Second act twist

Rating: Null/10 (10 July 1999)

It's easy to get confused by the second installment in the Back to the Future series. But if you're an avid BTTF buff and an attentive viewer, you will greatly enjoy the twists and turns Michael J. Fox's Marty encounters in this creative film. We are treated to three different time periods, plus scenes that overlap from the first film. (Hint: If you are attempting to watch Part Two before seeing Part One, give up.)
The actors here are competent and entertaining, with the exception of Marty's girlfriend, Jennifer, who acts pretty dense. No worry, she's not important or central in the film; she only provides the set-up for the future time travel.
We see the characters in different stages of life, which is amazingly realistic through expert make-up. Fox plays himself, himself as an older man, his son, AND his daughter. What a family. The paradoxed start piling up at this point, but if you can try not to become too confused and stick around for the fun, it's a great thrill ride. Biff and Marty duke it out in a surrealistic future, which is caused by Marty's own greedy negligence.
My favorite part of the film are the scenes intercut with the first movie. It's interesting to watch Marty go back in time to fix his current problem while managing to not screw up his FIRST encounter, which we witnessed in Part One. Follow??? It's a slick sense of deja vu.
This movie is darker in tone than its predecessor, mostly due to Marty's efforts to thrawt the Evil Biff. I enjoy it more with every viewing. It's the same with all the BTTF films--you simply catch more of the time-dependent details with multiple viewings. Plus there's obvious repetition within the trilogy, and that lends to a sort of cohesiveness between the three.