A hallmark of Robert Zemeckis' iconic trio of sci-fi comedy films, theBack to the Futurefranchise features many running jokes that consistently pop up across the course of the trilogy. The form and delivery of these commonalities vary wildly, from parallel situations and pieces of dialogue to full-on parodies of other pieces of popular culture. Whatever the method of delivery for these running jokes, they all have one thing in common; an innate ability to entertain whoever is watching.
Spread out evenly across the three films, some of these recurring gags are instantly apparent, while others only make themselves obvious upon later viewing. Thetrilogy is loaded with trivia and Easter Eggs, meaning that it’s entirely possible to miss out on every single recurring joke upon first viewing. The trilogy’s best running jokes are a key factor in what makesBack to the Futureone of the most rewatchable movie series of all time, another feather in the cap for one of the cinema’s finestfeel-good sci-fi outings.
10"Chicken"
A Callback To Spaghetti Westerns
One ofBack to the Future’smost immortal gags seesprotagonist Marty McFlyfrequentlysuckered into confrontations with the potential for a heavy personal cost after being called a “chicken”, usually by a Tannen attempting to use his pride against him. Despite the gag only actually appearing inPart IIandPart IIIof the series, it’s contentiously the most famous running joke from the entire science fiction franchise.
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The music swells and Marty reacts dramatically every time, with the series using the childish gag as an opportunity to simultaneously pay homage to iconic spaghetti Westerns in the vein of Sergio Leone’sA Fistful of Dollars.Buford Tannen mixes things up by calling Marty “yella'” inPart III,but the effect it has on Michael J. Fox’s charge and the inimitable manner in which the scene is shot remains the same.
9Biff And Manure
Tannen’s Unfortunate Habit
In addition to calling people “buttheads” and a hilarious propensity for misusing idioms, Biff and his family members seem to havean unfortunate habit of attracting manure wherever they go. Perhaps the franchise’s most beloved running gag, every film in theBack to the Futureseries sees a Tannen left covered in manure, courtesy of Marty McFly and Doc Brown in one form or another.
The first two films in the series see Biff buried under a pile of fertilizer after crashing his car into the back of a manure truck on two separate occasions attempting to pursue Marty, before Michael J. Fox’s protagonist knocks Buford Tannen out cold inPart IIIand sends him headfirst into a cart of excrement. The Tannens' comical howls of “I hate manure!” constitute the icing on the cake for one of the series' best gags.
8"Hey, McFly!"
Marty Never Actually Gets His Drink
In three feature films,Marty McFly never actually gets to finish the drink he ordersafter arriving in town when he initially travels back in time. Unfortunately for Michael J. Fox’s charge, the recurring gag in this case stems from the fact that an enormous Tannen and his buffoonish entourage always barge into the cafe or saloon in question to rudely interrupt his beverage with an ominous, “Hey, McFly!”
Eric Stoltz was originally cast as Marty McFly, only for the actor to be replaced with Michael J. Fox after several weeks of filming.
Ordering coffee, Pepsi, and whiskey across the array of different time periods depicted in the three films, Marty never gets to enjoy the drink he has ordered as a result of the intervention by several different generations of Tannens. Used to introduce the franchise’s villainous family seamlessly across all three movies, the sound of an aggressive “Hey McFly!” never ceases to evoke a smile.
7"Not to scale."
Doc’s Array Of Intricate Models
A running joke withinBack to the Futurecenters aroundeccentric scientist Doc Brown’suse ofintricately designed physical models to demonstrate time travel conceptsto Marty. Various sequences see Christopher Lloyd’s character imploring Marty to “excuse the crudity” of his stunningly detailed models, before comically apologizing for the fact that the beautifully designed sets are “not to scale or painted.”
This gag appears inBack to the FutureandBack to the Future Part III, with Doc demonstrating to Marty how the DeLorean will capture the lightning bolt from the clock tower in 1955 and the manner in which a speeding train will push the car up to the requisite 88 miles per hour in 1885 respectively. It’s a chuckle-worthy gag hiding in plain sight, one that highlights Doc’s supreme eccentricity as a character.
6Biff Getting Knocked Out
Tannen’s Propensity For Involuntary Unconsciousness
Biff and his great-grandfather have had to endure all manner of indignities throughout his encounters with Marty McFly and Emmett “Doc” Brown across threeBack to the Futurefilms, but one of the funniest and most prevalent seesThomas F. Wilson’s cartoonish bully knocked unconscious on multiple occasions.
George McFly (Crispin Glover)punches Biff’s lights out in the franchise’s first film before Doc hits him with the DeLorean door to do the same in the sequel. Marty rounded things off by knocking out Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen in the series' climactic installment to ensure a hattrick of feel-good sequences against the franchise’s overarching villain. Marty’s example even manages to combine this running gag with another franchise favorite, as the unconscious Mad Dog pitches headfirst into a nearby cart full of manure.
