Back to the Future Part 2

I am sure after my post weeks ago on the first back to the future many of you have been wondering when the subsequent movies would be reviewed. When Back to The Future was initially conceived, director and writer Robert Zemeckis and writer Bob Gale had no idea how much notoriety it would eventually achieve, nor of the big box office records it would break. They were happy just to see their project come to fruition. When they wrote the original film, the ending they had written was supposed to be the end of it. Because of it's success, however, and Hollywood being Hollywood, there had to be the inevitable sequels. The problem was that with the original ending, they had painted themselves into a corner as to where they could go with the sequel. What they finally came up with in Part II, is a film that is every bit as whimsical as the original, yet moves along at a pace that will leave you breathless.

. Not content to give us what the year 2015 may be truly like, since making such predictions are usually wrong anyway, they decide to let it all hang loose and just have fun with it. There are holographic theaters, Cafe 80's shops, antique stores that sell dustbusters and other things, skateboards that hover, paying for cab rides with thumbprints, etc. etc. Yet, for all the glossy, multi-colored stores and goofy concepts, we still recognize it as the same old Hill Valley. Something else Zemeckis and Gale do is to take some events from the first film, and replay them in 2015 Hill Valley. Usually, things like this would be seen as the lack of an idea, but in this case its simply Zemeckis having a little fun and letting us in on it. It works perfectly.

Likewise, the alternative version of 1985 Hill Valley is an exercise in how far one's imagination can go. Instead of a quaint peaceful town and suburbs, Zemeckis and Gale do everything in their power to give us the equivalent of an opposite. To go into too much detail here would undermine your own viewing experience and give away a bit too much of the plot.

This film also allows Michael J. Fox to continue to not only stretch himself but he improves even more as an actor. It is far from easy to play not only Marty, but to play his son, his daughter, and the older version of Marty. He shows some great abilities to give the other characters depth even though they are all on the screen for only a couple of minutes. The casting is much the same as the first movie and they really do a great job together.

Really, the best parts of the film are the repeats of the 1955 dance scenes and how they change the perspective with new camera angles mixed in with the old. It is for the fact that this is a newly unique way to take a sequel movie. While it did not meet the fun and some of the greatness of the first movie. This is a greatly enjoyable film and anyone who can not sit and enjoy this film for what it is, needs to "make like a tree and get out of here!" I am giving this movie three and half buckets of popcorn out of five.

-The Movie Man-