Back to the Future Part III (1990) User Reviews

Great end to the trilogy

[bowmanblue · 8/10 · 1 April 2020]

I know it's hard for any sequel to live up to the original. Yes, the first 'Back to the Future' film is definitely the best, but - come on - as far as sequels go, 'Parts II & III' are still pretty impressive. I know they may not have the same 'original feel' to them, but they at least to a fantastic job of expanding the original concept/mythology and growing the much-loved characters we met in the first outing.

I doubt there are many people who will decide to watch 'Part III' of a trilogy first, so my advice is watch them all in order. Then you can experience the full magic of watching a young high school student (Marty McFly - played perfectly by Michael J Fox) get caught up in with his friend 'Doc Brown's' (played by the only person seemingly capable of upstaging Michael J Fox here - Christopher Lloyd) exploits with a time-travelling DeLorean car

There's a brief recap at the beginning of the film as to how our heroes have become stuck in the past and now they have to go further back to the Wild West in order to get home - don't worry, if that sounds confusing - it all makes sense if you've watched all three.

What you have here is a movie that feels totally at home in the 'Back to the Future' trilogy, but this time is set among cowboys and spittoons. It delights in poking fun of the time period and genre, plus gives us familiar faces/enemies in the form of series antagonist 'Biff Tannen's' long lost grandfather as a murderous outlaw - naturally hell-bent on causing all sorts of problems for our heroes. Plus we even have a love interest for Doc - which does add a new dimension to the story. Normally if a new character is introduced so late it feels a bit jarring - I'm glad to say that here the insertion of 'Clara Clayton' feels organic and a necessity to the overall story.

You may not love it as much as the first, you may also consider this (or the second) to be the 'weakest' in the series, but even if that's true - it's still fantastic family entertainment. There are few films that can be considered 'timeless' (especially those made today), but the 'Back to the Future' trilogy can still be enjoyed by the whole family and holds up as it ever did (even if it did fail to predict what 2015 would look like and many of us are still waiting for hover boards and Nike self-lacing trainers!).

'Rick and Morty' may be cool, but they'll never be as well-loved as those they are spoofing. Long may the 'Back to the Future' trilogy never be remade/rebooted/whatever. 'Part III' may only be an 8/10, but overall the series will always remain a 'perfect 10.'

Marty, Doc, Zemeckis, And Gale pay homage to the Old West

[clydestuff · 8/10 · 23 March 2004]

Having set a new standard in time travel films with Back To The Future and Back To The Future Part II, it was with eager anticipation that I looked forward to seeing if Robert Zemeckis could bring his trilogy to a satisfying conclusion. To conclude any trilogy in a successful manner some of the key ingredients you need are: 1. do something in your wrap up you haven't done before 2. keep the main characters true to what they have been previously 3. tie up all the loose threads and 4. give us a satisfying ending.

For this third outing in the series, Zemeckis takes us where we have yet to tread, that being 1885 Hill Valley. With Marty trapped once again in the year 1955, he enlists the 1955 Doc Brown to help him return home. As we know by now, things are never that simple when it comes to Marty and Doc. Marty has no magic ruby slippers to click together three times and say, "There's no place like home." It seems Doc ended up in the Old West, but hid the DeLorean in a cave for Marty to find some 70 years later so he may return home back to 1985 and destroy the time machine. After discovering that Doc met with some misfortune shortly after arriving in 1885 Hill Valley, Marty decides to travel back in time to rescue him.

While BTTFIII does not have the break neck frantic pace of Part II, it is a good film on its own. For the first time, Zemeckis slows things down a bit, making this third film straightforward, yet just as delightful in a lot of ways as the other films. The first thing he does is throw us a little change up. Zemeckis and Gale decide to center the complications of this third film around Doc Brown by having him fall unexpectedly in love with a school teacher by the name of Clara(Mary Steenburgen). In essence, Doc loses his head over a woman and loses his scientific reasoning in the process. It is left up to Marty to become the voice of reason when Doc begins to let his emotions rule his reactions. Yet, Marty seems as a amused as we are by the whole thing. This is one romance that could easily have been the downfall of this film, but thanks to the performances of Steenburgen and Christopher Lloyd, together they develop a chemistry that makes it all work and work to perfection. So by having the majority of the film take place in the old west, then introducing something to the plot we didn't expect, Zemeckis takes care of the first point I mentioned above.

There's also the matter of Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen. The meanest, grimiest, filthiest, most ruthless outlaw to ever inhabit Hill Valley. If you liked Thomas F. Wilson's portrayals of Biff, you'll be amazed at his rambunctious portrayal of Mad Dog. He even somehow manages to top his villainous portrayals in the first two films which is not an easy task. So yes, all the characters from the first two films are here in some form or another, and though Doc Brown may be in love, he is still the Doc. This solidly takes care of my second point about keeping the characters true to what they have been before.

Zemeckis and Gale have been absolute geniuses in writing these films. In each film they have taken little pieces from the previous films and make them essential to what's happening. For instance, if you've seen the second part there is a short scene that is extremely relevant to what goes on in the finale. When originally viewing it in Part II, I'm sure you never gave it a second thought. When the pay off comes in this film, you can't help but chuckle and say, oh I see. As for my third point about tying up loose ends, they do that and tie up some things we didn't even know were loose ends.

In Part II, it was necessary for several of the actors to play different roles. This one is no different. Besides being Marty Mcfly, Fox also portrays his ancestor Shamus Mcfly, who is Irish, and again Fox shows his versatility as Lea Thompson does as his wife Maggie. Of course James Tolkan is back as Strickland and theres a couple of good jokes about his character that will surprise you...well at least one of them will surprise you the other will just leave you laughing. As if all this wasn't good enough, Zemeckis also gives us several old western character actors, Dub Taylor, Pat Buttram, and Harry Carey Jr. Another great touch thrown in just for the fun of it.

