Back To The Future Part III (1990)
They've saved the best trip for last… but this time they may have gone too far.
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenburgen, Thomas F. Wilson, Lea Thompson, Elisabeth Shue, James Tolkan, Matt Clark, Dub Taylor, Harry Carey Jr., Pat Buttram, Christopher Wynne, Sean Gregory Sullivan, Mike Watson, Marc McClure
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Running Time: 108 minutes
US MPAA rating: N/AUK BBFC rating: PG
Adventure, Comedy, Family, Science Fiction, Western
On DVD Marty McFly and the good Doctor Emmett Brown find themselves time-hopping for one last time in this train-jumpin' horse-ridin' tobacco-spittin' finale to Robert Zemeckis' tremendous trilogy. Yee-haw!!
Where last we left them, Doc (Christopher Lloyd) had zipped back to the year 1885 in the Hill Valley lightning storm, leaving Marty (Michael J. Fox) stranded in 1955. Thankfully, Brownie was nice enough to write Marty a letter, providing instructions of how to find the DeLorean time machine and make his way home to 1985. Only thing is, Marty's plans take a U-turn when a flick through the history books reveals a grisly ending to the Doc's days. So it's off to the Old West to save his pal's skin before strangely-familiar baddie Buford 'Mad Dog' Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson) gets to have his murderous way.
The super-complicated plot twists of Part II are abandoned this time round for a simpler, comedy western affair where our heroes use their knowledge of the future to send-up the past. Thus, Marty tells everyone his name's 'Clint Eastwood', does the moonwalk when a gun-totin' Buford tells him to 'dance', and gets some strange looks when using phrases like 'lighten up'.
Mary Steenburgen turns up uninvited as a love interest for the Doc (yes, really), and we get the requisite quick-draw gun-fight (albeit with a twist) before three movies' worth of loose ends are eventually tied-up.
There's an unavoidably strong reliance on the audience's already-established affection for the main characters, though unlike Part II that audience is rewarded with the satisfaction of a big ending to round things off. It doesn't have the spark or creativity of either of its' predecessors, and as a stand-alone project it isn't really a classic. But fans of the trilogy will love seeing how everything comes together and delight in the opportunity to see Marty and the Doc together again for one final adventure.
DVD Extras: 'Back to the Future Part III' is only available on DVD as part of the entire 'Back to the Future Trilogy' box-set, disc 3 of which includes: 'Making the Trilogy' chapter 3, out-takes and deleted scenes, ZZ Top 'Doubleback' video, production archives, storyboards and theatrical trailer.
It's Got: ZZ Top spinning their gee-tars in the wild, wild, west.
It Needs: To be watched as the third part in one whole story, rather than a movie in its own right.
Alternatives: Back to the Future, Back to the Future Part II
Summary: Significantly weaker than either Part I or Part II, but an enjoyable ride nonetheless.
Review by Gary Panton
Review Date: 18th July 2003
External Links
Back To The Future Part III at the IMDB
