The second installment in the “Back to the Trilogy” offers up the best – and worst – of the time-traveling franchise.
Marty McFly and the addled Doc Brown are back to run up the odometer on their trusty DeLorean. But the fizzy humor and nostalgia from the first film get lost in the pretzel-like story, and the film lacks the cohesive spirit of the rootin,’ tootin’ third chapter.
All three films hit the Blu-ray format Oct. 26 as part of a 25th anniversary release. It’s a fine excuse to assemble as many home video extras as possible – more than any film buff could ever want.
The action in “Back to the Future Part II” is wilder and the acting more broad than the first time around. And while the original teetered on silliness, the ’50s setting and cast kept matters grounded. The same troupe can’t save moments from the 1989 film from feeling dated in all the wrong ways.
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Marty (Michael J. Fox) thinks his time-traveling adventures over when Part II begins. But Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) tells Marty in his hyperventilating fashion that the McFly offspring face big trouble down the road, and they’ll have to travel to the future to save them.
That means the special effects team must get to work, creating a future America where movie billboards attack passers by and children scoot around on hover boards. And people still use Fax machines!
Marty makes the classic time travel mistake of getting greedy, and when he tries to swipe a sports stats book with the results of every major sporting event in the future he sets a series of events in motion.
Namely, Old Biff (Thomas F. Wilson) nabs the book instead and gives it to his younger self. Suddenly, the 1980s version of Biff is richer than Donald Trump, and Marty’s old neighborhood now looks like a war zone.
Confused yet?
Director Robert Zemeckis presents this twisty tale in a clear-eyed fashion, but it’s still numbing to follow along. We’re given little time to exhale, let alone breathe, forced to watch new scenes echoing snippets from the original film. It’s a task made easier with the picture within a picture Blu-ray technology.
The film delivers Old Biff, Young Biff and Middle Aged Biff at any given time. That’s way too much Biff since Thomas F. Wilson’s mugging gets tired fast. Even Fox, a pro’s pro and the most likable young actor of his generation, can’t resist hamming it up.
Although it must be said Fox is eerily attractive playing his own daughter.
“Future Part II” trades in the sunny spirit of the original for a darker tone, and while many scenes echo the first film (something Blu-ray viewers can compare via picture in picture comparisons) the mood couldn’t be much different.
The first sequel might be labored, but it’s still artfully produced and packs enough entertainment to making watching it again worth your while.
Or, you could settle for watching more than two hours of all-new bonus footage – including a six-part retrospective with Fox and other “Future” cast and crew, and scenes of the original Marty McFly, Eric Stoltz, in action.
And, for those who cling to the hope of one day taking a spin through time, physicist Dr. Michio Kaku breaks down the science behind the franchise.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Always dug alternate timeline stories (huge “What If… ?” comic fan), so cut BTTF 2 more slack than most. Lea Thompson’s fake’uns, though? Oy, silicon’s stupid and off-putting in any decade.
It is well executed, but I have a low tolerance for films where the characters have to explain what’s happening every 10 minutes or so – see my mixed review of “Inception” for Exhibit B.
I had some early “What If” comics from the ’80s … loved ‘em!
What if… Phoenix Lived? Still own that beauty! But we digress…
The nice thing about the BTTF trilogy is that you can enjoy I and III without having to watch II.
BTTF II was an interesting film. What makes it interesting is not the trip to the future, which was little more than a lame plot device. (seriously, if Doc was so worried about Marty’s kids why didn’t he just tell Marty in 1985? And before anyone talks about messing with time and space, note that Doc thought it necessary to bring Marty and Jennifer to the future in the first place)
I like how part 2 takes us into part 1 but see things from a different angle and point of view. It’s surreal and an interesting plot device. But it fails in that it’s only purpose is to set up part 3. What makes a good movie franchise is that each individual film can be viewed and enjoyed independent of each other. (Wrath of Kahn, Empire Strikes Back, The Dark Knight, etc.)
I love this series, and the first film was amazing. The rest miss their mark.