Grade (B)
While not the classic the first one was, I still found this to be a very entertaining film and a fun continuation of the wildly creative story-line by Zemeckis and Gale.
Synopsis
After just returning from 1955, Marty (Fox) must travel to the year 2015 to prevent his future son from being sent to prison. All seems to go well but Marty and Doc (Lloyd) find there have been drastic repercussions to the present upon their return. To fix their mishap they will have to once again travel back to 1955 without interfering in their prior mission to the past.
The Good
This film was not quite the classic that the original was, but what sequel is? However it was still about as good as a ‘Part II’ can get. It kept perfect continuity with the original story-line and in my opinion only upped the ante with another amazing adventure. With a script that goes from 1985 to 2015, then back to 1955 to end up again in 1985, would seem like a very confusing script but that was not the case. The script structure was excellent and kept the flow smooth from one time-period to the other.
Things were made very clear and delivered timely through this well written screenplay to keep you up with the happenings as well as keeping sense of everything through the plots multiple time-lines. Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd continued with their strong chemistry picking up right where they left on in the first film.
The character of Marty McFly showed a lot more maturity in this entry and carried himself in a much more confident and grown-up fashion and it added to the story-line as his character evolved. Having basically all of the cast returning to the sequel was another strong aspect to this movie. In addition; all delivered strong performances that could rival their original portrayals. It only added to the continuity of the story-line and kept that comfortable feel with the bulk of the characters, maintaining a connection to them by building on the backdrop of their roles.
The Not So Good
Crispin Glover’s diva mentality. When approached for the sequel Glover demanded a million dollars and full script approval. When he was left out of the project he later sued the filmmakers for using his likeness and later settled out of court. Glover’s arrogance later led to the role of George McFly being greatly diminished. This in my mind was the one dark spot of this film franchise. In addition Glover’s career could have fared better if would have utilized the opportunity to deliver his acting skill in a major role for a couple more films to finish the trilogy like the rest of the cast.
Final Thoughts
This was a fantastic film and still one of my all-time favorites. While it was not met with the gusto of the original it still served its place as a key middle segment to one of the classic trilogy’s ever made. Fox and Lloyd are excellent once again and it never gets old watching this film and seeing all the predictions of the future in the film that have actually become a reality today. Making this sequel not one of the best in the trilogy but easily the most nostalgic through its references to the future we live in today.