Back to the Future Part III (1990)

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers (WGA):

Robert Zemeckis (characters) &
Bob Gale (characters) ...

Release Date:

25 May 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Sci-Fi | Western

Tagline:

They've saved the best trip for last... But this time they may have gone too far.

Plot:

Doctor Emmet Brown was living in peace in 1885 until he was killed by Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen. Marty McFly travels back in time to save his friend.

Plot Keywords:

Actress Playing Multiple Roles | Shot Back To Back | Risking Life For Love | Third Movie Syndrome | Alternate History

Awards:

4 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Michael J. Fox	...	Marty McFly / Seamus McFly
Christopher Lloyd	...	Dr. Emmett Brown
Mary Steenburgen	...	Clara Clayton
Thomas F. Wilson	...	Buford 'Mad Dog' Tannen / Biff Tannen
Lea Thompson	...	Maggie McFly / Lorraine McFly
Elisabeth Shue	...	Jennifer Parker
James Tolkan	...	Chief Marshal James Strickland
Matt Clark	...	Chester the Bartender
Dub Taylor	...	Saloon Old-Timer #1
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Saloon Old-Timer #2
Pat Buttram	...	Saloon Old-Timer #3
Christopher Wynne	...	Buford's Gang Member #1 / Needles' Gang Member #1
Sean Gregory Sullivan	...	Buford's Gang Member #2
Mike Watson	...	Buford's Gang Member #3
Marc McClure	...	Dave McFly

Also Known As:

Three (USA) (fake working title)

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Netherlands:MG6 (DVD rating) | Brazil:Livre | South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:K-10/7 | Iceland:L | Italy:T | Norway:11 | Peru:PT | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

161 N. Magnolia Avenue, Monrovia, California, USA

Company:

Amblin Entertainment

Trivia:

Throughout the trilogy, the Delorean and its duplicates created via time travel make 15 trips through time. They are: - 1) Doc's dog, Einstein, is sent one minute into the future to test the machine. - 2) Marty travels back to 1955 from 1985. - 3) Marty returns to 1985 from 1955. - 4) Doc travels past 2015 from 1985. - 5) Doc travels to 2015 from the future to find the beginning of the unraveling of Marty's family. - 6) Doc returns to 1985 from 2015. - 7) Doc takes Marty and Jennifer forward to 2015 from 1985. - 8) Biff travels from 2015 to 1955 to give himself the sports almanac, thus creating an alternate timeline. - 9) Biff returns to 2015 from 1955. - 10) Doc, Marty, and Jennifer return to the alternate 1985 from 2015. - 11) Marty and Doc travel back to 1955 from the alternate 1985 to get the sports almanac from Biff. - 12) Doc accidentally travels from 1955 to 1885 when the Delorean is hit by lightning. - 13) Marty travels from 1955 to 1885 to rescue Doc. - 14) Marty returns to 1985 from 1885. It could be argued that the Delorean made a 14th trip through time: being placed in the mine by Doc in 1885 for Marty and Doc to find in 1955. However, it did not actually time travel (i.e. "skip" any period of time) in that instance. - 15) Doc and his family travel from the future to 1985 to introduce Marty and Jennifer to Jules and Verne, and to give Marty an undamaged photo of he and Doc Brown in front of the clock. Additional off screen time traveling has occurred as stated by Doc Brown, when he tells Marty that he has "already traveled further ahead into time to see what else happens" in Back to the Future Part II (1989).

Goofs:

Continuity: As Marty walks past the train station the sound of a telegraph can be heard yet there are no telegraph poles or wires visible in either direction.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Marty McFly: Doc! Doc! Doc!
Doc: [not paying attention] What?
Marty McFly: Doc!
Doc: What?
Marty McFly: Doc!
Doc: [finally seeing him] Aaaah!
Marty McFly: Okay, relax, Doc, it's me! It's me! It's Marty!
Doc: No, it can't be! I just sent you back to the future!
Marty McFly: Oh, I know you did send me back to the future. But I'm back! I'm back from the future.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References "The Gene Autry Show" (1950)

Soundtrack:

Clementine

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

'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)