In reviewing the fist two parts of the trilogy, I failed to mention Alan Silvestri's terrific score. All three films owe a great deal of their success to it, and the fact that he was able to keep the same theme, yet do variations on it that perfectly fitted each film deserves as much credit as all the others responsible for making this film received.

So what about point 4, a satisfying ending? Of course, you'll have to see the film to find out for yourself. I can only say that when Part 3 was over I felt a certain amount of sadness that the trilogy had ended. Even now when I watch the three films, I wish there had been a fourth, and a fifth. This was not because the ending of the third film left me unsatisfied in anyway, quite the contrary in fact. It was because I would miss not only the films themselves, but most of all the rich detail and characterizations brought to life for us by a wonderful cast, director, writers and the rest of the crew responsible for enabling us to enjoy one of the most memorable series of films ever. And when you live in my memory forever, you get my grade. For Back To The Future Part III it's an A+. As for the trilogy, there is no grade high enough, no rating high enough, for me to give it the award it so richly deserves.

No one's future is written for them

[oOoBarracuda · 8/10 · 14 January 2016]

Sitting back to watch the final, for now, entry in the Back to the Future trilogy, I was a little disheartened. I had a lot of fun with this series, and was sad not to be traveling through the dimensions of time with Marty and Doc Brown for the last time. But alas, all good things must come to an end, and of course, I can always rent the DVD, or perhaps even add any of them to my own collection. Back to the Future Part III, didn't simply "phone it in" for its' final act, it provided a complete compilation to its time travel exploits.

This story picks up where the second left off; with Marty (Michael J. Fox) acting on a letter he received from Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd). At the conclusion of Back to the Future Part II, the DeLorean is struck by lightning, with Doc inside, and he is transported all the way back to 1885, in the old west. Since Doc had always dreamed of living in the Wild West, he was not severely disappointed to be stuck in the 1800's, and he certainly was stuck because it would be 70 or so years before the replacement parts he needed to repair the DeLorean would exist. He writes Marty a letter explaining to him what he is up to and that he is fine and should be left in 1885. Soon after receiving the letter, however, Marty uncovers that Doc Brown is about to die. Unwilling to leave him to that fate, Marty ignores all risks, intent on traveling to 1885, to find Doc Brown. This would prove impossible without a trip back to 1955, to get some help from the Doc Brown of the past. Marty's crash landing in 1885 creates quite a conundrum, however, as a fuel line breaks causing all of the gas to leak out of the DeLorean. Doc reminds him that gas hasn't been invented yet, and they will have to be innovative to find a way to power the DeLorean to the necessary 88 M.P.H. needed to travel through time. After devising a plan to power the DeLorean by locomotive power, a new distraction, of a feminine nature arrives. A Ms. Clara Clayton greets Doc Brown, and he is instantly smitten by her. Doc even vows to stay in the past with Clara after helping Marty fix the DeLorean. Our Heroes situation is made even more difficult because Marty, in typical McFly fashion refuses to be called "chicken", or "yellow" in 1885 terms. After an altercation with Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson), Marty gains the attention of the gun that he discovered was to kill Doc. In the final installment of Robert Zemeckis beloved time traveling adventure, out duo is outrunning a gun, deciding between love and fate, and learning that the words of others should only ever be words rather than a reflection of ourselves; a pleasing finale to the Back to the Future series.

Once again, the brilliant on-screen chemistry of Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd bring Back to the Future Part III to life. Years working together on the same franchise were nothing to dilute the pair's on-screen chemistry. Still as engaging as ever, it was pure joy to watch Marty and Doc on screen again, one last time. This film also kept the heart in to the movie. Each entry in this trilogy has heart at the center, no pun intended. It was endearing to see our zany Doc Brown fall in love, even if he did wish to pick his new love over traveling with Marty.

I would recommend Back to the Future Part III to almost anyone. Rated PG, it is appropriate and engaging for all ages. Fans of the trilogy have to see it, as it wraps up all of our favorite's story lines. Anyone who believes in the power of love, time, and destiny will feel empowered by the message. I'm not sure what type of viewer Couldn't find something to appreciate about Back to the Future Part III, and to me, that's exactly how a franchise should end; pleasing the one time viewer and the series fanatic alike.

The Perfect Finale to a Wonderful Trilogy

[OrigiN · 10/10 · 10 August 1999]

As a loyal fan of the Back to the Future phenomenon, I long awaited a chance to publish my take on the series. It may be a bit surprising to some that I would choose to write my comments in the section specific to the last movie which has been considered to be the worst film of the trilogy.

For many years, in consideration of this one trilogy which served to inspire and excite me as to possibilities of the motion picture industry, I would look with a disappointment on BTTF Part Three, believing it to be an unwelcome, unexciting film which ended the legacy.

However, recently it came upon me to purchase the trilogy on VHS and re-experience it, as I had once did, though now from a more balanced perspective. I watched the first two Back to the Future movies avoided the third in the fear of being once again disappointed. Utter disappointment is no longer the feeling I can use to describe my take of the movie.

Back to the Future 3 is a well-written, well-directed, well-balanced piece. With an incredible musical score, brilliant acting and excellent composition, the movie reminded me that Back to the Future was never about action. It was truly about the characters we came to know and love in the first movie. It was a return to the basics, the friendship between Marty and Doc and how each was thrown through time to change not only the future of Hill Valley, but also their own lives and their future choices.

Robert Zemeckis' (the writer) decision to send the two friends back to 1885, in their final adventure, was brilliant. Imagery like the "famous Hill Valley courthouse under construction" and the "steam engine train wheeling up to the rear of the futuristic Delorean" was unforgettable. For example, the dancing at the Courthouse welcoming festivities contrasted with the action-laden scene (in BTTF2) between Griff and Marty at the same place just a century and a half later.

