Back to the Future (1985) Rank 5 Reviews

ToxicUniverse.com (Daniel Briney)

Back to the Future isn't really a comedy, though it's often given that oversimplified classification. Nor is it really correct to call it a drama, for its comic undertones balance out its genuine dramatic elements. This outstanding film from Robert ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at ToxicUniverse.com (Daniel Briney)

eFilmCritic

Lately, I've began to realise that slowly but surely, I'm turning into my father. I like the films he does, we watch the same television porgrammes, we have much the same views on things from sports to politics and my hairline's starting to recede like ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at eFilmCritic

filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)

A classic adventure that holds up perfectly today aside from a few green-screen gaffes, Back to the Future is a quintessential '80s flick that combines science fiction, action, comedy, and romance all into a perfect little package that kids and adults ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)

Jerry Saravia

But first on to the specifics. "Back to the Future" stars Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, the aspiring teenager who would rather kiss his girlfriend and play in his rock n' roll band than attend school on time. He lives in a small town named Hill Valley ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Jerry Saravia

Moviehole

If you want a film with escapade, anecdote, farce, thrills, initiative and astrophysical performances there really is no better than "Back to the Future", the treasured time-traveling blast from Director Robert Zemeckis. ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Moviehole

filmsgraded.com (Brian Koller)

Perhaps never before or since has there been a movie like Back to the Future, a slapstick comedy that combined enormous box office success with extremely high quality. Today, the film is dated only by its Huey Lewis soundtrack and the choice of a De ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at filmsgraded.com (Brian Koller)

BBC Films

Marty McFly (Michael J Fox) is a teenager in Hill Valley, California in 1985 - and then in 1955. Dr Emmett Brown's time machine has flung Marty 30 years back in time and he's stranded there unless the 1955 Doc Brown can help him. Worse: Marty's own ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at BBC Films

Chad Polenz

What makes "Back To The Future" such a gem is its ability to take elements of adventure, comedy, and sci-fi, mix them all together,and make for a wonderfully entertaining movie. Michael J. Fox is perfect as Marty McFly, the typical teenager who ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Chad Polenz

DVD Talk (Ron J. Epstein)

Get this DVD set right now, even if it's just for the original "Back to the Future". With a low MSRP, even if you hated the third installment in this series, it's still worth it to pick up the trilogy. Universal did a fantastic job on this set. Back to ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at DVD Talk (Ron J. Epstein)

DVD Net (Amy Flower)

How on earth do you introduce a title such as Back to the Future? It's been one of THE most awaited releases since DVD was first unleashed upon a world of eagerly slavering movie nuts, and even those who don't fall within that category surely at ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at DVD Net (Amy Flower)

The BigScreen Cinema Guide - Reader Reviews

With the help of a wacky scientist, a young teen travels back to 1955 in a Delorean turned time-machine. Once there, he meets his parents, still teenagers, but his presence throws things out-of-whack and he must ensure they fall in love and get married ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at The BigScreen Cinema Guide - Reader Reviews

Movie Gazette (Gary Panton)

A joy to watch, from start to finish. An all-time classic. ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Movie Gazette (Gary Panton)

eFilmCritic.com (Ryan Arthur)

This is really a must-see. It's a classic. It's classic sci-fi, It's classic Spielberg, it's classic film. And it's really fun. The best part about Spielberg flicks, and the Back To The Future trilogy specifically is you can see it again and again and ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Ryan Arthur)

Movie Addict (John Ulmer)

Not only is it one of the best films ever made, but one of the most outrageously witty, smart, provocative and deep motion pictures of our time. ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Movie Addict (John Ulmer)

Decent Films Guide (Steven D. Greydanus)

Equal parts hilarity, nostalgia, science fiction, screwball comedy, and white-knuckle suspense in a complex storyline wound tighter than a yo-yo in a centrifuge. ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Decent Films Guide (Steven D. Greydanus)

DVDActive (David Cox)

Phew! Revisiting this trilogy is rather like dropping in on some old friends. ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at DVDActive (David Cox)

DVDActive (Warwick Gaetjens)

So, what's the difference between watching a movie as complex as the Back To The Future Trilogy and writing a review for it? Absolutely nothing. ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at DVDActive (Warwick Gaetjens)

DVDLard - Region 2 Boxset DVD Review

A landmark film, in terms of special effects and its action / adventure / comedy combination, the film crackles with great dialogue, historic references and marvellous performances from both leads. You also get the great idea of what it would be like ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at DVDLard - Region 2 Boxset DVD Review

Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

One of the things all teenagers believe is that their parents were never teenagers. Their parents were, perhaps, children once. They are undeniably adults now. but how could they have ever ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

Deranged Video Dude (Robert Wurth)

I can't say how many times I've seen the film, but it never seems to lose its appeal. There is a timeless quality (pardon the pun) to the characters and story line that keep the film fresh, even when compared to today's slicked up special effects ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Deranged Video Dude (Robert Wurth)

UpcomingDiscs.com (Gino Sassani)

The original Back To The Future film is already a classic. There has never been a more original sci-fi/comedy film. The sequels are less stellar but do retain the charm and uniqueness of the original. The talent of Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at UpcomingDiscs.com (Gino Sassani)

SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review

This production from the Spielberg stables was a runaway success that became the No.1 box-office hit of 1985. It announced the entrance at the Hollywood forefront of director Robert Zemeckis who previous to that had directed a couple of forgettable ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review

Audio Revolution

"Back to the Future" is a quintessential '80s fantasy film. ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Audio Revolution

Moviegnome.com

Who would've guessed that time travel and 80's pop culture combined with a dose of humor could be so much fun? Not to mention successful, as this movie and the two sequels turned out to be wildly popular. Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is friends ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Moviegnome.com

Steve Rhodes

The film opens in the home of a nerdish inventor, Doctor Emmett Brown. His workshop full of Rube Goldbergtype devices seems the progenitor of Wayne Szalinski's in the HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS series four years later. Dr. Brown is played with wild eyes ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Steve Rhodes

Damox - DVD Trilogy Review

Back to the Future was one of the top movies of the 1980s, and one of the better family-oriented Sci-Fi films ever. The Back to the Future The Complete Trilogy DVD set is one of the best values on the DVD market. All 3 films were very entertaining, and ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Damox - DVD Trilogy Review

Cinema Blend

It was a simpler time.... People were just different then. Ah yes, the 80's, Delorions, Huey Luis and the News, big hair, and Michael J. Fox. What movie could be more 80's-ish than Back To The Future, despite the fact that most of it takes place in ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Cinema Blend

Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)

Back to the Future is pure entertainment, and very successful at that. Wholly inspired and brilliantly executed, this brainchild of screenwriter Bob Gale (Interstate 60, Used Cars) and director Robert Zemeckis (Romancing the Stone, What Lies Beneath) is ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)

New York Times (Janet Maslin)

Mr. Zemeckis is able both to keep the story moving and to keep it from going too far. He handles Back to the Future with the kind of inventiveness that indicates he will be spinning funny, whimsical tall tales for a long time to come. ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at New York Times (Janet Maslin)

Sci-Fi Movie Page (James O'Ehley)

Good clean family fun even as the ultimate Oedipal wish of travelling into time and meeting your mother and having her fall in love with you is realised. But don't worry: the movie plays it as "Imagine what it would be like to meet your parents when they ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Sci-Fi Movie Page (James O'Ehley)

Christian Spotlight on the Movies

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 ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Christian Spotlight on the Movies

DVDwolf (Rob Paul)

One of the great 80's flicks and best time travel film ever made bar none...finally, according to DVDfile, will be released on DVD in the third quarter of 2002. The specifics are listed below. ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at DVDwolf (Rob Paul)

FilmHead.com - Video Pick

In the first film, Kieran Johnson (James Caan) is a Chicago schoolteacher whose mother is comatose from a stroke. After he finds an old love letter of hers, he goes to Ireland to find out if the Kiernan who wrote the letter was his father. From an old ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at FilmHead.com - Video Pick

A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)

One of the most beloved films of the 1980s, "Back to the Future" was one of the films I remember most from my childhood. While the second and third films were not quite as memorable, all three were compelling adventures for all ages - really the kind of ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)

BBC Films (Almar Haflidason)

King of the 80s feelgood movies, "Back to the Future" arrives onto a genuinely exciting DVD, as part of a three disc boxset that includes the two follow-ups which brought a little dignity to the word 'sequel'. ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at BBC Films (Almar Haflidason)

DVD-Dweeb.Com (Oliver Korioth)

reat Scott! Long have the hardcore fans awaited this trilogy to appear on the vaunted golden disc. For years Universal kept promising, maybe next year. Until finally! Back to the Future has been unleashed in all its DVD glory! Or has it?? Seems there is ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at DVD-Dweeb.Com (Oliver Korioth)

