Netflix Gets The Biggest Sci-Fi Comedy Of The ’80s
The 1980s were a treasure trove of some of the best adventure films that Hollywood ever released. Just off the top of my head, there’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Princess Bride, The Goonies, The NeverEnding Story, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and so much more. Still, even in this crowded category, 1985’s Back to the Future still stands tall as one of the most perfectly constructed sci-fi comedies out there, and now it’s available to stream on Netflix.
The Ground-Breaking Time Travel Icon
Back to the Future even competes with itself a bit, as the other two entries to the trilogy are special in their own ways. I’m partial to Back to the Future II myself, but it’s safe to say that the original made sure all of the pieces were in place while telling a zany, hilarious, and extremely fun sci-fi tale that has since become a cultural touchstone. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and co-written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the movie kicks off what, in my opinion, is one of the best movie trilogies of all time.
The Charming Cast
Back to the Future wouldn’t be quite as iconic as it is without its charming lead cast that includes Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, Christopher Llyod as Doc Brown, Lea Thompson as Marty’s mom, Crispin Glover as Marty’s dad, George, and Thomas F. Wilson as the butthead himself, Biff Tannen.
The film follows Marty as he accidentally gets sent back in time by Doc Brown’s time-traveling Delorean. Soon, he finds himself having to save himself by getting his parents to fall back in love after messing up their meet-cute that led to their marriage.
Considered Too Tame To Be Funny
It’s funny in retrospect, but Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis had a lot of trouble getting Back to the Future off the ground. The comedy was viewed as too tame compared to other comedies at the time (despite Marty’s mom trying to get with him), and it took until Zemeckis found success with Romancing the Stone to get a deal. Even then, the troubles didn’t end as Fox was unavailable to play Marty, and Eric Stoltz was cast in the role instead.
Established Pop Culture Time Travel Rules
As we all know, the Eric Stoltz thing didn’t work out, and Zemeckis went through the trouble of re-shooting scenes to the tune of $4 million after getting Fox on for the film. All of this struggle paid off, of course, and the film brought in a whopping $381.1 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing movie of 1985. The film was an instant hit and won tons of critical acclaim and awards.
The Classic Is On Netflix
REVIEW SCORE
I, like many others, consider Back to the Future and its follow-ups as some of the funniest and most entertaining sci-fi out there. You have creative uses of time travel, iconic imagery with things like the Delorean and the hoverboard in later sequels, and a genuinely good story with likable protagonists and love-to-hate antagonists. You really can’t ask for much more out of a blockbuster.
Best of all, you can binge all three movies in the Back to the Future trilogy on Netflix if you so choose. Personally, I think Back to the Future is always worth the watch when the mood strikes. Check it out on Netflix as the perfect Fourth of July weekend watch.
