Back to the Future Part III Review

Most people don't have the time, money, or energy to watch a lot of movies, so when you do get a chance to watch something, you want it to be good. That's why Rotten Tomatoes exists: to give a snapshot of whether a movie is worth your time. But does it always work? I'll be watching all of Rotten Tomatoes’ Certified Fresh movies from this Wikipedia list starting in the year 1990, the decade I was born, and we'll see if these movies are really worth the hype.

Movie 7 of 1990:

Back to the Future Part III, directed by Robert Zemeckis, is a confusing ending to the trilogy. I suppose it makes sense to travel to the distant past after doing the same with the future. Due to my personal tastes, that made this one was my least favorite. I've never been into westerns, so the cowboys and gunslinging didn't do much for me.

The central duo of Doc (Christopher Lloyd) and Marty (Michael J. Fox) is still really fun here. The actors have a lot of chemistry, and they perform their slapstick scenes very well. I think returning actor Thomas F. Wilson was the most over the top in his performance as Mad Dog, which really worked to set the tone for this western-style world of 1885. It's also always nice to see Mary Steenburgen, who played Clara. She ensured that this character was layered and didn't just feel like a shoe-horned in love interest for Doc.

The story begins with Marty using the DeLorean to go back in time to 1885 to save Doc from being murdered by Mad Dog. There is some fun to be had here, like Marty running from a bear, interacting with his ancestor Seamus (also Michael J. Fox), and taking on the name Clint Eastwood. Marty ends up getting in trouble with Mad Dog, partially due to his inability to be called a coward, and Doc forms a romantic relationship with Clara after saving her life.

And this all culminates in Doc and Marty attempting to use a train to allow the DeLorean to get fast enough for time travel. Clara ends up following Doc after a fight, so she also winds up on the train. This was definitely the climactic scene of the film, but I thought it dragged on too long. Maybe it's just because this isn't the kind of movie where the heroes don't make it, and this definitely isn't my preferred genre.

The ending was a bit confusing to me because there was some mixed messaging. Doc tells Marty that he's done with time traveling because messing with the timeline can be dangerous, and it's better to stay in the moment. He, however, shows up in a time-traveling train with Clara and their children to say hi to Marty in 1985. There is no explanation behind his change of heart, so I'm not exactly sure what the film was trying to say. Marty at least showed some character growth, not caring what others say about him, when he refuses to street race, so that's something, I guess.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79%

Is it worth the hype?:

Only if you really love this franchise. The characters you love are still here, and there are some pretty fun moments. This one, however, was the weakest in the trilogy. I had trouble getting over the mixed messaging of the ending. I'd say stick to the first one, unless you're a completionist.