Review 195: Back to the Future Part II
Doc Brown (Christoper Lloyd) travels with Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) to the year 2015 to prevent his future son from making terrible mistakes that'll ruin Marty's future family.
However, when Biff (Thomas F. Wilson) of the the future steals the DeLorean to send a sports almanac that Marty purchased back to his past self, Marty and Doc must return to 1955 to prevent an alternate 1985 from forming.
The plot is smart, clever, intelligent, full of twists and turns and amps up the adventure to an 11.
What started out as a simple trip to fix the future, quickly turns into another whirlwind adventure that visits three very different and distinct time periods each with their own distinct tone
However, when Biff (Thomas F. Wilson) of the the future steals the DeLorean to send a sports almanac that Marty purchased back to his past self, Marty and Doc must return to 1955 to prevent an alternate 1985 from forming.
The plot is smart, clever, intelligent, full of twists and turns and amps up the adventure to an 11.
What started out as a simple trip to fix the future, quickly turns into another whirlwind adventure that visits three very different and distinct time periods each with their own distinct tone
The most appealing aspect of this movie is how it demonstraits, very effectively, how time travel can be misused
Once we’re thrust into 1985A as Doc calls it, the film takes a very terrifyingly dark turn
Once we’re thrust into 1985A as Doc calls it, the film takes a very terrifyingly dark turn
It's also very The Empire Strikes Back in terms of tone and story structure. Tone wise (as I mentioned before) it's darker, more mysterious than the first film and story structure wise it's kind of middle-of-the-story" plot, which features no particular beginning or end (I'm not gonna reveal anything as I don't want to spoil anything but it begins were the first film left off and there's this outstanding cliffhanger at the end).
Returning director Robert Zemeckis' direction is sharp, the production design (creating all three time periods) is spectacular, the costumes are fabulous, the cinematography is beautiful and captures the beauty of 2015 and 1955 as well as the dark, gritty, round down look of 1985A, the special effects are fantastic, the score by Alan Silvestri is exhilarating, the props are imaculate (The Hover Board that Marty gets on his trip to 2015 is a true highlight), the make up is rich and beautifully detailed, the stunt work is very impressive, it's well paced, the sound effects are tremendous, the suspense is killing, there are some brilliant moments of tension, the action set pieces are brilliant, thrilling and well choreographed
(of particular note is a hover board chase which is an unappologetic call back to the skateboard chase from the first movie) and the cliffhanger was superb.
All three settings are top notch (1955 is great fan service, nostalgic and a great opertunity to see the event of the first from a different perspective, Alternate 1985 was haunting, gritty and full of loads of great ideas and 2015 overall was just so cool),
The acting is superb and surpasses the first film, Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd return to their signature roles and their performances and chemistry are just a effective and palpable as before.
All three settings are top notch (1955 is great fan service, nostalgic and a great opertunity to see the event of the first from a different perspective, Alternate 1985 was haunting, gritty and full of loads of great ideas and 2015 overall was just so cool),
The acting is superb and surpasses the first film, Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd return to their signature roles and their performances and chemistry are just a effective and palpable as before.
the actors play their future as well as their present characters selves, and different versions of the future McFly family: Michael J. Fox plays his son and daughter and his future self as well as the present Marty, and Lea Thompson plays Alternative Lorraine, 2015 Lorraine and 1955 Lorraine and I get the joke. The joke is all the characters look the same and nobody realized it (except the audience) and they all play 'them' really well.
Thomas F. Wilson is easily the standout here playing not one, not two but three different versions of Biff. In 2015, he plays the unhinged, loud and overdramatic grandson, Griff who leads Marty's son astray. In 1985A, we get to see the worst version of Biff, someone who has used future knowledge to a frighteningly realisitc depiction of an abusive husand and he has too much power for comfort. a real menace Neither he or Lorraine are particuarly happy in their marriage.
Elizabeth Shue, Billy Zane, James Tolkan, Darlene Vogel, Jason Scott Lee, Joe Flaherty round out the cast with smaller but nonetheless memorable performances.
Back to the Future Part II is an amazing sequel and the most moraly ambitious and darkest film in the Back to the Future trilogy, 4.5/5
The Anonymous Critic.
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