You and Marty 'might not be able to think fourth dimensionally' in the third 'Back To The Future' film.

Rating: Null/10 (16 January 2003)

'Back To The Future III' finally shows that this most successful and popular movie series has come to a disappointing end. Made back to back with BTTF 2, BTTF 3 loses the magic that the first two movies captured, to its detriment. Marty McFly, the hero of the first two movies is now in a bit of bother as he is left stranded in back in 1955. When he receives an urgent letter from his good friend Doc Brown, Marty is told to leave him alone where he is. Marty is dumbfounded as to what he should do. However, more devastating news is about to be discovered by our junior time traveler.

Fulfilling a long-time fantasy, Doc Brown has decided to live in the old West of the 1880s. But when he is in danger of meeting an untimely end, Marty travels back in time to rescue him. There is just one problem: Doc Brown is smitten by a school teacher Clara Clayton that he can't think straight! Now, it is up to Marty to keep Doc out of trouble, the DeLorean running, and the past, present and future on track so they can all get back to where - and when - they belong!
Again the story of BBTF 3 is a highlight to this film. Bob Zemeckis and Bob Gale cleverly interweaved love and time in such a sweet and romantic way in all BTTF films. In the first it was Marty's parents, in the second it was Marty's own romance that needed help and the third focuses on Doc Brown and his love at first sight with the beautiful school teacher Clara Clayton. This movie is also placed in the old west of the 1880's, showing Hill Valley in the olden days. While I feel I have seen better western settings, the way the actors went about creating the 1880's feel, seemed accurate enough.

The cast was back once again, to finish off the BTTF story. Michael J. Fox is one great actor. He once more shows why he was the perfect choice as Marty McFly. Marty has been through so much as a character that in no way would his character have been boring to portray. Again Fox had to learn how to do many of the talents that his character has to show off in the old west. Such things as Gun shooting and horse riding are just two of the new editions to the long bow that Fox had to learn. I feel for a guy like Fox who has succumbed to the horrible side effects of Parkinson disease. He has stopped doing full-time acting, which is a great shame.
Doc Brown was once again performed grandly by Christopher Lloyd. He is so involved as the Doc, always warning of the dangerous effects that could go wrong if they interfere with the past or the future. Putting on his old west shoes in this movie, Lloyd does a good job in showing that he is not just able to be a wacky 1950s or 80's scientist. The way Doc gets Marty back to the future here is clever and one of the movies high points. The Doc's love interest is the local school teacher Clara (Mary Steenburgen) who was again well suited to her role. I have recently seen Steenburgen in the new release movie titled 'Life as a house', a movie that I really enjoyed.

Other cast members include regulars such as Buford 'Mad Dog' Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson), who was another actor who made the transition from the first two movies into the old west beautifully. The rivalry that Tannen and the McFlys have on this film is one of the highlights of the entire series. I love it when 'Mad Dog' says to 'Clint Eastwood', `Nobody calls me 'Mad Dog', especially not some, duded up egg sucking gutter trash!' Lea Thompson is back as Marty's aging Mother and long lost relative of the west, 'Maggie McFly'. With all of these actors taking on various roles making them incredibly interesting to watch, as you want to know how different they will be next. There is one another character I want to point out to you that I find interesting. Although he only has a minor role, Chester, the palace saloon bartender (Matt Clark) and I, have somethings in common. We share the same name oddly enough, in addition to the fact that I one day want to be a bar tender as well. Is that ironic? I feel it is!
Overall the 'Back To The Future' series was and is still a delight to watch, 'time and time again'. The only problem I have with the second and third movie being made back to back, is that they each take a bit away from each other. I would have preferred a small gap between each one, so they could have both been given the attention they deserve. Robert Zemeckis is a great director and I am sure gives most of the credit for his success as a director to the BTTF trilogy. I am another fan of Zemeckis' work. I would love to have gone through the experiences that Marty McFly did with time-travel into the past and the future. Yet I will always remember what Doc Brown says at the end of this movie `You're future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one.' That is good advice that I feel everyone needs to listen and do!
CMRS give 'Back To The Future III': 3 (Good Film)