Back to the Future Part III

Rating: ****/*****, or 7/10

Third and final entry in the Back to the Future trilogy adds a western element to the overall Sci-Fi feel of this set of films. Marty McFly tracks down his friend Doc Brown in the year 1885 to save him from his impending death at the hands of the nefarious outlaw Mad Dog Tannen, a murderous forebear of Marty's nemesis Biff. To complicate matters and add some romance to the movie, Doc has fallen in love with the local school teacher (Mary Steenburgen). This movie focuses a little too much on the western element and as such feels less connected to its predecessors, but is overall still a worthy watch, taking the parallels between the past and present to an even higher level and still delivering plenty of action and humour in the process. Overall, the trilogy's plot is wrapped up nicely, though the threat of a Part IV, which might hurt the story as a whole, has loomed for years.

Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenburgen

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

USA: Universal Pictures, 1990

Back to the Future Part II

Rating: ****/*****, or 8/10

Excellent sequel to the (still better) hit film sees Marty McFly travelling both forward and backward in time. First, Marty needs to help his son from staying out of jail in the future year of 2015, where he is again confronted by old adversary Biff and his psycho kid, which culminates in a fabulous hoverboard chase sequence. Upon successfully returning to his own time, he finds his home changed into a dystopic hell town, which warrants him to take yet another trip back to 1955 to set things right. Again. Though high in dynamic action and humour, with grand visions of a funky future and convincingly creepy images of an altered present (that is, the eighties), the movie lacks the overall narrative surprise of its predecessor, though the story parallels between the past, present and future are very well crafted.

Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

USA: Universal Pictures, 1989

Back to the Future

Rating: ****/*****, or 9/10

Instant classic Sci-Fi adventure film, one of the great signature films of the eighties. In 1985, teenager Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), aiding the local lunatic inventor Doc Brown (delightful role for Christopher Lloyd), finds himself transported back to 1955 in a Delorean car equipped with time travel technology, where he jeopardizes his own existence when his then young mother accidentally falls in love with him. To make sure history plays out as it should, Marty needs to hook up his nerdy father with his mother, a job made harder by the continuous avances of his mom and the dangerous interference of town bully Biff (Thomas F. Wilson). Great Scott! One of the most fun movies ever made, utilizing the time travel ploy to great success without worrying too much about temporal paradoxes (but instead, making them work for the story of the next two installments of this hit trilogy).

Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Crispin Glover

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

USA: Universal Pictures, 1985