All in all, Back to the Future Part Three was a perfect ending to a perfect trilogy. To anyone who despises this film, I recommend another full watching. There are so many details which are kudos out to fans of the previous two movies. The movie successfully slowed the pace of the other two movies (in preparation for conclusion) without losing the loyalty of true fans. It captured the essence of what brought these fans to Back to the Future in the first place.

If you haven't seen it, rent and enjoy :) If you have seen it and wasn't particularly pleased, I beg another viewing.

L8r!

Back to the Old West ... Back to the Roots ... Back to the Future ...

[ElMaruecan82 · 9/10 · 9 October 2011]

And here comes the conclusion of one of the finest and most likable cinematic trilogies: "Back to the Future Part III", more than a sequel, a resourcing in the spirit that made the first film such an endearing classic, with an even more escapist value in the setting, the Far West during the 1880's. As a Sci-Fi Family Romantic Comedy, "Back to the Future Part III" is already a winner, but the Western is the defining aspect of its originality.

"Back to the Future Part III" was directly made after the second, basically recycling the same material, and using the same team, the same casting etc. The continuity between the two films is so determining that there's no way watching the second without getting immediately to the third, it's like keeping in touch with the same family. Indeed, as much as I can watch the first one alone, because it's a class on its own and a film I consider slightly independent from the two sequels, on the other hand, I consider the sequels too connected to each other not to be seen in a row. This continuity helps to appreciate the second part that feels more like a link between the two other films while "Part III" resurrects the spirit of the first one by focusing on the emotionality rather than the eternal "back to the future" mission.

This has always been Marty's preoccupation and the thrust of the trilogy but the travels also had the merit to solve some familial issues and help a beloved character to improve something in his life, if anything, the trilogy defines the notion of 'coming-of-age' as the inspirational aspect of the film, its encouragement for success through self-improvement. But since people were facing less materialistic issues than during the 80's, I guess there was a need to take some distance from these so-called philosophies of successes and a huge step back one century earlier when the 80's followed the Secession War and preceded the Industrial Revolution that would lead to demise of the frontier spirit. The Far West is less a setting or an era, than a state of mind, embodying the roots of the American spirit in its purest form, before greed and profit perverted its meaning. The Far West setting perfectly fitted the tormenting desire of Doc Emmett Brown for retirement and a tacit existential quest for love.

Consequently, while the central character of the first film was George McFly and the second part focused on the McFly Family, Gale and Zemeckis took the last film as a great opportunity to enrich the character of Doc Brown and close his story's arc through a love story in order to replace the "mad scientist" label by a necessary element of three-dimensionality. On the surface, Marty's mission is to prevent Brown from being killed by the villain who –for our greatest delight- is Biff's ancestor, Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen, but while Marty and Doc try to find a solution to push the DeLorean to 88 mph, destiny puts them in Clara's path. So Doc meets Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen), a teacher whose fate was to fall in the Shonash ravine canyon and give it a posthumous name.

At that point of the trilogy, we're all aware of the time travels' mechanisms, we can even be surprised by Marty's incapability "to reason fourth-dimensionally", who he traveled so much. But here, the film invites us to put all the scientific stuff into perspective and think of the real elements that predefine our fates. There's a strong philosophical material hidden behind the love story as the film concludes its approach on time travels with the idea that nothing is written except by our free will and our capacity not to let external elements direct our lives. But I may make the film sound too intellectual when it's also a great comedy and one hell of a western.

The film is the opportunity to rediscover and say goodbye to the wonderful characters of Hill Valley, to see the first McFlys in American land, to witness the inauguration of the clock tower which, as Doc said, was fitting that he and Marty could witness, not to mention Marty pretending to be named Clint Eastwood, at the risk of tarnishing this name by becoming the biggest yellow belly in the Old West. And the delight on the comedic level is in the way the humor works on a meta-referential level as if the film was breaking an imperceptible fourth wall, playing on its own trademarks. I can't resist to the scene where Marty, realizing that he might be killed instead of Doc utters a "Great Scott" followed by Doc's comment "I know this is heavy", when Marty wonders why they always have to "cut these things so damn close" or when, in the most dramatic situations, he reacts by an ironic 'perfect'.

And speaking of dramatic, the film also provides great thrilling moments you'd expect from a Western, and probably the most heart-pounding climax from the trilogy with the train sequence, so suspenseful, I remember I had to pause for seconds the first time I watched it. This was one of the few times, I needed to take a break because it was just too suspenseful, but what a fitting and rewarding conclusion. Action, escapism, duels, stage, rides, Indians, cavalry, "Back to the Future Part III" is also an independent homage to the Western genre with some exhilarating moments, served by Alan Silvestri's terrific score, probably his best work in the trilogy.

And this is why I consider "Back to the Future" as the greatest trilogy after "The Godfather" with a slight advantage that remains the consistency in terms of spirit, thrills, laughs and emotional value. So thank you Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale, Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and all the team for these three unforgettable classics!

The Conclusion Of A Trilogy That Is Sheer Fun, Excitement & Energy

[Chrysanthepop · 31 July 2008]

Marty and doc are back, but in another time. They go to the West in 1885 in order to save Doc's life and from then on the Western adventure takes place. It's a pity that so many people disliked the third movie because, in my humble opinion, it's a great finale to this fantastic trilogy. It is very well written with rich characters and clever dialogues. This third part does differ in the sense that it's set in the West and has less of the futuristic gadgets and gizmos (obviously, since it's not set in the distant future but you'll still see a few including a time-travelling freight train) but it still retains the same energy, a different kind of action and it pays a nice homage to Western classics. Fox and Lloyd continue their roles of the teen hero and the crazy doctor (and it never gets old) but this time there's a new female lead. Mary Steenburgen delivers a hilariously wonderful performance as the ditsy Clara. She and Lloyd are funny and sweet together. Clara is the perfect lady for Doc and Steenburgen fits the part like a glove. This time, Lea Thompson appears as an Irish settler. Zemeckis has brilliantly picked up from where the second one ended. The film ends on a delightful note and I would have liked to see more 'Back to The Future' movies. But, I'm still very pleased with the way it is. There have been only very few trilogies that have impressed me overall. My list includes names like Ray's 'Apu Trilogy' and Coppola's 'Godfather' trilogy and of course Zemeckis's 'Back To The Future' movies.