5"Safe and sound…"
A Sure Sign That Things Are Not
A running joke featured across all three films in theBack to the Futureseries,Marty McFly awaking in the darkness to hear the words “You’re safe and sound"from Lea Thompson’s array ofmultiple characters in theBack to the Futureseriesis a surefire indicator that things are not as they should be. These words are always followed by a sentence that confirms Marty wasn’t dreaming after being knocked unconscious, with the reveal of the location in question shocking Michael J. Fox’s bleary protagonist into a state of full awareness.
Back to the Future franchise Rotten Tomatoes scores
Back to the Future movie
Back to the Future
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Back to the Future Part III
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One of the franchise’s most instantly recognizable soundbites, the running gag also always sees Marty ask “Mom, is that you?” and Thompson’s character turn on the light just as her son makes the connection. This comical status quo leaves a horrified McFly face to face with various versions of his mother and her descendants in different locations at various points in time across the course of three films.
4"Woah, Biff, what’s that?”
Look Over There!
Various confrontations throughout theBack to the Futureseries see Marty trapped by a Tannen in some shape or form. In his attempts to make like a tree and get out of there, one ofBack to the Future’sbest running gags sees Marty McFly use the oldest trick in the book to distract Biff and his goons;pretending that there’s something behind him while shouting “What’s that?”
This technique lands with varying success for Marty. InBack to the Future, he lands a punch on Tannen after successfully distracting him, butPart IIsees Biff catch the punch thanks to his mechanical enhancements, while Buford Tannen’s lightning sharp trigger finger foils Marty’s attempts inPart III. What never changes is the comedy from seeing the various versions of Biff fall for the oldest trick in the book on multiple occasions.
3Tall Tannens
“Alright, Punk.”
One of the harsh realitiesofBack to the Future’suniverse is that the Tannen family are decidedly not the sharpest tools in the shed. With that being said, they’re undoubtedly formidable physical opponents. A hulking bully who typically towers over everybody around him, Biff is practically twice the size of Marty, with his grandson Griff and his ancestor Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen possessing a similar physical build inBack to the Future Part IIandPart IIIrespectively.
This comical disparity in physical size forms the basis of one of the franchise’s hilarious running jokes. On multiple occasions where Marty finds himself face to face and ready to throw down with the various iterations of Thomas F. Wilson’s antagonist,the already enormous Tannen swells in sizeto the point that McFly quite literally disappears from view. InBack to the Future Part II, Griff grows even larger than his grandfather did in 1955 due to his mechanical enhancements.
2Bulletproof Vests
Channeling Clint Eastwood
Sergio Leone’sA Fistful of Dollarsplays a prominent role throughoutBack to the Future, with the 1964 Clint Eastwood-led Spaghetti Western lending a considerable influence to Robert Zemeckis' canon in the form of a notable running gag. The gag in question is that ofthe bulletproof vest, a frequent staple of the franchise.
The members of the old West-style band that appears inBack to the Future Part IIIare none of other than American rock group ZZ Top.
The running gag first appears inBack to the Future, where Doc uses a bulletproof vest to survive the Libyans' attack at the end of the movie. A sequence depicting Eastwood’s character using a piece of metal as a bulletproof vest is then shown inPart IIto directly foreshadow Marty using the same technique inPart IIIto survive his duel with Buford Tannen. Setting up some of the franchise’s most notably feel-good moments, the bulletproof vest numbers amongBack to the Future’smost beloved running jokes.
1Marty Breaking And Entering After Time Travelling
McFly’s Tendency To Arrive As An Unwelcome Visitor
Through no fault of his own, Marty McFly has gained himself something of a reputation as an uninvited guest. One of the many recurring gags within the series seesMichael J. Fox’s protagonist always inadvertently gatecrashing somebody’s home in an unwelcome fashionwhen he initially travels back in time. The various different enraged occupants then proceed to chase a bewildered Marty away for the rudest of welcomes imaginable.
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After being pursued by furious residents toting guns and baseball bats duringPart IandPart IIrespectively,director Robert Zemeckistakes this running gag to a whole new level in the series' third installment.Part IIIsees Marty chased away by a furious grizzly bear, enraging the beast after he crashes the DeLorean into its cave when attempting to travel back in time to the Old West.
“Back to the Future” is a science fiction adventure franchise that follows the time-traveling adventures of Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown. Created by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the series is known for its clever use of time travel, memorable characters, and iconic DeLorean time machine. The franchise explores themes of causality, destiny, and the impact of individual actions on the future. Its blend of humor, heart, and innovative storytelling has made it a beloved classic in film history.
