More Time Travelling Shenanigans

Rating: 8/10 (7 September 2009)

After the success of Back to the Future Universal Studios believed that they had the potential franchise on their hands. This despite Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale thinking they finished the first film perfectly well. But despite this they continued with their baby and explained on the original idea.
Back to the Future Part II begins with the last scenes of the first film, with Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) taking Marty (Michael J. Fox) and his girlfriend Jennifer (Elisabeth Shue) to 2015. Doc Brown wanted Marty to save his son and family from disaster. But whilst in the future, a 77-year-old Biff (Thomas F. Wilson) sees them and their time machines. Whilst on their mission he goes back to 1955 and his younger self a book of sports statistics. When 'Doc' and Marty return to 1985 they discover history has changed, with Biff becoming a multi-billionaire, controlling Hill Valley and married Marty's mum Lorraine (Lea Thompson). Marty and Doc have to return to 1955 and destroy the book and do it without interfering with Marty's first trip.
They is no way Back to the Future Part II could ever match the first film with originality or wit, but it is still a fun little film. Robert Zemeckis shows his skills as a special effects director and for making fun family films with warmth and passion. He knows he has a tough job on his hands and just makes the film fun, mixing comedy and action with great effort. Zemeckis and Gale explain on ideas that the first film set up about time travel and parallel time lines which have continued into further films, TV series and cartoons. Zemeckis was also able to mix new scenes with scenes from the first film to great effort and has some of the best comedic moments in the film. I also enjoyed the scene between the two Docs. They is also a good joke about the Jaws Series. Zemeckis also copies what Steven Spielberg did with Indiana Jones, making the second film darker to the first. This doesn't work but I give the director points for trying. Fox, Lloyd and Wilson also enjoy the roles they are in, all are very good in the series. The Back to the Future series is possibly Fox's best work as an actor.
A perfectly enjoyable film