Underrated and unappreciated third sequel an epic time travel adventure

[ivo-cobra8 · 7/10 · 2 March 2018]

Underrated doesn't deserve the hate. Back to the Future Part III is so unappreciated. I keep hearing from people how bad this film is. Am I the only one who enjoyed this film? It is not a masterpiece like the first one is but it is a tied with the first one and it is a great sequel a great end to an excellent trilogy. Back to the Future is one of my all time favorite trilogy's of all time. I love the first film to death and it is a masterpiece and I love this (the third film) to death. Back to the Future Part III in my opinion it is tied with the first one and it is one of the best sequels of all time. It is my second favorite film in the trilogy in my opinion it is better than Part II I have enjoyed it more than Part II.

Michael J. Fox , Christopher Lloyd and Mary Steenburgen are excellent at acting I have enjoyed their performances. Robert Zemeckis writes and directs excellent this sequel. Alan Silvestri writes a beautiful score for third film which it was shot back to back with the second film. I Love the new score for this movie.

Back to the Future Part III (1990)

I love that this film was set in the Old West back in 1885. I love the rescue mission in which Marty goes back in time from the year 1955 back in to the past in to the Old West to save his best friend Doc Brown from getting killed by an outlaw Buford Tannen. I love western movies and Marty McFly was naming him self as Clint Eastwood in this film which it was brilliant. They even make similarity from A Fistful of Dollars (one of my all time favorite western films) in which Marty wears a boiler plate as a bullet proof vest in which Buford 'Mad Dog' Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson) shoots Marty. This movie has comedy, adventure, action, bank robbery, train robbery, gun fights, fist fights and one explosion. Great acting from the actors, great direction and great writing, great score. This movie shows group of Indians, followed closely by Cavalry men who are chasing them. Doc saves Marty just before he would be hang by Buford and his men.

I did like that the film was more focusing on Doc and Marty the characters that we care about. Rather then Loraine and Biff like Part II did. The movie wasn't dark like the second was. I love how Doc and Marty pushes the DeLorean along the spur line, on the tracks attempting to get it up to 88 miles per hour. DeLorean then reaches 88mph and disappears...with the locomotive barreling over the side of the ravine, and exploding in a huge fireball, brilliant and well done special effect. I love that the movie does not messes with the first two movies and it is an original film I appreciate that.

It is Rated PG for language, sensuality and violence. It is a perfect film from the 90's that I have grew up with it. It is my second favorite film in the trilogy I love, love this film to death and doesn't deserve the hate. 10/10 Score: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval a perfect score for me.

Just as incredible as the first two, Back To The Future III provides two hours of great fun.

[Anonymous_Maxine · 10/10 · 11 July 2000]

Doc Brown and Marty McFly are back for another time travel adventure, and once again their exploits are great to watch. The film is well-written and directed, and all of the actors involved delivered spectacular performances once again. There could not have been a sharper contrast between the last Back To The Future and this one (we go from the neon colored future of flying cars and 3D movies to the old dirty west with its overflowing spittoons and gunfighting), yet the story holds together strongly and keeps the attention of the audience from start to finish.

The old west was portrayed beautifully, although maybe a bit crudely and stereotypically, and the way that the town of Hill Valley was transformed for all three films is one of the biggest highlights of the series as a whole. In Back To The Future III, the challenges that face Doc and Marty are ingenius, and a solution to their problems is extremely difficult to think of, which makes it that much more fun to watch the film.

Back To The Future III is an excellent way to have ended the trilogy, which as a whole is among the best trilogies ever made. What other group of movies follows the same characters through their adventures which take place in three different centuries? Clearly, Back To The Future III deserves a lot of respect, as do the previous two films. They are all a huge amount of fun to watch, and the films can be enjoyed by people of all ages, which is a quality that few films possess.If you haven't seen these films, go out and get them, and if you have seen them, you may want to go out and watch them again.

The difficult third part in the trilogy

[Superunknovvn · 9/10 · 3 April 2006]

Even in the best franchises which proved that sequels can be just as good, if not better than the originals, the third parts are often fairly controversial. Look no further than to the third entries in "The Godfather" and "The Terminator" movies. "Back To The Future III" is no exception to that rule as it clearly is the weakest part in the trilogy, but it's still one hell of a great ride.

Writer/producer Bob Gale and writer/director Robert Zemeckis are two very clever men. They know the difficulties of sequels well. As Zemeckis explains somewhere on the "BTTF"-DVD set, the hardest part is to give the audience something new without moving too far away from the original's spirit. "Back To The Future II" achieved that goal gloriously (although Zemeckis who is very critical about his own work is always downsizing the greatness of it). Maybe the two Bobs went a bit too far away from what audiences loved about the original in part 3.

Although the movie is set mainly in the Wild West, it's still seen through the eyes of two people from the 80's. There are shootouts, horse chases and train robberies, but "Back To The Future III" is never a real Western. What makes this movie seem different from its predecessors is that fittingly it doesn't have a lot to do with teen culture anymore (save for a Michael Jackson-reference). Marty himself seems to have grown up quite a bit and you'll be surprised to see him behaving more focused on his mission than Doc in the latter half of the movie. This change of places by the characters was a deliberate decision by the writers and it does push the story and the relationship of Marty and Doc forward, but something about it just doesn't feel right.

