Robert Zemeckis Films Ranked: #16 – ‘Back to the Future II’ (1989)

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#16 in my ranking of Robert Zemeckis’ films.

In the whimsical world of cinema, my friends Zemeckis and Gale found themselves in a predicament when they playfully wrapped up the initial “Back to the Future” movie with a joke ending. Little did they know that their creation would ignite such a firestorm of success, leaving Universal Studios eagerly throwing cash at us until we finally agreed to craft another pair of films. However, we were taken aback by the unexpected sequel demand, as our lighthearted tagline hinted at no further adventures.

Faced with a line about Marty’s children and his girlfriend joining the ride, I realized that this was a challenge. Introducing Marty’s kids felt like a departure from the core essence of Doc Brown up until then, while Jennifer as Marty’s love interest seemed out of sync with our established dynamic. We found ourselves in a pickle, but instead of shying away, we chose to confront the issue head-on.

It seems that the main issue with this movie is its slow start, as it spends a significant amount of time re-establishing the events from the end of the first movie and setting up future plot points for the third installment. Consequently, much of what happens in the first third of Back to the Future Part II doesn’t directly impact the events of the rest of the film, apart from Marty acquiring a sports almanac. This makes the opening act feel more like a prelude for another movie rather than an integral part of this one.

Doc takes Marty and Jennifer to 2015 but regrets bringing Jennifer along. So, he knocks her unconscious with a futuristic device. He then convinces Marty to pretend to be his future grandson and agree to a robbery to prevent family issues in the future. However, when Marty attempts to bring a sports almanac back from the past for personal gain, Doc scolds him.

Later, in a reprise of the skateboard scene from the first movie with hoverboards, the elderly Biff realizes there’s a time machine and grabs the discarded almanac. Jennifer is picked up by the police and taken to her future home, causing Biff to steal the DeLorean, travel back in time, and return both time machines (which seems unusual given what Doc later explains about traveling forward from an alternate timeline) before disappearing off-screen, appearing to be in pain.

The initial segment of this production seems disorganized and lacks coherent logic, not aligning well with the subsequent acts. Despite its flaws, there are delightful aspects to it, particularly the intriguing portrayal of the future, which includes clever elements such as the hypothetical “Jaws 19” film. However, this could have been utilized more effectively, perhaps by leaping ahead for the story’s beginning and summarizing some scenes through succinct dialogue instead. Consequently, the first forty minutes of this movie feel rather laborious.

Once the storyline becomes clearer, the movie becomes much more enjoyable. At approximately forty minutes in, the movie sets a new objective and moves at a brisk pace. In the 1950s, Biff amassed his fortune through gambling, which transformed Hill Valley, a small peaceful town, into a chaotic hub for gambling, with his tower as its centerpiece. George is deceased, and Loraine has wed Biff. Marty, who was supposed to be in Switzerland, returns to find this altered world. Doc deduces the problem from hints left in the DeLorean and decides that returning to 1955 is the only way to correct everything.

Instead of revisiting the 1955 tale from a different angle, the two Bobs initially preferred to journey back to 1965 and observe the hippie generation’s interpretation of Marty’s parents. The decision not to bring Crispin Glover back to play George (as Crispin Glover is known for his unpredictable behavior) might have influenced this shift in the storyline. As a result, we witness a humorous take on time travel with more focus on complicated paradoxes.

In this scenario, Marty’s mission is once again evident: he must retrieve the almanac. However, he can’t let his past self or parents know what he’s up to, making his plan less clear (as for why he can’t wait for Biff to fall asleep and take it from his room, the time constraints don’t seem to apply in this movie). So, he skillfully maneuvers through the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance, creatively intertwining events from the previous film. He must covertly travel with his mother in a car past his younger self. He gets a unique perspective on his father’s significant moment, something he didn’t experience before, all while snatching the almanac from Biff’s pocket. He also rescues his past self from Biff’s thugs just offstage as Marty performs “Johnny Be Good”. It’s engaging and enjoyable, though at times it seems less challenging than the first film (as if by coincidence, three goons happen to be standing under easily dislodged sandbags).

The movie concludes with a triumph, followed swiftly by a tragic event and a suspenseful cliffhanger, even throwing in a sneak peek of the next film on home releases (which I must admit, I’m delighted Universal continues to include). This rapid transition between emotions is made effortless due to the film’s overall playful tone. While we might feel momentary sadness at the unexpected vanishing of Doc and the DeLorean after being struck by lightning, this movie wasn’t intended to evoke deep emotion, so these transitions function more as surprising twists rather than genuine tragedies.

In simpler terms, “Back to the Future Part II” starts off a bit rocky and then picks up towards the end. It’s an entertaining sequel with some cool visual effects, particularly noticeable compared to “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”. However, it falls short of my expectations overall. The beginning feels disconnected from the rest of the film, more like a setup for “Part III” instead of the concluding parts of “Part II”. There’s fun to be found, but I was hoping for a more cohesive storyline.

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2025-01-11 18:58