Back to the Future (1985)

Country: USA
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Screenwriters: Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale
Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Thomas F. Wilson

The legacy of Back to the Future casts the as great popcorn entertainment, which is definitely accurate. But Robert Zemeckis' breakout film is also something more: It's arguably the best time travel movie ever made.

Look past Michael J. Fox's vibrant performance (which is great, mind you), Christopher Lloyd's loony presence, what stands out is the film's airtight script, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. By nature, time travel movies can turn the mind into sludge, yet somehow Back To The Future is coherent and easily digestible from end to end.

Now that we've gotten the analytical jargon out of the way, it's time to acknowledge just how much fun Zemeckis' family flick is, from the snappy dialogue exchanges between Fox and Lloyd, to Crispin Glover's charmingly neurotic turn as the younger version of Fox's character's pops.

More studios need to take chances on original projects like this, rather than opt for the easy money of more sequels and YA adaptations. â€”MB