Back to the Future

What pushes Back to the Future over the edge from so-so to oh-no is its willing complicity in the continuing glorification of the '50s.

Remember how Huck Finn daydreamed about going to his own funeral? Back to the Future does an inverse, witty turnabout on this theme.

Michael J. Fox is bright and likeable, convincing as a 17-year-old, and excellent when he introduces rock-and-roll to a stunned high school audience only just getting over doo wop.

Despite the frequent laughs, I came out of the movie vaguely dissatisfied. I expected something more original from this... and from Zemeckis, who proved in Romancing The Stone that he can produce fresh, witty and entertaining pictures.

Back to the Future has an irresistible playfulness.

What pushes Back to the Future over the edge from so-so to oh-no is its willing complicity in the continuing glorification of the '50s.

Robert Zemeckis' rip-roaring sci-fi comedy classic still holds up four decades on from its release and is a fitting reminder of the power of love.

Strip away the sci-fi, and this trilogy is a tale as old as time. It's a classic hero's journey, the story of someone growing up and discovering where his power really lies.

The ultimate American summer blockbuster. Incredibly clever, nostalgia-packed, and never gets old. To sum up BTTF in one line: "Last night Darth Vadar came down from the planet Vulcan and said if I didn't ask Lorraine to the dance, he'd melt my brain!!!"

It remains the best of the series.