The year was 1985. Sci-fi as a film genre had been big for decades. The world had already seen Star Wars, and the likes of Star-Trek and Flash Gordon were old news. It was time to bring the sci-fi scene forward. Enter Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future, starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, with executive producer, Steven Spielberg.
The Back to the Future Story
The film’s story revolves around a teenage boy, Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox), who’s scientist friend, Emmett “Doc” Brown (played by Christopher Lloyd), invents a time machine using a DeLorean DMC-12 car. When things go wrong, Marty accidentally ends up stranded in 1955, thirty years prior to the film’s 1985 setting. There, he must seek the help of “Doc” Brown, who is thirty years younger, and still years away from perfecting his time machine. At the same time, Marty must avoid drastically changing the timeline of events concerning his own existence, as he interacts with his own parents, also in their teens.
Back to the Future – a Successful Fantasy Trilogy
Back to the Future was a more credible sci-fi film, and it invited viewers to be more involved. The story portrays characters from the real world, initially with trials and dealings that people can relate to. Once a story has its consumer hooked through familiarity and empathy, it is much more rewarding to then see the characters find themselves in situations of fantasy. As the consumer was living in the same world as the characters to begin with, and identifying with their lives, the sudden turn of events into something extraordinary is amplified. This has always been a successful way of telling a fantasy story.
Back to the Future thrived as a three-part series (though sequels were not planned initially), each installment with strong plot lines and situations, rather than a successful film that dished out hasty and poor quality sequels in an attempt to rekindle the magic felt in the original. Back to the Future had a massive impact, the effects of which are still apparent today. It has been proudly passed down from one generation to another, and it continues to recruit new fans all the time.
Back to the Future - a Classic Film
A film of this caliber will always hold a place in the film fan’s heart. It tells a magical story, using a distinguished imagination, in a style rarely seen in subsequent film productions. It holds a very distinctive place of its own. And, especially for those who experienced it the first time around, it is a part of life.
Back to the Future, Part 2 – the Better Film?
The Back to the Future trilogy also provides an infrequent example of a follow-up film matching the excellence of its predecessor. There are compelling arguments to propose that Back to the Future, Part II (1989) surpasses the original film, with regards to plot, and deliciously complex storylines. Many fans consider Back to the Future, Part II the superior film to Back to the Future. The second part of the trilogy exceeded in delivering what the first part merely flirted with. Back to the Future, Part II took the time-travel concept introduced in the original film and blasted it to a whole new level. It was a well-received approach that satisfied wishes instigated by Back to the Future.
Back to the Future, Part 3 – End of a Magical Era
Back to the Future, Part III (1990) was a straightforward conclusion to this epic film experience. This final part of the trilogy didn’t project as well as the previous two, but its engaging storyline is undeniable, and often underrated. Back to the Future, Part III still holds its own as an enjoyable film. It gives a romantic polish, not just because of the love interest some of the characters have, but because the love affair that existed between the viewer and the time-traveling adventurers they’d come to cherish was now over. There was a feeling of emptiness, and things would never be the same again. It was obvious that the experiences had via those three films released between 1985 and 1990 were something special that could never be repeated. Years down the line, that remains so.
The Back to the Future trilogy was released collectively as a dvd set in 2002.
Back to the Future Films, Now Repackaged and Re-Released Individually
As of February 10th 2009, the films are re-packaged and available to purchase individually. The first film, Back to the Future, is a double-disc dvd set that includes a visual simulation of Back to the Future… The Ride. Parts two and three are single disc sets with the same special features as the previous dvds from 2002.
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