Back to the Future Part III (1990) Review

Back to the Future Part III (1990)

Back to the Future Part III once again follows Marty, who must travel back to 1885 and rescue Doc before he is killed at the hands of Mad Dog Tannen. 

Part III, out of all of the Back to the Future movies, is the biggest change of pace and scenery for the franchise. Whereas the first two take place in variations of 1955 and 1985 (and 2015 in Part II), we go way back into the past here for the Wild West after Doc gets stuck there following the events of the last movie. They once again build on the idea that time is similar in any era, with that being evident in the appearance of Marty’s and Biff’s ancestors, nice little callback sequences, and Marty’s overall reluctance to look like a “chicken”. I usually hate it when movies do this, as it just seems like reusing the same things that worked for the first, but somehow it’s charming and works well in this, even if it is the third time we have seen these things. 

I do however like the diversion from Marty in this movie. He’s still the main character, but this is very much Doc Brown’s film and time to really shine, having him stuck in the past for a change and finding an unlikely love that breaks his own rules of time travel. It provides a breathe of fresh air for his character and frankly, makes him a bit more relatable. 

After the myriad of foreshadowing of the setting in Part II, Zemeckis really buys into the Wild West-ified Hill Valley, which feels like it has a life of it’s own and not just a half assed background for the events of the movie, something the filmmakers have done an excellent job of in the entire series. I am equally impressed with the risky gamble of having some variation of Biff as the villain in all three movies, with Wilson capturing all the idiocy and intimidation of Biff, while still playing a new character (ish).

The cast, once again, is a hit, featuring Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Thomas F. Wilson, and Michael J. Fox, while introducing Mary Steenburgen. Fox going full meta as Clint Eastwood is a hilarious but equally badass new take for the character, while Lloyd finds new life as Doc and really gets to show of his romantic side. 

Back to the Future Part III, directed by Robert Zemeckis, is a fun, lighthearted, comedic adventure into the past, that also doubles on what it means to be a man. Marty, through 1 & 2 was a fighter, working well for him too. Part III  however, is all about growing up and learning when to just walk away, not just for Marty but for Doc as well, providing a fitting and exhilarating end to the time travel escapades of this unlikely pairing who’s futures are just being written. 

9/10