more plot, less quality

Rating: Null/10 (18 November 2001)

I'm such a fan of the first film of this series that I feel compelled to address the problems of the second. Leave it to me to only focus on the negative.
**CONTAINS SPOILERS
First of all, the plot is much more complicated. Sub-plots begin here and end in the 3rd movie; a result of filming the last two films back-to-back. With so much info to cram in, the dialogue becomes weighted down with too much explanation. As a result, it sounds forced and unnatural. The scene in the McFly's future Hilldale home comes to mind. In this one glimpse into their daily family life, we learn that Marty wrecked his life in a Rolls-Royce accident and that his lifelong inability to back down from a dare (a particularly horrible and corny plot device -- "Chicken?") causes one ridiculously bad decision after another. Of course, Marty's girlfriend, Jennifer, overhears it all along with Marty's termination and his terrible guitar playing. Very convenient, indeed.
Secondly, while the story at times can be nicely constructed, some parts are lazily thrown together. Right off the bat, Doc arrives in broad daylight to pick up Marty and Jennifer to take them to the future. Why on earth would they have to leave right away? They could plan for weeks and the same future would still be waiting for them. Later, Doc says he brought Jennifer because he couldn't leave her with the information of having seen the time machine. Who wouldn't have noticed a flying Dolorean take off from the street and implode in a ring of fire in the sky? Apparently, we're supposed to believe that the only one left behind to notice is Biff, who had come out to (get this) show Marty his new matchbooks. It seems the writers hadn't anticipated picking up from the epilogue of the first film and they couldn't think of a believable way to continue from there. It doesn't end there. Why leave an unconscious Jennifer on crates in an alley? Isn't there room in the car or ANYWHERE else? Are we to believe that Old Biff could figure out how the time machine works: the control panel, Mr. Fusion, and the 88mph thing? And I might as well point out that Marty appeared about 40 yards away from the car when it was stolen and replaced. How did Doc know to pick up Marty on the roof of Biff's building? Why does young Biff turn from misunderstood bully to an all-out psychotic, screaming after Lorraine, "It's meant to be?" Are you telling me that Doc couldn't land the time machine after dropping Marty off during the lightning storm? Please! The writers had to leave him flying around so he'd get struck by lightning and that's exactly what I thought as I was watching, and I hate thinking like that when I watch a movie!
On the plus side, the film does get better when Marty and Doc return to 1955. The quest for the Sports Almanac is a good one, turning up some nail-biting sequences. Best of all are the revisited scenes from the first film. It's a blast to see Marty sneak around the fringes of the action we know so well to achieve different ends. Then again, perhaps these scenes worked best because I temporarily thought I was watching the much better first film.
Grade: C-