I'll be 25 later this year, but right now, at the time of writing this, I am 24, and I haven't seen many classic movies. Yes, I know. I need to watch more movies, sue me. It’s hard to keep up with more than 100 years of films.
But, with that in mind, the one person in my family who has seen even more movies than me is my father. He is the biggest movie nerd in the world, and when I told him that I wanted to check out the Back to the Future movies, directed by Robert Zemeckis, he was 110% on board because I just found out that was his favorite trilogy of all time.
You have to understand my surprise when he said that – of all time? More than the original Star Wars trilogy? More than The Lord of the Rings trilogy? That was reason enough for me to watch all three movies with my dad, and I have to say it was one of the most enjoyable movie-watching experiences I’ve ever had. Today, I’m going to talk about it.
I Now Understand Why He Quotes “McFly” All The Time
I mean, I always knew that the term had something to do with Back to the Future. It’s the same reason why when I heard him say “Bueller,” I would instantly think of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. What I will admit is that I didn’t expect McFly to be used so often throughout all three films.
Honestly, it made me start quoting the last name too. It’s funny how when you finally watch something that your parents love, you understand why they enjoy it so much. I can share that love with my dad now. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did.
We Both Agree That The First Movie Is The Best
I think with me, I really enjoyed the first movie the most because it felt like the most condensed. In the 1980s, sequels weren’t as big of a deal as they are now, where it feels like every single movie somehow gets one, like Bird Box getting Bird Box Barcelona, which we really did not need.
While the sequels to Back to the Future feel like they belong in that universe, I also think the first film stands on its own. It doesn’t feel like it’s building up to a sequel, and there aren’t that many unanswered questions. It’s just a genuine, fun time with an energetic Michael J. Fox and a wonderful Christopher Lloyd.
For my dad, some of that love is based on nostalgia. He told me that it was the first movie that really made him walk out of a theater and think, “that was a great freaking movie,” and that he just loves watching it to experience that feeling again and again. I realized that I now feel the same way about films that I really love. He passed down that trait to me – and it’s fun to see him experience the same feelings I have.
I Found Myself Laughing When He Snickered At The Silliest Jokes
Humor from the 1980s is, obviously, beyond me. Anything early 2000s and I am down for it. Stuff like Shrek and The 40-Year-Old Virgin is what makes me snicker. But, I really loved watching my dad's reactions to some of the jokes.
When I watched him, I could easily wonder if he’s even seen the movie before from how hard he laughed, and watching him laugh made me snicker at his clear amusement. While some of the jokes did fly over my head because I didn’t live in that era, I can understand how much fun he was having watching it – and that made me excited, too.
I Enjoyed The Second Film A Lot - Because It's So Different From What 2015 Actually Was Like
I have to say that the second film in the Back to the Future trilogy is just so funny – because do you remember what we had in 2015? Literally nothing that was featured in this film.
No flying cars, no hovering skateboards – really, the closest thing we had to that were the beginnings of Tesla cars being everywhere and those annoying feet-controlled hoverboards. Even so, I enjoyed the second film for the ideas it presented, and my dad really loved seeing all the ideas, too.
Both Of Us Can Agree The Villain Storyline Is Better In The Second One
There’s something about a good villain that always makes me enjoy movies that much more, whether it be a Disney villain or a Pixar villain or a Big Bad from anything else. It’s why villains are sometimes the most famous characters from a franchise.
In the second movie, Biff made it so enjoyable because it’s so clever what he did. Both my dad and I agree that him using that sports almanac and somehow becoming incredibly rich is honestly such a brilliant idea even if we never would have thought of it – but at the same time, we both recognized that it was also a very bad idea because it messes with the entire timeline.
It made the movie that much more fun to watch, and I wanted to root for Marty even more.
And Surprisingly, I Actually Enjoyed The Third Film As Much As He Does
So I’ll be openly honest and say I’m not the biggest fan of westerns. I do love sci-fi, but westerns are not my cup of tea because often, they are just so boring. However, I was two films down, I wasn’t about to give up on the third.
And I really liked it!
Granted, a big reason why I loved it so much was from watching my dad’s enjoyment. I never knew he was a western person but here we are. I also loved how it directly continued the events of the second film, while also putting a spin on the time travel movie concept that we didn’t get to explore as much before. And this time the stakes are even higher, because they go to 100 years in the past.
It’s a great way to end a movie franchise, and I would re-watch again just for fun. It’s a western that kept me entertained – mainly from the fun chemistry of the main cast.
I Think The Back To The Future Movies Have Become My Favorite Trilogy Because Of Him
While I don’t think the Back to the Future movies are ever going to be in my top ten like they are for my dad, I do think he’s made me realize just how loved this franchise really is.
For example, my favorite film franchise has always been Harry Potter, and will most likely continue to remain that way because of my special connection to it. My dad doesn’t understand why I love it so much, but I just do. It’s the same thing here – while I enjoyed the trilogy a lot, I never understood why my father loved the movies so much until now, by watching them with him.
And now, I can fully say I think the Back to the Future movies are my favorite trilogy, just because they are so bathed in his love and acceptance. Maybe I need to get my dad to sit down for a Harry Potter movie marathon, but all in good time.
I’m thinking I need to get myself one of those hovering skateboards now – but maybe I should go on the hunt for a sports almanac and travel into the past. Where’s a DeLorean time machine when you need it?
