Back to the Future Part II - Review

“Getting back was only the beginning” – A review of Back to the Future Part II. 

Seeing Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd reprise their roles as Marty and Doc is an exciting enough prospect as it is, but would Back to the Future Part II live up to the original 1985 classic?

Released in 1989, and directed by Robert Zemeckis, it’s an absolute joy to follow the duos adventures in time travel as they discover a whole new world – 2015. Ten years after the film was partially set, we may not have flying cars or hoverboards, but at least we have a witty and whimsical comedy sci fi to bring us joy.

You’d think that the lessons of time travel might have been learned in the first film but where would be the fun in that? The film sees Doc take Marty to 2015 to stop Marty’s future son from making a terrible mistake, one which will completely ruin Marty’s future family. It could never be smooth sailing though, so when the easy to loathe Biff steals the time travelling DeLorean and uses it to send a sports almanac back to his past self, Doc and Marty are forced to return to 1955 lest the terrible alternate 1985 forms and changes their lives forever.

The performances are just as strong as they were in the first film, and you really do love to hate Biff. Played excellently by Thomas F. Wilson, Biff is a truly enjoyable villain, and seeing different versions of him throughout is so entertaining. Meanwhile, Michael J. Fox proves himself to be an incredibly versatile actor, as not only does he play Marty brilliantly, but he even plays other family members in the future. Of course, Christopher Lloyd remains eccentric and warm as Doc Brown, and he brings so much joy to the role.

The cinematography is impressive for the time as well. I absolutely loved seeing Hill Valley; holographic ads, flying cars and hoverboards were such a fun vision of the future. It’s also really fun to watch characters interact with their past and future selves, which again was impressive for the times, and the effect was achieved using clever split screen techniques and a healthy dose of visual trickery.

Whilst the film is still witty and full of fun, it’s also definitely darker than the first. You see a vision of a horrible dystopian 1985 as the film looks at themes such as consequences, fate and of course the butterfly effect, which adds a lot of depth beneath the comedy.

Back to the Future Part II is a genuinely enjoyable, funny film, but I don’t think it quite matches up to the first. It feels bloated at times, and the pacing isn’t quite as perfect as it was in the original film. With that said though, it is a solid sequel full of incredible performances, fun, futuristic visions of the future (if only 2015 had been as cool as the film made it look!) and I still consider it as a classic. If you like comedy, action, adventure and science fiction, this is a real must watch.

Written by Tam Page

Posted by Mr. Tomney

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