As great a film as Back to the Future (1985) was, it made it all the more difficult for its sequel to surpass it. But Part II (1989) gamely picks up where the first film left off. High School student Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) travels to the future with eccentric scientist Dr. Brown (Christopher Lloyd). McFly and his future wife Jennifer (Elisabeth Shue) are trying to save their kids, which get into trouble due to a gang led by the bullying grandson of the now elderly Biff (Thomas F. Wilson).

Biff may be feeble physically, but the years have made him considerably smarter. Old Biff is the best character extension in the movie. The worst is that of Jennifer, who is so useless that she faints for hours upon seeing her past or future self. Elisabeth Shue deserves better than this.

The story yanks back and forth between 1955, 1985, and 2015. The satirical view of the future isn't convincing, as the hoverboards, Jetsons spacecraft, and smart clothing seem as preposterous today as when the film was made.

The modified 1985 Hill Valley is also disappointing. While it has the moral decay of It's a Wonderful Life's Potterville, it lacks the punch of the 1946 classic. Biff's gambling empire lifestyle seems lifted out of a Mafia movie, complete with a love-hate relationship between the kingpin and his wife.

The colorful sets for the 1955 scenes still have their splendor, but this adds nothing new from the first film. Several scenes from the earlier movie are also repeated, including its worst moment, which has Michael J. Fox pretending he's Jimi Hendrix.

What made Back to the Future such a great film wasn't really its science-fiction premise, as the time travel themes are readily unraveled. The first movie was a winner because the characters were warm and hilarious. The nerdy father, the oafish bully, and the crazy scientist were all as important to the story as everyman Marty. While they all return in the sequel, the film is dominated by Marty, who runs himself ragged in an effort to clean up his own time travel messes.

One can see the first film over and over again, and still be impressed with how well the references to past and future events are integrated. But in Part II, these references become forced and even self-congratulatory.

God help anyone who tries to understand the plot without having seen the first film, as the story is consumed with lesser recreations: slacker, chicken, the clock tower, the manure truck, the school dance, ordering a Pepsi, waking up to Lorraine (Lea Thompson) with a new appearance. And has anyone else noticed how thin the 1950-2000 sports almanac is? There's barely room for one season's worth of NCAA results, let alone a half century.

Only a few scenes approach the magic of the first film. The meeting of the young and old Biff succeeds. Who wouldn't want to go back in time to prevent one's younger self from doing (or being) something stupid. Dr. Brown has a similarly charming meeting with his younger self, but the elder Brown has led such a good life that he can only offer advice of which size wrench to use.

Part II was filmed at the same time as Part III, a much better movie with McFly and Dr. Brown in a western setting. Part III succeeds in part because, unlike Part II, it finds its own identity rather than riding on the coattails of a superior predecessor. (44/100)

k@filmsgraded.com, filmsgraded.com


Recommended:
No

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: None of the Above
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8