Review 196: Back to the Future Part III

Honestly what can I say, Back to the Future Part III is spectacular and most satisfying conclutsion to a classic time-travel trilogy,

After finding out that Doc Brown is trapped in 1885, Marty sets out to find the 1955 Doc to help him fix the DeLorean (which has been waiting for him in a mineshaft for 70 years) and restore it to working order. Learning that Doc gets shot in 1885 by Biff's Great-Grandfather, Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson), Marty travels back in time to save Doc (who has become a blacksmith) and bring him back to the future. Unfortunately, an arrow has ripped a hole in the fuel line, emptying the gas tank and rendering the DeLorean engine useless. Furthermore, Doc falls in love with schoolteacher Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen), and considers staying in 1885. Marty must convince Doc to come back with him and find a way to get back to his time before it's too late.

The plot is great, not only does it focus more on the friendship between Doc and Marty but whole structure of the story and the plot are much more in tune with that of the original Back to the Future featuring plot elements like Marty going back in time and using a 'science experiment" to return to the future. It also focuses more on the friendship between Marty and Doc, they are best friends and would do anything for each other and they have been best friends since the trilogy began.

It's also a story about deccisions and how they have a great impact on our future-for better and for worse, when Marty goes back to save Doc he interferes with the events leading up to Doc's death and causes the name on the tombstone on Docs grave to change from Docs name to his.

Also as time goes by, Doc falls in love with Clara and when the night before he and Marty plan to go back to the future he must decide weather to stay in 1885 with Clara or return to the future with Marty. And that leads us to some great character moments: For it has to be the scene were Marty's in the bar, Doc's passed out due to to extreme alcohol intolerance, Tannens cornered him in the bar and he has to decide weather to continue with events or just give up and scram. I also thinks it really gets peoples minds and hearts racing and questioning will he?... won't he?...

For Doc it has to be the scene were he says goodbye to Clara because it shows he really loves her and wants to be with her and it pains him to say goodbye.

Gee... what else can I say. I guess all I can really say is that it concludes the series brilliantly all the loose ends are tied up, everything comes full circle and we're left with the impression that everythings fine.

Director Robert Zemeckis's direction is unobtrusive, the cinematography is beautiful and captures the beauty of the old west, the special effects are spectacular, the score by Alan Silvestri is stupendous (mainly because of it's new themes), the production design (recreating the old west) is brilliant, the costumes are majestic, the make is rich, the scenery is breathtaking, there are some great scenes of intensity, it's well paced, the western setting is gorgeous/cool, as the film goes on the tension keeps rising, the theme song by ZZ Top is catchy, the stunt work is well coordinated, the fight scenes are well choreographed and well staged,  the climatic sequence onboard a steam engine attempting to push the DeLorean up to 88mph

 

there are some great gags and effect of the closing sequence is exhilarating.

There are fine performances all round, Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd embrace their final acting moments as Marty and Doc and as a whole their just as great as they were in the last two movies. Marty going under the alias Clint Eastwood feels appropriate and is sure to elict a some good laughs.

 

Mary Steenburgen is wonderful as Clara Clayton and has a beautiful screen preacnce with Christopher Lloyd, Thomas F. Wilson is at absolute best here as Mad Dog and the rest of the cast is terrific. 

Back to the Future Part III is a most satifying conclusion to a classic time travel trilogy and... well I'll see you in the future, 4/5.

The Anonymous Critic.