TheBoxSet.com - DVD/Movie Review (Thor van Lingen)

Hold onto your flux capacitors! Roughly seventeen years after the release of the first Back to the Future film, the entire timeless trilogy makes its way to your living room in a three-disc DVD box set. With Oscar-nominated writing from Robert Zemeckis , ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at TheBoxSet.com - DVD/Movie Review (Thor van Lingen)

Movie-Vault.com (Arturo García Lasca)

Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is a 17 yeard old kid who seems to be the only normal person in his family; his father George has an extremly week personality and he is totally controlled by Biff (Thomas F. Wilson) who is his boss at the moment and always ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Movie-Vault.com (Arturo García Lasca)

Comingsoon.net

I'm a big fan of the Back to the Future movies, so I was particularly pleased to finally find them on DVD. The picture and sound is better than ever, so fans of the movie should be happy. There was some controversy about the widescreen editions of Part 2 ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Comingsoon.net

DVDAnswers.com - region 2 review of trilogy box set

At the time of writing, it's been 17 years since we all went Back To The Future for the first time and indeed it's high time that a whole new generation get to experience the time travelling trials and tribulations of Marty McFly (Michael J. ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at DVDAnswers.com - region 2 review of trilogy box set

TV Guide's Movie Guide (--)

Robert Zemeckis's direction, like the technical contributions, is first-rate, and after an ambling start takes off into frenetic, non-stop fun. ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at TV Guide's Movie Guide (--)

Brilliant Observations on 1173 Films (Clayton Trapp)

Michael J. Fox lacks credibility as a time traveler (in the '50s) because he says that Ronald Reagan would be elected President. If that alone isn't enough to make you want to go back in time and change things... The first time I saw this I was in the ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Brilliant Observations on 1173 Films (Clayton Trapp)

The Onion A.V. Club (Scott Tobias)

After a decade of piecemeal showings on cable and home video, the Back To The Future trilogy has finally been fused into one souped-up DVD box set, choked with enough special features to secure its place as the preeminent blockbuster franchise of the ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at The Onion A.V. Club (Scott Tobias)

DVDAnswers.com - region 4 review of trilogy box set

And just like the events portrayed within the Back To The Future Trilogy, its eventual DVD release 10-15 years later has created a sort of "temporal paradox" all its own... how will these movies appeal to a whole new generation? I'm wondering if the ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at DVDAnswers.com - region 4 review of trilogy box set

Cinescape

This film was a breath of fresh air in the SF/fantasy genre--a wacky time-travel comedy about a young man named Marty McFly who went back to 1955, in a gull-winged DeLorean transformed into a time machine, and met his parents as teenagers. Director ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Cinescape

Doug Pratt's Laserdisc Review

From the opening credit sequence to the closing Whoosh!, the sound is almost as much fun as the script. Although analog bound, the soundtrack is clean and is in good condition. The picture does not lose any significant elements in transference to a ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Doug Pratt's Laserdisc Review

DVD MovieGuide

You know those "don't try this at home" disclaimers that appear along with programs like Jackass? They needed one when Back to the Future ran theatrically in 1985. ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at DVD MovieGuide

Home Theater Info (Doug MacLean)

Time travel as captured the imagination of man for a long time. Whether it was part of cultural mythology or the new myths of literature and film, the thought of traveling back in time to observe great events or to the future to see how lives and ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Home Theater Info (Doug MacLean)

DVDTown (John J. Puccio)

" ...when time travelers go back to the past, they enter alternative histories which differ from recorded history. Thus they can act freely, without the constraint of consistency with the previous history. Steven Spielberg had fun with this notion in the ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at DVDTown (John J. Puccio)

Time Out

Teenager Marty McFly's dad is a hideous wimp, his mother a dipso, so he befriends mad scientist Dr. Brown (Lloyd). In a DeLorean time machine they travel back to 1955, the year his parents met in high school. But at that age, mom rather fancies her ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Time Out

ScifiWatch

Dr. Emmett Brown has just invented a time machine and is planning on going to the future to see what the world has become. The only problem is a group of terrorists who thought the doctor was making them a bomb want to kill him. Marty McFly, a teenage ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at ScifiWatch

Teen Movie Critic (Roger Davidson)

