Retour vers le futur 2

It's funny that the plot of 'Back to the Future II' should be based on altering Marty McFly's future. Wasn't Doc the one who was so staunchly opposed to knowing too much about their future, preferring instead to let things take a natural course? 'Destiny!' he called it. But that is exactly what the sequel is all about, Doc's proposal to altar the future. And this leads not only to bad news for Doc Brown and Marty, but for the your Density? I mean, Destiny? (flashback humor).

The story focuses on Marty McFly's future. Picking up right where we left off in the first movie, Doc informs Marty that in the year 2015, Marty's son partakes in some unfortunate activities with Griff (Biff's grandson) that lead to his arrest and incarceration. While in the future to fix up that little mishap (again, messing with 'Destiny'), Marty picks up a sports Almanac to take back with him. The Almanac contains all sports scores since something like 1955 (why it is only the size of a magazine, I don't know, considering it covers major college and pro sporting event for a whole lot of years).

The Doc, in disgust at Marty's foolish get-rich-quick desires, throws the magazine out (while still in 2015). Unfortunately, Biff, now an old man, gets hold of both the magazine and the Delorian and travels to his young self in 1955. This sets off a change of events in the past so that when Marty and the Doc, now in the future, are ready to go back to 1985, suddenly find themselves in an unfamiliar hell. With Biff changing the past, he also changed the future, creating a desolate, alternate 1985. One where Biff is the richest man in Hill Valley, though still the sleaziest. And where a lot of other things have changed as well. Now, Marty and the Doc have to go back to 1955 and get the magazine from Biff if they expect to restore the future and erase the alternative 1985.

This is a great sequel to a great movie. You get the 1989 version of the future (I don't know that 2015 will make the kind of progress we see in the movie with cool flying cars and dehydrating pizzas and hoverboards). This is the special effects and visual beauty of the second, whereas in the first one, it was recreating the past. Marty had to once adapt to 1955, now he has to do the same for 2015, even if only for a moment.

But, it also ties in another creative aspect: when Marty and the Doc must return to 1955, they only know the whereabouts of Biff based on where they last saw him in that year--the school dance and all of that which took place in the first movie. Going back to that past means that a Marty "Calvin Klein" McFly is already there, and the events are taking place again just as we saw them in the first movie. And now, the Marty and the Doc from the future are intermingling once again with their past versions of themselves. So, in essence, the filmmakers had to recreate some of the scenes from the old movie, from different angles, and the actors had to play dual roles (which they do often throughout the trilogy) by being added into those scenes. It was a great special effects/visionary project to undertake, and what makes the series so damned creative and really a fun idea. And here, too, the goal is to avoid running into your past self because, yes, it could altar events once again. I wonder how the future changed since Marty and Doc's intervention in 2015?

So, prepare yourself for what may arguably be the best movie out of the trilogy (probably because you get to see the future and past and everything in between; although, I'm still torn between rating the first or the second as my absolute favorite). It is the continuation of a fun first movie, and keeps up the creativity and novelty. I think that was the reason most responsible for its success: the ability to keep offering something new (although some things, are obviously repeated, like the running gag of Marty blacking out and waking up to some version of his mother informing him of what year it is after he tells her what an awful dream he had).

So, sit back and let the Delorean be your guide.

Back to the Future Part II (1989) was green lighted after the success of the first film. The film follows the further adventures of Marty and Doc Brown. This film and the third installment were filmed back to back. However the complexity of the storyline turned off many of the fans of the original. But this is what I enjoyed about this movie. Instead of being the same old run-of-the-mill by the numbers sequel, the film makers decided to do something different and make this a brain twister film. The beauty of this movie is that you have to pay close attention to it.

The film takes place right after the events of part one. Doc Brown comes back from the future to help Marty get his kid out of trouble. Instead of leaving well enough alone, all three of them head off to the future to try and change events. They managed to pull it off but unfortunately they tore a fabric in time due to Marty being greedy and the nosy efforts of Doc Brown. Can Doc and Marty safely restore the space and time continuum before the universe collapses upon itself?

A fun sequel with a few cast changes (Elizabeth Shue now portrays Marty's girlfriend whilst Crispin Glover is no longer with in the film except in stock footage). Most of the original players return to reprise their original roles. Michael J. Fox stretches his acting abilities by playing his son and daughter as well as his older self. If you enjoyed the first film then you'll really want to watch this one (if you haven't already).

Highly recommended.

In honor of Back To The Future Day, I decided to write my review on a movie that is not only has a historic background, but also happens to be a good movie. Although it has been a while since I've seen the first two Back To The Future Movies, from as early as I can remember, I always favored Part II. Although much of this favoritism has to do with its overly futuristic depiction of 2015, I still find myself to be drawn to the sequel that introduced more comedy, character development, and most importantly, built upon the framework established in the first movie. Then of course there's the classic hover-board scene, which to this day still amazes me. Above all, the biggest reason why I continue to be amazed by Back To The Future II is because of the nostalgia it evokes from viewers both young and old. We are in that time frame where both parents and their children are familiar with the Back To the Future movies, and it just amazes me to think that it was only 30 years ago that my parents were heading to the movies to see Back To The Future, and were around the same age as I am know. It was only 30 years ago when they envisioned a world filled with flying cars, even wackier clothes, and HOVER-BOARDS. Now I am growing up in that time frame that they always dreamed about, and I am experiencing technology that at one time seemed like science fiction to them. I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty awesome!! Happy Back To The Future Day!

'Back to the Future Part II' takes off where the first movie left. Pretty much the essence of the first one is present except this time Elisabeth Shue has been cast as Marty's girlfriend. Like the first movie, this one too is non-stop fun. The original plot once again, brilliantly revolves around the time-travelling paradox but this time the interference with the time-line has huger repercussions that are more complicated to solve. It's slightly a little more complex than the first movie but the energy and entertainment level is the same. I liked Zemeckis's version of 2015. It has that ultracool look and the futuristic gadgets and gizmos were quite amusing. The soundtrack is equally wild. The camera-work and special effects are very well done considering that the challenge was greater (e.g. showing two Michael J. Fox on the same screen). Okay, so showing the same actor share the screen with himself isn't anything new but in most movies/shows it looks poorly done which is not the case here. With most movies, the sequel tends to be a let down but 'Back to the Future Part II' is a great continuation of the first film.

When Back to The Future was initially conceived, director and writer Robert Zemeckis and writer Bob Gale had no idea how much notoriety it would eventually achieve, nor of the big box office records it would break. They were happy just to see their project come to fruition. When they wrote the original film, the ending they had written was supposed to be the end of it. Because of it's success, however, and Hollywood being Hollywood, there had to be the inevitable sequels. The problem was that with the original ending, they had painted themselves into a corner as to where they could go with the sequel. What they finally came up with in Part II, is a film that is every bit as whimsical as the original, yet moves along at a pace that will leave you breathless.

For part II the cast is pretty much intact from the original film. The exceptions are Crispin Glover as George McFly has been replaced by Jeffrey Weisman and Claudia Wells has been replaced by Elizabeth Shue as Marty's girlfriend Jennifer. George McFly's role in the sequel is more talked about by other characters than his actual on screen time, and Jennifer's time on screen is quick and brief also (although she has one great scene that takes place in the future)so neither casting change is of any consequence.

The original film dealt with how Marty had threatened his own existence because of changes he had accidentally initiated in the year 1955. For Part II, we learn what happens when the interference is of a much larger scale and consequence. As you recall, the original film ended with Doc Brown(Christopher Lloyd)whisking Marty (Michael J. Fox)and Jennifer away with him to the year 2015 to straighten out their kids. For all his harping about messing with historical events, Doc is not above initiating a bit of interference himself. In their attempt to rescue Marty's future offspring, an aged but still obnoxious Biff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson), steals the Delorean to transport himself into the past and to bestow upon himself a Sports Almanac book that contains the results of sporting events for years to come. Shortly thereafter, Doc and Marty return to 1985, only to find that not only is Hill Valley not what it used to be, their own lives are in pretty sad shape and far different than what they had been before. And the changes aren't good ones, or as Doc puts it "I can't imagine Hell being much worse."

What makes the Back To The Future series so terrific, is that Zemeckis and Gale took the time travel concept, applied a little originality to it, then let their imaginations run wild. In BTTFII, we get a story that moves along like a runaway freight train. Not content to give us what the year 2015 may be truly like, since making such predictions are usually wrong anyway, they decide to let it all hang loose and just have fun with it. There are holographic theaters, Cafe 80's shops, antique stores that sell dustbusters and other things, skateboards that hover, paying for cab rides with thumbprints, etc. etc. Yet, for all the glossy, multi-colored stores and goofy concepts, we still recognize it as the same old Hill Valley. Something else Zemeckis and Gale do is to take some events from the first film, and replay them in 2015 Hill Valley. Usually, things like this would be seen as the lack of an idea, but in this case its simply Zemeckis having a little fun and letting us in on it. It works perfectly.

Likewise, the alternative version of 1985 Hill Valley is an exercise in how far one's imagination can go. Instead of a quaint peaceful town and suburbs, Zemeckis and Gale do everything in their power to give us the equivalent of an opposite. To go into too much detail here would undermine your own viewing experience and give away a bit too much of the plot.

Then to add fuel to the fire, we once again revisit Hill Valley in 1955, where things really go berserk what with two Marty's and two Docs inhabiting the same year. Zemeckis does a great job of cutting new scenes into footage from the original film with different angles and different perspectives of previous seen activities.

As for the cast, Fox and Lloyd keep their characters of Marty and Doc on the same entertaining level as before. Fox is also given the chore of playing his nerdy son of the future, Marty as a middle aged man and even his daughter of the future. He is pretty much successful except I do think playing his daughter was a bit much. Lea Thompson, again has the difficult chore of bringing Lorraine Mcfly to us in three different characterizations, and as before handles it admirably. Her 1955 Lorraine will always be her most memorable characterization in these films, but the others are equally well done. As for Thomas F. Wilson as Biff, Biff is biff, no matter how old, how young, or how powerful he may be, and his consistence of performance is also noteworthy.

Some have complained about being able to follow Zemeckis and Gale's storyline. If you have seen the first film, you'll have no trouble in that regard. I sure didn't, and for me it was one heck of a comedic thrill ride from beginning to end. If you don't have fun watching Back To The Part II, then the only thing I can think of is that your as much of a curmudgeon as old Biff from 2015. It's not often that a sequel can live up to it's predecessor, but when it does, and introduces some originality along the way you get my grade, which for Back To The Future is an A.