BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II
A film review by Chad Polenz
Copyright 1997 Chad Polenz
***1/2 (out of 4 = very good) 1989, PG, 108 minutes [1 hour, 48 minutes] [adventure/sci-fi] starring: Michael J. Fox (Marty McFly age 17, 47, Marty McFly Jr., Marlene McFly), Christopher Lloyd (Dr. Emmett Brown), Thomas F. Wilson (Biff Tannen age 17, 47, 77, Griff), Lea Thompson (Lorraine Baines/McFly age 17, 47, 77), produced by Bob Gale, Neil Canton, written by Bob Gale, directed by Robert Zemeckis.
Us critic-type people are always shaking our heads and telling everyone that movies aren't thrill rides, but I think that "Back To The Future II" is one of the few exceptions. If the original film had the spirit of the 1950s, then this has the spirit of the 80s: full of fights; chase scenes; cliff hangers; special effects; some detective work; and of course the vision of the high-tech future.
The film picks up exactly where the first film left off, with Doc (Lloyd), Marty (Fox), and Jennifer (Elizabeth Shue) travelling 30 years into the future, because something bad is going to happen to Marty and Jennifer's kids. Doc tells Marty he must take his son's place at an incident that will cause a chain reaction if Marty McFly Jr. says yes to Griff (Wilson - in one of four different roles).
Whoever said history tends to repeat itself wasn't joking, especially when it comes to the movies. Essentially the same chase scene that Marty endured in the 50s takes place again in the year 2015, but it's not as authentically exciting this time because it is so obviously a parody of itself. At the end of the situation Marty has changed the course of history for the better, and it seems like everything's copasetic right? Wrong. Since when do things go according to plan in the "Back To The Future" movies?
There are so many minor conflicts and details that effect the plot and the direction of the story I won't even bother to list them all. Basically we get to see Marty as an old man, his house, his family, etc. We also go back to an alternate 1985, and then back again to 1955, with everything happening so fast the film never stops to catch a breath.
The films' best aspect is the fact that it actually goes back to the first movie and shows a lot of the action that occurred from another angle.
It's difficult to convey the sense of wild and zany fun without describing every little detail. The only thing sacrificed in this film is the suspense. Instead of a grand finale, we get lots of little victories. By the end everything is back to normal, but something happens that leads to yet another sequel, but it doesn't seem gratuitous.
"Back To The Future Part II" is a really great adventure movie. It certainly has more originality than other films but it lacks a certain charm that was dominate throughout its predecessor.
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