Do you ever wonder what it would be like if you could go visit the past or the future? Well that’s exactly what Rob Zemicks and Steven Spielberg did in the Back to the Future trilogy. Starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, we get the tale of a boy who learns what would happen if you mess with time to the point where you could be removed from existence. The franchise is one of the most beloved franchises ever made by Universal. The real question is do the films in the franchise (which were released in 1985, 1989, and 1990 respectively) hold up today?

Of the three films, the one that still holds up to this day is the original Back to the Future film. The original is considered one of the best films ever made. The American Film Institute (AFI) ranks it as the 10th Best Sci-Fi Film of all time. Seeing Marty McFly go back in time is one fun adventure. What makes it even better is that he goes back to the exact time where his parents fall in love. This film really goes to show what messing with the past can do. Marty meets his high school aged mother, who falls in love with him. He then starts to notice he, and his siblings, start being erased from existence. The film is truly a funny, memorable experience. Seeing Michael J. Fox rock out to Go Johnny Go Go at his parents high school dance is a scene that has been recreated or copied in many TV shows and films today. Hot Tub Time Machine pays homage to this scene when Craig Robinson plays Lets Get It Started by The Black Eyed Peas in the 1980s. 

The following sequels go on to teach the same lessons. In fact, it’s been debated whether Back to the Future Part 2 is better than the original. I believe, while it is a beloved film, Back to the Future Part 2 does not eclipse the original. However, the lesson in this film could be better than the first: You can’t change your past to improve your future. Unfortunately, Back to the Future Part 2 is now set in the past as it was set in 2015. Some of the references seemed outrageous as fun as they were. The Mattel hoverboard and laceless Nikes continue to be two of the coolest and most in demand objects from the film. These sequels also were two of the first sequels that were filmed at the same time. Getting a tease of Back to the Future Part 3 at the end of the second was something unheard of at the time. Now, we see it in almost every blockbuster film. The Marvel post credit scenes definitely take inspiration from this move. However, Back to the Future Part 3 is regarded as the weakest entity of the trilogy. It is a good end to the trilogy in wrapping up the true message of the franchise by what the Doc says at the end, “Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one…”

The trilogy itself has been a pop culture staple. Many films and TV shows have either been influenced by Back to the Future or have gone on to parody it. Hot Tub Time Machine, while maybe not the greatest film, is definitely a fun time in a time travel film. It’s very clear that Back to the Future was a heavy influence on the film with the different call backs and jokes to it. Family Guy is another example. Whenever the characters go off on their flashbacks or comparison jokes, many have involved the Delorian or the Doc. In fact when Family Guy did their Star Wars specials, they ended the Empire Strikes Back episode exactly the same way as Back to the Future Part 2 ended: with a note from the past to tell you the Doc Brown was alive. Most recently, Avengers: Endgame clearly referenced the trilogy by doing their own form of time travel with quantum mechanics. Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang goes as far to say “So Back to the Future is a bunch of bullshit?” when learning that time travel truly becomes your present when you go to the past. The franchise will always be around because it continues to be relevant to this day. As long as we can look back and enjoy our past, we can always go back to the future and make it what we want.

RATINGS:

Back to the Future: 9.2/10

Back to the Future Part 2: 8.4/10

Back to the Future Part 3: 7.7/10

Back to the Future Part 3 is available to stream on Netflix. The films are also available for purchase or rent on all major video streaming stores.

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