Back to the Future - still looking good over 40 years on | First Take Classics

SYNOPSIS: Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.

We all know it. We all love it. And none of us really appreciate the fact that Back to the Future celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2025 - the film which spawned the trilogy, an animated series, even a beloved West End musical struck up quite the landmark, which meant that naturally, a new generation got to see it on the big screen with the obligatory reissue.

Robert Zemeckis' classic holds up really well on modern cinema hardware, with a crisp 4K remaster (right down to the old school Universal Studios tourism logo at the end) being sent out with a shiny 7.1 surround mix too, both of which make the film look even better than ever - which is great, as it's a very well paced 1 hour 56 minute film even though quite frankly, elements of it are more 12 certificate. With that Zemeckis-Gale script driving its narrative, plenty of iconic moments, some top tier cinematography from Dean Cundey, VFX from the boffins at Industrial Light and Magic that still holds up, and of course, one of the greatest main themes in cinema from Alan Silvestri all adding together to make a film that hits just as well in 2025 as it did in 1985.

And the reason it still rules? These two. Christopher Lloyd and Michael J Fox, the unlikely duo, and one that we almost didn't get due to the initial casting of Eric Stoltz as Marty - whenever you see the Doc, you know you're getting gold. Backing them in supporting roles are Lea Thompson, Thomas F Wilson, Crispin Glover, Claudia Wells (who of course was recast for Parts 2 and 3), and that blink and you'll miss it cameo from Huey Lewis showcase just how much fun production would've been on this initial entry to the franchise - this didn't just go down as a film, this went down as a moment for Universal, and one of the early successes for Steven Spielberg as a producer. Seeing this on a premium large format screen was an experience, and my word does this film still rule. 

THE VERDICT

There is a damn good reason why you can see this film again, and again, and again. Back to the Future is a classic for understandable reasons, and a fitting way to launch into a new era here at TheJackSmit.com as we look to our future.

RATING: 5/5