It's intriguing to learn about the origins of Hill Valley and the ancestors of the McFly-clan. However, the earnest Seamus McFly and his family - that for some reason includes a woman looking like Marty's mother - seem strangely out of place in a BTTF-movie. They're just not quirky enough.

What makes the story seem even more estranged is the introduction of a new character, Clara Clayton, with whom Doc falls madly in love. Now, although we should all be happy for Doc having found his own private happiness, somehow we don't want him to behave like that. It's not Doc as we know and love him - and that's exactly the problem Robert Zemeckis was talking about. Marty and Doc used to be a team. Was anyone happy for John when Yoko got between him and The Beatles?

I still think "Back To The Future III" is an amazing accomplishment, a fine finale to one of the best trilogies ever made. You can't give enough praise to Zemeckis and Gale for not just making these movies for financial reasons but for actually trying to make them as good as possible. Personally, I love this movie to bits and I don't think it could have been realized any better. The only explanation I got for why this brilliant sequel got a lukewarm rating of 6.7 from IMDb users, is the dilemma Zemeckis himself was aware of, but couldn't fully avoid.

Fans who are still longing for a fourth part should keep that in mind and would be best advised to let it go. Zemeckis and Gale have said repeatedly that they don't plan on ever continuing the story. And why should they? Everything has been said, everything has been done. The movies are perfect the way they are. Let's be thankful there are still filmmakers that stick to their artistic conviction.

Doc Falls in Love

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 20 February 2020]

"Back to the Future Part III" is the conclusion of a top ten trilogy. Truthfully, not many trilogies are even good---I don't even know if I can list ten good trilogies. But if I could, BTTF would be in that top ten.

In part one we got a taste of 1955. In part two the majority of the time was spent in 2015. Part three is in 1885. Marty McFly (MJ Fox) goes back to 1885 in order to save Doc's life. When things go wrong with the Delorean that creates problems and of course Marty will have to contend with another version of Biff. Things are further complicated when Doc (Christopher Lloyd) falls in love with Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen). It's more action and adventure in a different era for Marty and Doc.

The lure and mystique that the first BTTF had is dulled being that this is the third installment, but it's still and adequate movie. I'll tell you one thing: For Doc to care so much about it he sure does trample all over the space-time continuum. In for a penny, in for a pound I guess.

Lives up to the original

[friskysman · 10/10 · 13 April 2003]

I agree that most of the time sequels to great movies are no good. Get to the third installment and it's become a joke. One of the lone exceptions to this rule is Back to the Future Part III. It's just a perfect movie. Entertaining, intelligent, and funny it is a hoot for fans of the first movie. Back to the Future is one franchise where all three movies are worthy of your attention.

Zippy, snappy and thoroughly enjoyable second sequel which reminds us of how good American produced/English-language franchises can be.

[johnnyboyz · 7/10 · 19 October 2011]

I think we'd all be lying if we said we didn't sit through the final few shots of Back to the Future: Part III and didn't necessarily 'feel' something sad or melancholy wash over us. The conclusion to what has to go down as one of the best film trilogies of all time, a sentiment made even more prominent following recent additions to the respective Terminator and Die Hard franchises, carries with it an uplifting air of pomp and conclusion juxtaposed with a sense of heartbreak in that the only way to experience time travelling adventures with these characters, whom we love a great deal, is to sit through a rerun. There is genuine heart to proceedings here, and we sense the director, a certain Robert Zemeckis, of whom has been responsible for some great work over the years, is genuinely trying new things and attempting to push the franchise down different routes. What isn't happening is what often occurs with certain other sequels belonging to certain other franchises; that is to say, simulacrum-imbued romps of previous entries following that same lead character, of whom was never particularly interesting in the first place, trudging through the same locations and doing the same act with nothing registering and not much of it particularly interesting.

The film continues the adventures of Marty McFly, but it veers more away to his faithful partner in time, Emmett "Doc" Brown, in the fashion the last entry alluded it would: Doc's favourite ever era in history was "the old West", while at one point in Part II, he stated his intent to dismantle the confounded time machine built out of a Delorean and focus his attentions on the "one other mystery of the universe: women(!)". We begin in 1955, and following events of the second film, Marty crash-lands back into Doc Brown's world; he of whom is only just recovering from the events of the very first film. Marty still has that letter from the end of Part II, a letter addressed to him from Doc although written in 1885 having spent several decades with a courier company. It's worth pointing out that the incarnation of Doc that is trapped in 1885 is he of the year 1985, and as you watch and struggle to sync it all up to see if it makes sense, one must battle the wave of nostalgia washing over one on top of listening and working it all out. Blowing up the entrance to an old mine near a graveyard, so that Marty may travel back to the 80's, they stumble across no ordinary grave: Doc's grave from the nineteenth century, and they take it upon themselves to alter the plan by sending Marty back to save him.

When Marty arrives back, it is as magical as it is when he respectively crash lands into both the 50's and the 2010's; that trademark-of-the-series crane shot over the town-general is like a friend of old rearing up after not having previously seen them for several years, whilst the gag about encountering his "mother" (or a descendant of his mother) very early on after travelling is still funny. Initially, Marty struggles; falling afoul of his untamed Western surroundings by very nearly coming a cropper to the local wildlife, natives and the soiled water a nearby rancher gives him. There is some early, if unwelcome, instances of humour revolving around a baby urinating on him and his treading in horse manure, but the general idea is he's ill-suited to his surroundings. The Tannen's are back, Thomas F. Wilson returns as an incarnation of what is arguably the most famous school bully that's ever been put to film; here playing Buford, an ancestor of Biff and Griff et al. and a gunslinger whose reputation is built up through still images and newspaper reports prior to his arrival on screen. When he does arrive, the first we see of him is his holstered pistol filling the screen as he walks through a saloon door, thus inferring the danger and the sense of conflict synonymous with him.

