Review of Back to the Future Part III (1990) by Seth S — 19 Jul 2013

After a disappointing second effort that barely did enough to leave you with a tolerable taste in your mouth; the Back to the Future franchise returned to form with the happy-go-luck Part 3. Gone are the out of place and unfunny scenes that seemed to pop up way too much in the second movie. Those are instead replaced with a very clear narrative, full of great character moments and genuine humor.

Part 3 is much more like Part 1. It carries over the fun, the humor, and the clever storytelling that was lacking from Part 2. There's no rambling around looking for a plot device to movie the story along. It's content to tell a story. While the story barrows elements from the previous movies, the setting is completely different. The story's old west setting gives us a fresh view of out old favorite characters and jokes. Many of the jokes that carry through the series are present here, just scaled back in time to the 1890s. But it's done in such a fun and enthusiastic way, that it's hard not to enjoy.

The story picks up right where Part 2 left off. Marty must once again enlist the help of 1955 Doc Brown to transport him back to 1885. Once Marty gets back to 1885, he must prevent Doc Brown from being assassinated. If he is able to save Doc Browns life, he must then figure out a way to get back to 1985 and complete his crazy time traveling adventure.

Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, and Thomas F. Wilson all return and are in top form. Fox once again plays a likeable Marty. Thankfully, the movie actually develops the character significantly over the course of the story (something the second failed to do). Lloyd is also just as good as ever. His character is finally given a plot point that doesn't revolve around Marty. It's a fresh twist for the character and a welcome one. Newcomer to the franchise, Mary Steenburgen is decent as Clara. The performance isn't anything new or special, but the character provides Doc Brown with a love interest. It's nice to have the Doc get a happy ending.

The story is very clever and tight. There aren't many holes in the plot, and it flows nicely. The humor is frequent, clever, and subtle. Much of the fun is had at the expense of the "Old West" setting. The movie is a brilliant parody of the western genre. Marty referring to himself as Clint Eastwood is an especially funny gag. Also, there isn't the forced action that plagued most of the second movie. The movie relies on its big finale set piece, a train pushing the Delorean up to 88 MPH. This is right up there with the ending to the first movie in the excitement department. It's a breathless action scene that even throws in a pretty big surprise. All the Back to the Future movie have really good action scenes for their climax, and this one is no different.

Above all else, Back to the Future Part 3 returns the fun to the franchise. It ties up all the loose ends in a very orderly and satisfying way. Apart from the second entry, Robert Zemeckis really created something wonderful with this series. Full of humor, thrills, and a healthy dose of heart, Back to the Future Part 3 wholly satisfies.

"Everybody everywhere will say Clint Eastwood is the biggest yellow-belly in the west." 8/10.