Back to the Future part III (1990)

 

Yes, we have arrived at the difficult third part of a brilliant trilogy. This one gets the worst rap of the three, but undeservedly so. This is still a thrilling adventure and a rousing end to the story. Maybe because it's a little too different from the other two? 

After the events of the second film, Marty is still stuck in 1955 and Doc in 1885. All is well, until Marty discovers that Doc will be shot by Buford 'Mad Dog' Tannen and now it's on to try and save his best friend. Doc is having the time of his life back in the old West, so he is pretty miffed that Marty shows up there, especially since they have no way of making the DeLorean work (there is no petrol). But they hatch a plan to return to 1985. That is to say, there is a slight complication in the guise of Clara Clayton, a schoolteacher that Doc falls head over heels in love with. Will everyone make it back to their time? Will Doc and Marty survive the gunfights? 

Seeing as this is a feelgood film, you probably know the answer to that already.

I can only surmise that one of the reasons why this film seems to be less appreciated, is because it does away with many anachronisms that made up the bulk of the jokes in the previous installments. Sure, Marty does the Moonwalk at one point and he uses a trick he saw in a Sergio Leone-film later on, but for the most part, this is pretty much a western adventure in a border town. 

Nevertheless, the characters are still great. Marty has become a tad more responsible this time around, which makes sense. Doc is still wonderful (but how could Christopher Lloyd not be awesome?) and he gets some more human responses when he falls in love. 

Maybe that's it. Maybe most people are a little uncomfortable with the idea of the eccentric Doc Brown falling in love. Now to be honest, whether or not you enjoy the Clara-character will depend on how well you can stomach Mary Steenburgen, as she is a rather divisive actress. She isn't bad, not by a long shot, but her whimsical and slightly whiny persona can be a bit difficult to get into. 

Once again though, it is the Biff-character that steals the show. In this case, it's an ancestor named Mad Dog and it is glorious. Sure, there are plenty of hints that this is a similar character to Biff, but for some reason, he works so much better as an outlaw than anything before. Once again, Thomas Wilson is having a blast in the role. 

Also: this film has a scene near the end where they are on a train trying to get the DeLorean up to speed, and it is just as intense as the first time when Marty has to hit the electrical cable at the exact right time. 

This one neatly wraps everything up, everyone is happy and it will leave you with a smile on your face. So why not sit back and enjoy it?