Where it is established Doc has but a few days left to live, complications in their plan to save both of them arises when Clara Clayton (Steenburgen) bursts onto the scene; a woman destined by history to perish over the side of a cliff but saved by Doc, in what is an event which alters both history as well as Doc's life. Their coming together is the aforementioned wholesome substance, while providing with Doc with as much of the limelight as McFly is good value. Back to the Future: Part III works through its sense of there constantly being something at stake - we are aware of what the characters have to do, that is to say, something wholly scientific that is yet to have been tried which unfolds in a pre-modern era. If we look back upon this third Back to the Future film, and to a degree the second one as well, with a differing sense of fondness, then it is because that sense of the fire still going as a mainstream franchise hits its third film has all but dissipated from series of the more recent times. We enjoy the places the film take us; specifically, its covering of two people coming to form a relationship away from the core dynamic of McFly and Doc - if there were criticisms directed at the second film for thrashing around too much as it travelled and darted through time, then this is the entry that is grounded in one place and burns slowly as two characters come together and connect. As a result, we are required to hark back to films such as these made at a time when you actually felt filmmakers were trying new things and were out to enthrall as well as touch emotions, rather than proceed with a going through of the motions.

Back to the Future Part 3

[haydenluz · 5/10 · 21 January 2021]

Other than Doctor Emmett Brown's character development, and it having some relevance to the previous films, it's pretty fair to say Back to the Future Part 3, was a cash grab. The concept is pretty strung on, with a story pulled out of left field, to keep the series going for one more round. Part 3 was supposed to be apart of Part 2, but they figured with the duration, and content, they had two films on their hands. Maybe because I'm not the biggest western guy, but other than Part 3 being the funniest of the bunch, it didn't pack the punch the other films did. The story may come off a little light, but Part 3 finds it's footing, coming off a jumbled Part 2. Zemeckis, Spielberg & Gale didn't add as much time traveling, keeping the narrative focused, like the first.

Michael J. Fox continues his bold, yet charming role, but he didn't have much character development, due to the fact that he didn't have much to do in this film. The standout of the film was Doc! He got the most screen time as of yet, getting some interesting pieces added to his character. The greatest thing about this film, was the chemistry Fox & Llyod built over this short, five year span. Mary Steenburgen was a rare pleasure of someone who plays a sudden love for a main character. Clara was a great compliment to Doctor Brown, helping expand his character. Thomas F. Wilson returns once again, to be our antagonist, but his role is pretty outplayed already.

The screenplay by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale, had the same charm, and familiar lines from the films prior. With the western spin on it, it helped make this film the funniest out of the trilogy.

The production design by Rick Carter, who also did the design for Back to the Future Part 2, looked great, while really capturing that western feel. Part 3 was less reliant on the effects, other than the time travel scenes, really. The costume design by Joanna Johnston & Chuck Velasco had that great western feel, but the costumes stood too clean, for a dirty, dusty film.

"There's a man who can't hold his liquor."

[DarthBill · 20 April 2004]

Picking up where #2 left off, Marty is stuck in 1955 again and has to explain to the 1955 Doc why he's back and uses a letter Doc sends him from 1885 to explain what happened. After fixing up the time machine (hidden in a from 1885 cave), they find out that Doc is murdered in the past by Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen (played by Thomas F. Wilson) "over a matter of $80 dollars." So Marty decides to go back and rescue Doc before the murder can occur, but he is bedeviled by a rip in the fuel line - meaning they have to find another way to get the time machine to hit 88 miles per hour - and Doc falling in love with school teacher Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen). Along the way, he gets advice both from Doc and his 1885 ancestor Seamus McFly (also played by Michael J. Fox) that he should really learn to control his temper.

Fox and Lloyd are fun to watch as always, and I give my hat off to the studio for hiring Mary Steenburgen as Doc's love interest and not some super model type; it's more fitting of who Doc is. Wilson's Biff Tannen officially became a traditional "villain" in #2 with him murdering George McFly, and now Wilson plays an even bigger villain in Buford Tannen, whom he makes both funny and menacing.

Ironically, Wilson is said to be a very nice man in real life. Leah Thompson makes the most of a thankless dual role as both Lorraine McFly and Marty's great, great grandmother Maggie McFly, and James Tolkan plays his Principal character's soft spoken law man ancestor (killed in a deleted scene by Buford Tannen; "Remember son... discipline.")

It should be noted that originally there were no sequels planned with the first movie; that bit with Doc taking Marty and Jennifer to the future to help their kids was just another gag. But the film was such a hit that the studio couldn't NOT do sequels, so this one and part 2 were filmed back to back, which is becoming more of a craze these days.

Although on the surface it's a lighthearted comedy about time travel, it's also about what it means to be a man. The first film defined being a man through violently standing up to your tormentors, while this film and #2 go with the theme that being a man also means you have to reign yourself in when people start annoying you. Marty' willingness to fight back was his strength in the first film but here it is his flaw, as people in both 2015, 1955 and 1885 continually get his goat. The message of self-control is bluntly stated when Doc says to Marty "You can' t keep going off the handle every time someone calls you a name, that's why you get into that accident in the future!" (referring of course to the car accident mentioned in part 2). It is not until Marty realizes his error when he's about to meet Buford in the gun fight that he achieves this ideal and, much to Seamus's glee, says of Buford and the opinions surrounding him "He's an asshole! I don't care what Tannen says, and I don't care what anyone else says either!" Because of this, he is able to avoid said accident.

Also loaded with gags, references to other great westerns ("My name is Clint Eastwood.") and Doc's response to being asked if his hijacking the train is a hold up: "It's a science experiment!"

Robert Zemeckis' Back To The Future rocks !

