Summary
- The best Back to the Future quotes have guaranteed the franchise a place in pop culture history.
- Outstanding performances from Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown and Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly are a key reason many moments are so memorable.
- Other characters like Biff Tannen have some great Back to the Future quotes, but the majority of the best lines come from Doc and Marty.
Back to the Future quotes have helped to ensure the trilogy's long-lasting legacy as one of the best sci-fi franchises of all time. All three movies took fun and unique approaches to the time-travel genre, creating a shared overall story remembered fondly decades later. The culture clash of 80s teen Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and his eccentric genius friend, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), taking their time-traveling DeLorean to different time periods set up a comedic and thrilling adventure. While the visual elements of the three movies have become iconic, the best Back to the Future quotes have also become cemented in pop culture history.
The Back to the Future trilogy remains one of the few Hollywood franchises untouched by a remake or a reboot despite constant rumors of some continuation being in the works. Director Robert Zemeckis and writer Bob Gale have always maintained that as long as they have a say, the original trilogy will remain untouched and cemented in time. As a result, the best Back to the Future quotes remain as pristine as they were when they were first put out into the world almost 40 years ago.
All Back to the Future movies are available on Peacock Premium.
Back To The Future: All Three Movies, Ranked Worst To Best
Back to the Future has three movies of Marty McFly and Doc Brown's time-travelling antics, leading to a great cinematic trilogy, but which is best?
20 “This Is Heavy!”
Marty McFly
“This is heavy” is one of Marty McFly's catchphrases which he says throughout the Back to the Future trilogy whenever he’s stunned or confused. Given the high-stakes time-travel adventures he finds himself sucked into, it's not surprising that the quote comes up a lot. It also sets up a great joke in the first movie when Doc asks him about the turn of phrase: “There’s that word again, ‘heavy.’ Why are things so heavy in the future? Is there a problem with the Earth’s gravitational pull?”
There is a lot of humor about the 80s culture clashing with the 1950s setting. However, what makes this line so funny is that Doc Brown approaches it through a scientific mind and tries to make sense of what it would mean for the future. Though it was contemporary slang, it's gained an 80s throwback element that's made it remain one of the best Back to the Future quotes.
19 “Silence, Earthling! My Name Is Darth Vader. I Am An Extraterrestrial From The Planet Vulcan!”
Marty McFly
It is a bit like Marty has a superpower, knowing things that no one else does, and he is even able to use the most popular cultural aspects of the 1980s to get things done.
While Marty is very much a fish out of water when he finds himself back in the 1950s, the first Back to the Future movie has a lot of fun with him using the future to his advantage. It is a bit like Marty has a superpower, knowing things that no one else does, and he is even able to use the most popular cultural aspects of the 1980s to get things done.
When he needs to put some fear into his timid father back in 1955, Marty mixes together some Star Wars and Star Trek while pretending to be an alien. While it is an effective plan, it is funny to think about George's reaction when these franchises hit pop culture in a couple of decades. It also shows Marty's teenage mind dealing with this situation by just grabbing from every sci-fi property he can think of.