BACK TO THE FUTURE 3 (A)
STARS...
Michael J. Fox, Christopher
Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Thomas
F. Wilson, Mary Steenburgen, and
Richard Dysart.
DIRECTOR: Robert Zemeckis
YEAR & RATING: 1990 (PG)
PLOT SUMMARY...
Time traveling teenager, Marty McFly, goes back in time, to 1885,
in order to prevent Doc Brown's death at the hands of a bullying,
bad guy, named Tanner.
QUICK SCAN...
This film features action, FX, and romance. The romance between
Christopher Lloyd and Mary Steenburgen (Time After Time) is the highlight
of the movie. An unforgetable scene involves a train pushing the Delorean
up to speed, as both head down the tracks toward a gaping canyon.
The FX of a flying, time traveling train are amazing!
SYNOPSIS...
To Doc Brown's surprise, Marty McFly returns, to 1955 ,almost immediately
after leaving. After finding an old tombstone with Brown's name on
it, Marty takes the Delorean time machine back, to 1885, his plan
being to save Doc Brown.
He soon encounters Brown, who is working as the local blacksmith.
And Brown soon meets the new school teacher, falling in love with
her immediately. Brown splits his time between romancing the school
teacher, and trying to figure out how to propel Marty and himself
back to the future.
Eventually, Marty defeats an evil hombre, named Tanner, saving Brown's
life. As the Delorean is being pushed by a train at high speed, Brown
chooses, at the last minute, to stay back in time with his sweetheart,
as Marty flies back in the time car, solo, to 1985.
BEST BETS: Back to the Future, Time
After Time
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Review:
When BACK TO THE FUTURE 3 first hit the theatres, Universal Studios
used an ad campaign that stressed that they'd saved the best for last.
Strangely enough, in this era of "untruth" in advertising,
I think they were right!
I'm one of those Sci-Fi fans who liked "Back to the Future,"
but felt "Back to the Future 2" was an overly hectic, meaningless
look at an ugly future, with the great flying car scenes, with the Delorean
atomic time machine, offering the only bright moments. With BACK TO
THE FUTURE 3, on the other hand, Producer, Steven Spielberg, and Director,
Robert Zemeckis, (with Co-Writer, Bob Gale), have delivered a tasty
time travel/Western/romance, that neatly ties up all the loose endings,
left by the first two adventures.
BACK TO THE FUTURE 3 begins, in 1955, immediately after Doc Brown (Christopher
Lloyd) at his most endearing, sends Marty (eternal teenager Michael
J. Fox) back to the future at the end of "Future 1". Almost
immediately, Marty reappears, telling a startled Brown that he's just
come back from the future. Needless to say, Brown is skeptical at first.
Eventually, using Brown's own letter from the Old West, received by
Marty at the end of "Future 2", Marty is able to convince
Brown he's on the level. Soon, they find an old headstone with Doc Brown's
name on it, the death date one week after he wrote the letter Marty
received. Using information contained in Brown's 1885 letter, and despite
Doc's written command, Marty and Brown retrieve, (with the help of dynamite),
the Delorean from it's storage spot, in a long defunct mine. Soon Marty
is racing back to 1885, his mission being to save Doc's life.
Once back in the Old West, the real fun begins. Much of the real charm
of BACK TO THE FUTURE 3 has nothing to do with Marty's breathless "Save
the Doc" mission. Rather, it is Doc Brown's romance with the pretty,
new school teacher, played by the perfectly cast, Mary Steenburgen,
that dominates the picture. Steenburgen is one of the most romantic
of contemporary actresses, as she's proven in such diverse films as,
"Melvin and Howard" and, "Time After Time". There
is something irresistible about the love connection between these two
Jules Verne nuts.
The film is weakest in Fox's impersonation of his Old West ancestor.
Let's just say that Fox's strengths do not include character acting,
not yet anyway.
Marty's use of the name, "Clint Eastwood," as his Old West
handle is a nice touch. It's also the set-up for a cute visual joke,
that pays off at the film's end.
This film has a great message. When Doc Brown (Lloyd) says, "Your
future is whatever you make of it", the viewer can't help but agree.
The ILM special effects are as good as they get, particularly at the
climax, as the Delorean is pushed at high speed by a train, with Marty,
Brown, and the school marm aboard, heading at high speed towards an
uncompleted bridge over a gaping canyon. This is my favorite scene.
BACK TO THE FUTURE 3 should be highly viewable for most Sci-Fi viewers.
This is pulse pounding, high stakes, Sci-Fi adventure at its best!
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