[ustupidboy · 9/10 · 15 March 2012]

When I first saw Back To The Future part 2, I was really looking forward to see the third part because it's the exact sequel of the second. In fact, Back To The Future part 2 has no end in itself. You have to see the last part of the trilogy to know the end of the adventure. That's why I saw the third part just after the second =D.

In this movie the main character, the young Marty McFly (Michael J.Fox), has to go back to 1885 in order to find his long-time friend and eminent scientist Emmett Brown. Doc has been accidentally sent to the old Far West at the end of the second movie and this film tells Marty's journey to find his friend and go back to the present.

I am really fond of the first two movies so I had a little apprehension about this one. I was afraid I might be bored or disappointed. But this is a really good film too. The universe is kind of different because the action takes place a century before so it isn't boring at all. Moreover, even if the characters are involved in a cowboys story, they're still themselves and I am still crazy about them. They fit perfectly in their role and, as in the other movies, Marty meets some people of his family. He meets some bad guys too, and the worst is part of Biff Tannen's family, as usual.

My favorite scene happens at the end, just before Marty and Doc finally go back home. They really are in trouble because Buff Tannen, Biff's ancestor, wants to shoot them and Marty uses a trick he learned in the previous movie. I like this sort of links between the parts of the trilogy very much.

I really love this movie and I would recommend it to anyone who saw the first ones. Not only is the plot as good and funny as usual, but there has been a really good effort in the camera-work to make the film look like a classic western.

This is really a cult movie in the Sci-Fi world and in my opinion, it's a shame there haven't been other sequels. There's never too much Back To The Future and you never get enough !

Great conclusion to Back to the Future series!

[OllieSuave-007 · 9/10 · 6 September 2015]

The second and final sequel to one of the most iconic movies in cinematic history closes the series out with a bang, where Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) journeys to the year 1885 to save Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown (Christopher Lloyd) from a fatal duel with Buford 'Mad Dog' Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson). This is also Marty's last chance to travel back to his own time with no more time interference.

The special effects team really did an awesome job in making the time travel elements seem spectacular but realistic-looking, especially the DeLorean, and the cinematography of the Old Wild West was detailed and captures the 1800s feel very well.

Just like the first two movies, the direction by Robert Zemeckis was well-paced from start to finish, making the film intriguing throughout, from Marty meeting his ancestors in the old west to Doc meeting schoolteacher Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen). Their sudden love-at-first-sight attraction complicates the travel travel plans of Marty, adding suspense to the film. And, Marty skirmishing with Tanner is just entertaining to watch.

Spot-on acting by Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenbrugen, Thomas F. Wilson and Lea Thompson. They all made the film engaging and I especially liked their portrayals of old wild west people. The romantic subplot slows the story's pacing down a bit, but the race against time plot makes this sequel another edge-of-your-seat experience and is a great conclusion to the Back to the Future series.

Grade A-

Weakest in the trilogy.

[kardayathomas · 6/10 · 1 January 2022]

I didn't care to much for this one. I found it weak bland and boring. The script could have used some of that super fuel they use on the steam engine in this film because the story certainly ran out of steam. It does have its charm, but in comparison with the first two after all these years for me it still can't hold a candle them.

A must see!

[harrypotter4eva · 10/10 · 17 August 2000]

I think this movie makes a great end for the Back To The Future trilogy. I didn't think that I would like it much because it was about the old west, but I loved it! Michael J. Fox shows off his talents again, by playing Marty McFly, and his old relative in the west. The only part I didn't like was the ending. I'd really like to find out what happens to all the characters years later. But overall, an awesome film!

Part 3-I'm afraid there's not enough room in this De Lauren for the two of us

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 7/10 · 1 December 2006]

Well, I just finished the Back to the Future trilogy and all I have to say is that I was pleasantly surprised and relieved that I finally had the opportunity to see these films. Without a doubt, the first was my favorite, the second was my second favorite, and the third worked, but it didn't work as well as the other two movies. Part three worked the same formulas from the first and second, but some of the situations just seemed a tad too unrealistic.

Marty and The Doc are now in the Wild Wild West way back in 1885, and as you know the tools are not quite advanced as they are in 1985, so they have to figure out the best they can on how to get back to the future. But Doc falls in love with a woman he saves from going over a cliff, Clara, and Marty has been challenged by Mad Dog, or Biff in a different generation, to a duel. This is a major problem since Marty found a tombstone in the future with a possibility of having either his or Doc's name on it.

Well, I'm really glad that I had the opportunity to see these Back to the Future films, because they were good movies. I have to say that I was wrong, I tried to stay away from these films, I'll admit, because it just seemed so hokey and not my type of movie, but I think that's a major problem we all need to work on and not be so judgmental before we typecast a movie that we think we won't like because we might end up with little treasures.

7/10

From one to three

[crash21 · 9/10 · 6 August 2015]

I call The Back to the Future movies a trilogy set that was something a lot like the original "Star Wars" movies, and they made "Back to the Future Part III" a great part in all of this. "Back to the Future Part III" was practically an old-west situation with a good amount of science-fiction and humor through the whole thing.

Through all of this, you're expecting to see someone get shot and killed in the old west, yet Marty is constantly beating the bad guys. I especially like the ending in the old-west, where Marty has everyone thinking he has been shot and killed by Biff Tannen, then he gets up and simply beats him up having him unconscious, disgusted, and even inadvertently helps with Tannen's arrest. This is a dream for nearly everyone to do to a bully at some point.

Watch the whole set of "Back to the Future" movies side by side and you will find all of them, fun and amusing.

10Words - Back to the Future Part III

[anothaonechampion · 6/10 · 22 September 2018]

A fun western with time travel with a dumb ending.