A Sci-Fi time travel classic, with plenty of nostalgia and comedy to hold you over. Michael J. Fox plays Marty McFly, a regular teenager whose family is a hopeless bunch of losers. His only buddy, the slightly loony Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), invents ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Teen Movie Critic (Roger Davidson)

Montreal Film Journal (Kevin N. Laforest)

What makes Back to the Future one of the best movies ever made? That's right, I said it. I know it hasn't been accepted into any serious film canon and that, at best, people will call it a great popcorn movie, but having just watched it for about the ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Montreal Film Journal (Kevin N. Laforest)

Reel.com DVD review (James Plath)

You have to give Robert Zemeckis credit. And not just for directing what Carl Sagan called the best film ever made about time-travel - Back to the Future, in which an '80s teenager travels to 1955 in a jerry-rigged DeLorean time machine. ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Reel.com DVD review (James Plath)

CultureDose.net (Daniel Briney)

Back to the Future isn't really a comedy, though it's often given that oversimplified classification. Nor is it really correct to call it a drama, for its comic undertones balance out its genuine dramatic elements. This outstanding film from Robert ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at CultureDose.net (Daniel Briney)

DVD Times

After a very, very long wait, the Back To The Future trilogy has finally landed onto the shores of DVD. Along with the Indiana Jones and original Star Wars trilogy, the three Robert Zemeckis film have been the most requested of all movie franchises, and ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at DVD Times

Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)

Back to the Future is pure entertainment, and very successful at that. Wholly inspired and brilliantly executed, this brainchild of screenwriter Bob Gale (Interstate 60, Used Cars) and director Robert Zemeckis (Romancing the Stone, What Lies Beneath) is ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)

ChucksConnection Film Reivew

Back to the Future is a combination science fiction/comedy about a suburban teenager, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), and the adventures he has with his best friend, the eccentric scientist and inventor Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd) who has invented ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at ChucksConnection Film Reivew

Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents

One of the best time travel movies ever made, this film features a nearly perfect cast that works from an intelligent, clever script. Starting with the age-old idea of what would happen if you traveled back in time and met your relatives, this film takes ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents

Classic Film Guide

Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd star in this comedy, sci-fi adventure about time travel, "in a DeLorean?", with Crispin Glover and Lea Thompson also playing memorable roles. Directed by Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump (1994)), who co-wrote the ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Classic Film Guide

Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten)

One of the most beloved movies of the Eighties (helmed by the future director of Forrest Gump), Back to the Future entertainingly deals with the eternal child's question: If my parents had never met, where does that leave me? ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten)

Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)

His father (Crispin Glover) and mother (Lea Thompson) are students in the same high school Marty attends. His mission on this trip is to draw these two together - not an easy task given that Lorraine is dreamy and George is a wimp. ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)

LowComDom

Back to the Future is a fun movie that asks you to swallow a complete implausibility in exchange for a good time. Robert Zemeckis (Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forest Gump) directed this tightly-woven science fiction/comedy. ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at LowComDom

Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)

I love a good time travel movie, and I was thrilled to see that this slick comedy trilogy still holds up. The first film is an unqualified success, boasting an incredibly sharp screenplay and tons of appeal. The second film went even further, having fun ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)

Film Freak Central

GREAT SCOT! SPOILERS AHEAD! It's finally here. As not only a mighty-big fan of Robert Zemeckis' Back to the Future but also a completist (and therefore keen to collect Back to the Future's substandard sequels), I've anticipated the DVD release of The ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Film Freak Central

CinemaBlend.com (--)

It was a simpler time.... People were just different then. Ah yes, the 80's, Delorions, Huey Luis and the News, big hair, and Michael J. Fox. What movie could be more 80's-ish than Back To The Future, despite the fact that most of it takes place in ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at CinemaBlend.com (--)

Mutant Reviewers From Hell

Back to the Future is (in my opinion) what the eighties was all about. Cool gadgets. Cooler cars. Skateboards (those are back in style lately, aren't they?). Hot babes. Antagonistic adults. A killer soundtrack (both the score and some great Huey Lewis ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Mutant Reviewers From Hell

Chicago Reader (Dave Kehr)

Director Robert Zemeckis confronts the oedipal heart of the time-travel genre with this zestfully tasteless 1985 tale about a teenager (Michael J. Fox) who is projected back to 1955 and then must arrange the romance of his parents. ...read the complete Back to the Future movie review at Chicago Reader (Dave Kehr)

Critic Reviews

Back to the Future (1985) Rank 5 Reviews

User Reviews

User Comments

RANKINGS: