Back to the Future Part III

It seems that a lot of people rate Part III quite low, even those who like the underrated Part II. This may be because the break-neck pace of Part II is gone and this last entry mellows out and takes its time to develop its own story while also fully resolving the huge 130-year adventure of the entire trilogy. If it were a 90-minute cash-in I would understand why some people are indifferent towards Part III, but it's so much more than that.

You could argue that Part III is almost a remake of the first movie. In several ways this is true, but it also has the appeal that makes the first so endearing. Instead of being nostalgic for the naive 80s or innocent 50s, Part III makes us long for the wide-open spaces of the old west, when the US was still in its infancy, before skyscrapers, shopping malls, and Starbucks lined every horizon. A time when there was still real freedom. But with freedom comes anarchy, this time taking the form of Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen - fastest gun in the west.

I will admit that there is a noticeable lack of excitement as Doc romances Clara Clayton which goes against the ever-escalating disaster suspense of the series and might not interest viewers who are not keen period love stories. The action and adventure takes a back seat here while romance, comedy, and clever plotting get their own space. On the flipside Alan Silvestri delivers his most exciting score for the series, fusing the BTTF theme with a rousing western melody which is especially fun during the climax on the train. Plus, it's always fun to see 1955 Doc, who I always thought was more eccentric and closer to insanity than his older counterpart.

We also get to see the "birth" of the clock tower which is a nice counterpoint to it's "death" in the first movie. Part III also opens with the brilliant lightning strike and Doc's rudely interrupted celebration, which is just awesome.

Yes, it does have its shortcomings, I won't deny that. Why doesn't Doc just syphon the gasoline from the DeLorean he came to 1885 in? It would save them the effort of hijacking a train. But I am being pedantic again. I always felt that Part III was a definitive and fitting end to the series and I never thought that a Part IV would be necessary. There is not "To Be Concluded/Continued", there is only "The End" and it makes perfect sense that it should be.

Sitting back to watch the final, for now, entry in the Back to the Future trilogy, I was a little disheartened. I had a lot of fun with this series, and was sad not to be traveling through the dimensions of time with Marty and Doc Brown for the last time. But alas, all good things must come to an end, and of course, I can always rent the DVD, or perhaps even add any of them to my own collection. Back to the Future Part III, didn't simply "phone it in" for its' final act, it provided a complete compilation to its time travel exploits.

This story picks up where the second left off; with Marty (Michael J. Fox) acting on a letter he received from Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd). At the conclusion of Back to the Future Part II, the DeLorean is struck by lightning, with Doc inside, and he is transported all the way back to 1885, in the old west. Since Doc had always dreamed of living in the Wild West, he was not severely disappointed to be stuck in the 1800's, and he certainly was stuck because it would be 70 or so years before the replacement parts he needed to repair the DeLorean would exist. He writes Marty a letter explaining to him what he is up to and that he is fine and should be left in 1885. Soon after receiving the letter, however, Marty uncovers that Doc Brown is about to die. Unwilling to leave him to that fate, Marty ignores all risks, intent on traveling to 1885, to find Doc Brown. This would prove impossible without a trip back to 1955, to get some help from the Doc Brown of the past. Marty's crash landing in 1885 creates quite a conundrum, however, as a fuel line breaks causing all of the gas to leak out of the DeLorean. Doc reminds him that gas hasn't been invented yet, and they will have to be innovative to find a way to power the DeLorean to the necessary 88 M.P.H. needed to travel through time. After devising a plan to power the DeLorean by locomotive power, a new distraction, of a feminine nature arrives. A Ms. Clara Clayton greets Doc Brown, and he is instantly smitten by her. Doc even vows to stay in the past with Clara after helping Marty fix the DeLorean. Our Heroes situation is made even more difficult because Marty, in typical McFly fashion refuses to be called "chicken", or "yellow" in 1885 terms. After an altercation with Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson), Marty gains the attention of the gun that he discovered was to kill Doc. In the final installment of Robert Zemeckis beloved time traveling adventure, out duo is outrunning a gun, deciding between love and fate, and learning that the words of others should only ever be words rather than a reflection of ourselves; a pleasing finale to the Back to the Future series.

Once again, the brilliant on-screen chemistry of Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd bring Back to the Future Part III to life. Years working together on the same franchise were nothing to dilute the pair's on-screen chemistry. Still as engaging as ever, it was pure joy to watch Marty and Doc on screen again, one last time. This film also kept the heart in to the movie. Each entry in this trilogy has heart at the center, no pun intended. It was endearing to see our zany Doc Brown fall in love, even if he did wish to pick his new love over traveling with Marty.

I would recommend Back to the Future Part III to almost anyone. Rated PG, it is appropriate and engaging for all ages. Fans of the trilogy have to see it, as it wraps up all of our favorite's story lines. Anyone who believes in the power of love, time, and destiny will feel empowered by the message. I'm not sure what type of viewer Couldn't find something to appreciate about Back to the Future Part III, and to me, that's exactly how a franchise should end; pleasing the one time viewer and the series fanatic alike.

And here comes the conclusion of one of the finest and most likable cinematic trilogies: "Back to the Future Part III", more than a sequel, a resourcing in the spirit that made the first film such an endearing classic, with an even more escapist value in the setting, the Far West during the 1880's. As a Sci-Fi Family Romantic Comedy, "Back to the Future Part III" is already a winner, but the Western is the defining aspect of its originality.

"Back to the Future Part III" was directly made after the second, basically recycling the same material, and using the same team, the same casting etc. The continuity between the two films is so determining that there's no way watching the second without getting immediately to the third, it's like keeping in touch with the same family. Indeed, as much as I can watch the first one alone, because it's a class on its own and a film I consider slightly independent from the two sequels, on the other hand, I consider the sequels too connected to each other not to be seen in a row. This continuity helps to appreciate the second part that feels more like a link between the two other films while "Part III" resurrects the spirit of the first one by focusing on the emotionality rather than the eternal "back to the future" mission.

This has always been Marty's preoccupation and the thrust of the trilogy but the travels also had the merit to solve some familial issues and help a beloved character to improve something in his life, if anything, the trilogy defines the notion of 'coming-of-age' as the inspirational aspect of the film, its encouragement for success through self-improvement. But since people were facing less materialistic issues than during the 80's, I guess there was a need to take some distance from these so-called philosophies of successes and a huge step back one century earlier when the 80's followed the Secession War and preceded the Industrial Revolution that would lead to demise of the frontier spirit. The Far West is less a setting or an era, than a state of mind, embodying the roots of the American spirit in its purest form, before greed and profit perverted its meaning. The Far West setting perfectly fitted the tormenting desire of Doc Emmett Brown for retirement and a tacit existential quest for love.

Consequently, while the central character of the first film was George McFly and the second part focused on the McFly Family, Gale and Zemeckis took the last film as a great opportunity to enrich the character of Doc Brown and close his story's arc through a love story in order to replace the "mad scientist" label by a necessary element of three-dimensionality. On the surface, Marty's mission is to prevent Brown from being killed by the villain who –for our greatest delight- is Biff's ancestor, Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen, but while Marty and Doc try to find a solution to push the DeLorean to 88 mph, destiny puts them in Clara's path. So Doc meets Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen), a teacher whose fate was to fall in the Shonash ravine canyon and give it a posthumous name.

At that point of the trilogy, we're all aware of the time travels' mechanisms, we can even be surprised by Marty's incapability "to reason fourth-dimensionally", who he traveled so much. But here, the film invites us to put all the scientific stuff into perspective and think of the real elements that predefine our fates. There's a strong philosophical material hidden behind the love story as the film concludes its approach on time travels with the idea that nothing is written except by our free will and our capacity not to let external elements direct our lives. But I may make the film sound too intellectual when it's also a great comedy and one hell of a western.

The film is the opportunity to rediscover and say goodbye to the wonderful characters of Hill Valley, to see the first McFlys in American land, to witness the inauguration of the clock tower which, as Doc said, was fitting that he and Marty could witness, not to mention Marty pretending to be named Clint Eastwood, at the risk of tarnishing this name by becoming the biggest yellow belly in the Old West. And the delight on the comedic level is in the way the humor works on a meta-referential level as if the film was breaking an imperceptible fourth wall, playing on its own trademarks. I can't resist to the scene where Marty, realizing that he might be killed instead of Doc utters a "Great Scott" followed by Doc's comment "I know this is heavy", when Marty wonders why they always have to "cut these things so damn close" or when, in the most dramatic situations, he reacts by an ironic 'perfect'.

And speaking of dramatic, the film also provides great thrilling moments you'd expect from a Western, and probably the most heart-pounding climax from the trilogy with the train sequence, so suspenseful, I remember I had to pause for seconds the first time I watched it. This was one of the few times, I needed to take a break because it was just too suspenseful, but what a fitting and rewarding conclusion. Action, escapism, duels, stage, rides, Indians, cavalry, "Back to the Future Part III" is also an independent homage to the Western genre with some exhilarating moments, served by Alan Silvestri's terrific score, probably his best work in the trilogy.

And this is why I consider "Back to the Future" as the greatest trilogy after "The Godfather" with a slight advantage that remains the consistency in terms of spirit, thrills, laughs and emotional value. So thank you Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale, Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and all the team for these three unforgettable classics!

As a loyal fan of the Back to the Future phenomenon, I long awaited a chance to publish my take on the series. It may be a bit surprising to some that I would choose to write my comments in the section specific to the last movie which has been considered to be the worst film of the trilogy.

For many years, in consideration of this one trilogy which served to inspire and excite me as to possibilities of the motion picture industry, I would look with a disappointment on BTTF Part Three, believing it to be an unwelcome, unexciting film which ended the legacy.

However, recently it came upon me to purchase the trilogy on VHS and re-experience it, as I had once did, though now from a more balanced perspective. I watched the first two Back to the Future movies avoided the third in the fear of being once again disappointed. Utter disappointment is no longer the feeling I can use to describe my take of the movie.

Back to the Future 3 is a well-written, well-directed, well-balanced piece. With an incredible musical score, brilliant acting and excellent composition, the movie reminded me that Back to the Future was never about action. It was truly about the characters we came to know and love in the first movie. It was a return to the basics, the friendship between Marty and Doc and how each was thrown through time to change not only the future of Hill Valley, but also their own lives and their future choices.

Robert Zemeckis' (the writer) decision to send the two friends back to 1885, in their final adventure, was brilliant. Imagery like the "famous Hill Valley courthouse under construction" and the "steam engine train wheeling up to the rear of the futuristic Delorean" was unforgettable. For example, the dancing at the Courthouse welcoming festivities contrasted with the action-laden scene (in BTTF2) between Griff and Marty at the same place just a century and a half later.

All in all, Back to the Future Part Three was a perfect ending to a perfect trilogy. To anyone who despises this film, I recommend another full watching. There are so many details which are kudos out to fans of the previous two movies. The movie successfully slowed the pace of the other two movies (in preparation for conclusion) without losing the loyalty of true fans. It captured the essence of what brought these fans to Back to the Future in the first place.

If you haven't seen it, rent and enjoy :) If you have seen it and wasn't particularly pleased, I beg another viewing.

L8r!

Picking up where #2 left off, Marty is stuck in 1955 again and has to explain to the 1955 Doc why he's back and uses a letter Doc sends him from 1885 to explain what happened. After fixing up the time machine (hidden in a from 1885 cave), they find out that Doc is murdered in the past by Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen (played by Thomas F. Wilson) "over a matter of $80 dollars." So Marty decides to go back and rescue Doc before the murder can occur, but he is bedeviled by a rip in the fuel line - meaning they have to find another way to get the time machine to hit 88 miles per hour - and Doc falling in love with school teacher Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen). Along the way, he gets advice both from Doc and his 1885 ancestor Seamus McFly (also played by Michael J. Fox) that he should really learn to control his temper.

Fox and Lloyd are fun to watch as always, and I give my hat off to the studio for hiring Mary Steenburgen as Doc's love interest and not some super model type; it's more fitting of who Doc is. Wilson's Biff Tannen officially became a traditional "villain" in #2 with him murdering George McFly, and now Wilson plays an even bigger villain in Buford Tannen, whom he makes both funny and menacing.

Ironically, Wilson is said to be a very nice man in real life. Leah Thompson makes the most of a thankless dual role as both Lorraine McFly and Marty's great, great grandmother Maggie McFly, and James Tolkan plays his Principal character's soft spoken law man ancestor (killed in a deleted scene by Buford Tannen; "Remember son... discipline.")

It should be noted that originally there were no sequels planned with the first movie; that bit with Doc taking Marty and Jennifer to the future to help their kids was just another gag. But the film was such a hit that the studio couldn't NOT do sequels, so this one and part 2 were filmed back to back, which is becoming more of a craze these days.

Although on the surface it's a lighthearted comedy about time travel, it's also about what it means to be a man. The first film defined being a man through violently standing up to your tormentors, while this film and #2 go with the theme that being a man also means you have to reign yourself in when people start annoying you. Marty' willingness to fight back was his strength in the first film but here it is his flaw, as people in both 2015, 1955 and 1885 continually get his goat. The message of self-control is bluntly stated when Doc says to Marty "You can' t keep going off the handle every time someone calls you a name, that's why you get into that accident in the future!" (referring of course to the car accident mentioned in part 2). It is not until Marty realizes his error when he's about to meet Buford in the gun fight that he achieves this ideal and, much to Seamus's glee, says of Buford and the opinions surrounding him "He's an asshole! I don't care what Tannen says, and I don't care what anyone else says either!" Because of this, he is able to avoid said accident.

Also loaded with gags, references to other great westerns ("My name is Clint Eastwood.") and Doc's response to being asked if his hijacking the train is a hold up: "It's a science experiment!"