Back to the Future Part II (1989)

 Back to the Future Part II (1989)

After the gigantic success of Back to the Future in 1985, Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale reunite for the sequel Back to the Future Part II. It received mixed reviews upon release, but it has gained a cult following in the years since release. Personally, I always enjoyed the movie. Yes, it does have an extremely complicated plot with many different time frames and paradoxes and whatnot. But if you want to avoid a headache and be take in for a wild ride, it may be best to shut off your brain for two hours. The movie had enough jokes to take the film into screwball territory at times. I still find the interactions between Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd to be gold. What surprised me and the audience in 1989 was how dark the film became when our heroes ventured back in the ’85 world. I thought they entered the world of Blade Runner but no, that is just part of the plot. I liked their depiction of 2015. Gale and Zemeckis weren’t trying to predict the future, but they got some things right. They admitted that they knew there would be no flying cars by 2015, but you gotta have them, right? I dug the positive vibes that were seen in the film’s version of 2015. Have y’all seen Jaws 19 yet?

The original picture never meant to get a sequel. It had so much success at the box office that there was no choice in the mind of the studio. Zemeckis would not return unless Fox and Lloyd were back. Funnily enough, Fox was not aware of the sequel until he saw the end credits which said the team would be back. Gale and Zemeckis came up with idea of time paradoxes which would allow them to go back to 1955 and see those events from a different light. There were some stumbling blocks. Crispin Glover did not return over money issues, so they decided to use Glover’s likeness. He was angry and sued the producers. Now there are clauses in the SAG collective bargaining agreement that bans movies from using likenesses of actors without permission. That is a shame Glover could not return because he was part of the first film’s magic. In addition, Claudia Wells who originally played Jennifer was replaced by Elizabeth Shue. They had to reshoot the first film’s ending with the different actress. These are slight blemishes the team faced trying to get the film produced. In order to be more cost effective, they shot this and the third film back-to-back. It was not a wild success at the box office, but it was still made some decent financial returns.

The film truly excels with the production design and visual effects. Rick Carter wanted to give the film a darker look, something deeper than the typical Blade Runner look. I loved how they created 2015 and the alternate 1985 world. For this particular film, ILM entered digital compositing and using the motion control camera system for the first time. This allowed camera movement in one of the more complex scenes where Fox portrayed three characters at once (in a really humorous sequence). In the 2015 world, we can play that game “was it invented or was it not?” I think they have a good track record in what inventions the film displayed when compared to reality.

The sequel picks up right where the original film ended with Marty (Michael J. Fox), Doc (Christopher Lloyd), and Jennifer (Elizabeth Shue) going to 1985 to help Marty’s and Jennifer’s children. When they completed what they needed to do, they return to their time…but it is not quite how they left it. Biff (Thomas F. Wilson) owns a bigshot casino and is married to Marty’s mom, Lorraine (Lea Thompson). Marty finds out that his dad died years before. Doc concludes that Biff used a sports almanac from the future to bet on sports scores to amass his fortune. Apparently, future Biff stole the DeLorean and went to his younger self with the almanac. Marty and Doc have to go back to 1955 to the school dance to retrieve the book. Marty cannot be seen by Doc’s younger self. But if Marty is called a coward, even more trouble may arise.

The film is paced by Fox’s and Lloyd’s frenetic energy. There is more screwball comedy, but they keep the same energy possessed in the first film. I love when Chris Lloyd goes over-the-top as Doc. If you find yourself lost by any plot points, the performances should at least keep you grounded. I was very interested in Wilson’s portrayal as the many Biffs seen throughout. One thing for sure, he knows how to keep Biff an unlikable character.

I’m glad Back to the Future Part II is getting more love today. It is not a great nor original as the first film. Does it have it to be? It was nice just being back in the same world as these beloved characters. The plot can be borderline incomprehensible at times, but the characters make up for that especially with an added screwball element. The visual effects and production design take advantage of the latest technology to create memorable images. Robert Zemeckis created a magical franchise. And do I need to say anything about Alan Silvestri’s fantastic score?

My Grade: B+