Future bright

[Lejink · 7/10 · 25 October 2013]

My big mistake watching this film was seeing it out of sequence. I'm sure I saw B.T.T.F.1 on its original release, but don't remember catching numbers 2 & 3 when they first came out. So maybe I should have held off viewing this, the final episode in Marty & the Doc's time-travelling adventures, but if I lopped off the framing elements at the beginning and of this the third feature, it was still easy to enjoy this typically bright, humorous and action- packed Robert Zemeckis film.

This time, to prevent the Doc's death in a past-life, our intrepid heroes have to double- back in time (with thanks to ZZ Top) to the old West to fix the time-line and still find a way back to their own time, a tricky task given that the DeLorean gets damaged en-route. Along the way, Marty meets his forebears and the Doc falls in love, the climax of the western section being a high noon showdown between Marty and a demonised Biff, before the expected race against time for Marty and the tying up of loose ends epilogue.

I liked the film a lot, like the runaway train at the end it picks up speed as it goes and even if Zemeckis does pile on the climaxes a bit, it entertains all the way. As before, Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd pal about well together, while Mary Steenbergen is a welcome newcomer as Lloyd's surprise love-interest. The special effects don't always quite come off, but there are some neat humorous touches, like when Marty and the Doc exchange catch-phrases and especially Marty's preferred post-breakfast gunfighting preference. Marty's back-story about meeting his great-great grandparents is weakened by him having clumsily play both parts but otherwise this was a good-natured, matinée-adventure fun movie. Now to go back to the past and watch parts one and two.

An Indulgent Threequel That Never Quite Arrives

[drqshadow-reviews · 4/10 · 28 July 2011]

This is the point where the dam breaks for the BTTF trilogy. Without the innocent, loose grasp of reality present in the first film, nor the amusing, campy glimpses of the future seen in the second, there's really not all that much to look forward to as this bad western lolls its way toward the finish line. Marty McFly and Doc Brown still make for strong core characters, ones we desperately want to see come out ahead, but they've got their arms full here with a stale set of recurring gags, a base premise that's thin at best and a hammy love story that doesn't really bring anything meaningful to the table. Where the original was able to effortlessly skirt the holes that speckled its plot, the saga's grand finale bowls straight through them with no regard for the repercussions, leaving audiences skeptical. A needless leap across both genre and era, at least it has the dignity to close the door behind it when the credits queue.

They Saved the West for Last

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 8/10 · 31 January 2016]

It seems that a lot of people rate Part III quite low, even those who like the underrated Part II. This may be because the break-neck pace of Part II is gone and this last entry mellows out and takes its time to develop its own story while also fully resolving the huge 130-year adventure of the entire trilogy. If it were a 90-minute cash-in I would understand why some people are indifferent towards Part III, but it's so much more than that.

You could argue that Part III is almost a remake of the first movie. In several ways this is true, but it also has the appeal that makes the first so endearing. Instead of being nostalgic for the naive 80s or innocent 50s, Part III makes us long for the wide-open spaces of the old west, when the US was still in its infancy, before skyscrapers, shopping malls, and Starbucks lined every horizon. A time when there was still real freedom. But with freedom comes anarchy, this time taking the form of Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen - fastest gun in the west.

I will admit that there is a noticeable lack of excitement as Doc romances Clara Clayton which goes against the ever-escalating disaster suspense of the series and might not interest viewers who are not keen period love stories. The action and adventure takes a back seat here while romance, comedy, and clever plotting get their own space. On the flipside Alan Silvestri delivers his most exciting score for the series, fusing the BTTF theme with a rousing western melody which is especially fun during the climax on the train. Plus, it's always fun to see 1955 Doc, who I always thought was more eccentric and closer to insanity than his older counterpart.

We also get to see the "birth" of the clock tower which is a nice counterpoint to it's "death" in the first movie. Part III also opens with the brilliant lightning strike and Doc's rudely interrupted celebration, which is just awesome.

Yes, it does have its shortcomings, I won't deny that. Why doesn't Doc just syphon the gasoline from the DeLorean he came to 1885 in? It would save them the effort of hijacking a train. But I am being pedantic again. I always felt that Part III was a definitive and fitting end to the series and I never thought that a Part IV would be necessary. There is not "To Be Concluded/Continued", there is only "The End" and it makes perfect sense that it should be.

The most fun of the three.

[Ben_Cheshire · 21 May 2004]

Part III, the wild west entry, is probably the most fun. The original has just such a fantastic premise that creates a sense of urgency about seeing it out till the end, but there is something uncomfortable about your mother having a crush on you that leaves a bad taste in the mouth during Part I. The premise of Part III is this: in 1955, Doc learns that he will eventually travel back to 1885 to live out his days as a blacksmith, but then Copernicus, Doc's 1955 dog, stumbles upon a gravestone that tells Doc and Marty that Doc will be shot to death by Buford Tannen over a matter of 80 dollars. Naturally, Marty says he will travel back to 1885 and get Doc and bring him back to the future with him (though it couldn't be 1955, because there's already one Doc there).

There are time-jumping laws that are not obeyed by the scriptwriters here, and much worse than in the second film, but this one's so well concentrated and so much the better movie that they hardly matter. It has a climax involving a train that rivals the clocktower climax of the first one. A fantastic scene.

Thomas F Wilson, the perennial bad guy of these movies, who started off as Biff Tannen in the original, played Griff Tannen in the second one, throws himself into a Yosemite Sam part as Buford 'Mad Dog' Tannen in the third. Mary Steenbergen, in one of her few leading roles, is a nice addition to the cast. She fits right into the wild west world, as the dainty schoolteacher who plays "his beloved Clara" to the Doc.

Like the others, its larger-than-life tone, with the over-blown time-travel dialogue and melodramatic highs and lows, render it into a kind of live-action cartoon. Kids will enjoy Part III the most, but it is so good-natured that adults should have fun with it too. Out of the three, this is the one that you'll be able to put on any time and feel good. Great, harmless fun.