Christopher Lloyd) tells him that he has secretly been working on a time machine that runs on nuclear power. Shortly afterwards, Marty accidently time travels to 1955. Since the time machine is now depleted of plutonium, Marty realizes he has no way home.

He goes to the 1955 Doc, who says that lightning can produce the energy required for the time machine. All Marty has to do is wait until the next thunderstorm, get the time machine struck by lightning and he’ll get back to 1985.

It’s not that simple. Without realizing it, Marty prevented his mother and father from meeting each other. Not only that, but Marty’s mother, unaware of who Marty really is, develops a crush on him. So now Marty has to get his parents to fall in love with each other. Marty also has to get his father to stand up to the school bully (Thomas F. Wilson). If Marty doesn’t get his parents to fall in love, then they won’t get married and he’ll cease to exist.

“Back to the Future” is intelligent. There are no plot holes in the entire movie. The sequels are just as intelligent and entertaining (although the third movie is the best). Every time the heroes time travel, they try not to alter history, although they unknowingly generally change it for the better.

There are some offensive parts of this movie. Marty and others curse throughout the movie.

• Profane language: J*sus Chr*st (2), J*sus (2), G*d-d*mn (3), D*mn (12), H*ll (7)
• Vulgar/Crude language: A**holes (1), A** (2), Sh*t (4), B*stard (4), Son of a b*tch (3)
• Drugs/Alcohol: Marijuana smoking, cigarette smoking

There is a mild amount of violence involving Marty’s father and the school bully. There is a scene where it appears that someone has been shot; there’s also a scene where the school bully gets into a car with Marty’s mother and starts kissing her even though she doesn’t want him to. Fortunately, Marty’s father shows up a minute later. It should be noted that Marty never once encourages the 1955 teens to do anything immoral (such as give in to their hormones).