I ADORE the
Back to the Future movies, even if the first film is the only one which I regard as being totally, 100% perfect. I can watch Parts II and III and thoroughly enjoy them, but I do think that both have their shortcomings in some ways (though III was certainly an improvement over II, in my opinion). All in all, it easily ranks as my favourite movie trilogy of all time, particularly given that I never really got into Star Wars or Indiana Jones (and I'm sorry to report that watching the Godfather trilogy pretty much became an exercise in watching it for watching its sake...not really my sort of film, I'm afraid). BTTF is fun, entertaining, loaded with likeable characters (Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox were a fabulous team), and has absolutely everything you could want from a movie - action, sci-fi, romance, period pieces, bits that are laugh-out-loud funny and other bits that make you want to cry...the special effects haven't dated none too badly either. And, as an additional plus point, the original BTTF film came out in the very year that I was born. That in itself may not be a strong enough reason to place it above the competition, but it gives it extra special significance for me. It's a movie I can grow old with.
Other ones which I've enjoyed include Lord of the Rings (fabulously made), Spider-Man and Pirates of the Carribean (to be honest, I think that all three PotC flicks were really very silly, the final instalment managing to be both hugely silly and hugely convoluted at the same time, but when taken as the light-hearted popcorn entertainment they're clearly intended to be, they're a lot of fun), though none of them have scratched out quite the same place in my heart as the BTTF movies. As much as I love Harry Potter in its original written form, I have to admit that I'm not wild about their adaptations. Some of the adult casting has been pretty good (particularly Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, who's done a really commendable job), but none of the production team thus far have managed to transcribe the story elements in a particularly satisfactory way, and Daniel Radcliffe was a seriously limp choice to play the titular character, seemingly chosen more for his looks than for his acting abilities.
As for the Matrix, well, that's another one I never really got into. As most folks who know me really well should know, I have this crippling phobia of that ugly little aspect of the human anatomy known as the belly button, or navel. Not to sound paranoid, but there was a particular scene inserted into the Matrix clearly
designed to traumatise me personally. That robotic scorpion, or whatever it was, and Keanu Reeves...ugh, I think I need to go lie down for a while.
