Back To The Future Part II Review "Nobody...calls me chicken!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK, so its time for my look at my previous review of Back To The Future Part II and give it an update since I've already looked at the first film in the trilogy. 

BTTF made quite a few predictions of the future and surprisingly they were quite accurate but after 33 years just how does this sequel fair? Well, let's find out...

And the usual is coming up...

PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD!!

STORY

So to recap the story begins right off after the end of the first film, where Marty (Michael J. Fox) now having made it back to 1985 and having successfully altered the timeline to get his parents back together.  And the next morning, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) arrives in his Dolorean time machine and warns Marty that he needs to come with him to the future as there is something seriously wrong with in the future with his kids.  

Marty travels with the Doc, along with his girlfriend Jennifer (now played by Elisabeth Shue) into the future in the year 2015, where the Doc tells Marty that he needs him to pose as his future son, Marty Jr (also Fox) in order to prevent his son from being involved in a robbery with Biff Tannen's grandson, Griff (also played by Thomas F. Wilson) which would eventually lead to his family's breakdown.  

Marty then poses as his son (who Marty describes as "a complete wimp") and meets with Griff and turns down his involvement in the robbery, when Griff taunts him about being a chicken, Marty loses it and the two of them fight, with Marty fleeing in the same style as he did in the first film when the young Biff chased him.  In the ensuing chase Marty manages to outwit Griff and his gang who end up being arrested by the police after crashing into the town courthouse.  With Griff and his gang now arrested, Marty's future is now apparently safe.    

Marty however unwittingly complicates things when he a buys a sports almanac in a memorabilia shop, and the book itself contains the result of every major sporting event between 1950 and 2000.  Marty however is soon caught out by the Doc, who warns him of the consequences of tampering with time and using the book would be very dangerous and convinces to dump in the trash, but Biff Tannen, now an elderly man in future, overhears their conversation and he ends up taking the discarded book.  

Biff then follows Marty and Doc to a housing complex where the police have taken Jennifer to her home in the future, who was rendered unconscious by the Doc earlier.  Jennifer wakes up in her future home and hides just as she sees her future daughter (played by Fox!) and Marty's mother and Jennifer's future mother in law, Lorraine (Lea Thompson) arrive.  

Later on the future Marty, now aged 47, arrives home as well and he is soon persuaded into a shady business deal along with a business colleague of his, Needles (played by Flea, bassist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers).  However Marty's supervisor having overheard the transmission calls up Marty and has him fired as a result.  Jennifer eventually sneaks out the house but encounters her future self on the way out and they both pass out in shock at seeing each other, which let's the Doc take the young Jennifer back.

However in the meantime, the old Biff has stolen the Doc's time machine, but he arrives back just before the Doc and Marty reappear with Jennifer.  When Marty and Doc arrive back in 1985, they drop off Jennifer at her home, and when Marty goes to his he finds the front door padlocked and he ends up going through his bedroom window only to find the house is now owned by a black family who chase him out.  

Marty soon realises something has gone awfully wrong in that Hill Valley has now been turned into chaos, and he stumbles upon finding that Biff, aged 47, is now wealthy and corrupt, and married to his mother, with his father George having died back in 1973.  Marty meets up again with Doc who explains that the old Biff somehow managed to steal the time machine and travel back in time and gave the sports almanac to his younger self at some point in order for him to become wealthy.  And in order for them to put things right again, they must find out where and when the old Biff went with the sports almanac.  

Marty then goes back to confront the Biff of 1985, who tells him he got the book from an old man back in November 12, 1955, and that the old Biff told him to kill anyone who tries to find out about the book, which leads Biff to try and kill Marty.  Marty however soon manages to escape from Biff, who also admits to killing Marty's father, George, as the Doc arrives with the DeLorean up on the top of Biff's hotel, who knocks out Biff by opening the car door on his face.  

And from here Marty and Doc travel back to 1955 where they must try and find a way to succeed in saving the future from falling into the hands of Biff Tannen...

THOUGHTS 

As a sequel to the original, BTTF Part II is a highly entertaining follow up and I would have to actually say its my second favourite of the three films.  In Part II the plot is more convoluted but its also far more involving in that regard as well, as both Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale have created another very funny, witty and intelligent script which pokes fun at the themes of the first film and how even the Doc and Marty have to carefully tread around the timelines they have created in the different times.  

It also cleverly recreates some of the scenarios of the first film such as Marty chasing Griff and his crew, in a similar way to the first when he chased Biff, as well as how Marty must sneak around his other self when he is at the Enchantment under the sea dance.  Part II and III were also both shot back to back throughout 1989 so their release naturally followed one after the other with Part II in 1989 and III in 1990.     

And while the film is a bit silly in its depiction of the future in some ways, in others it is actually spot on such as its take on technological advances especially as we have since passed 21 October 2015 by some seven years now.  As a few examples in the film in the future Marty plays an old one armed bandit video game, with a handgun, where some young kids look on incredulously at how it involves having to use your hands, and now we have the Microsoft Kinect system used with the Xbox, which no longer requires a game pad.  

Other accurate predictions made shown in the film are the use of digital flat panel TVs, which we see in the scene in Marty's future home, where his son sits and watches 6 channels all at the same time, and also video internet chatting is displayed where Marty Sr talks with Needles over the shady business proposal.  So in these regards Part II really was ahead of its time in its thinking and just maybe Zemeckis and Gale knew something we didn't or perhaps they were able to get that Delorean to travel through time! ;-)  

PERFORMANCES AND NOTABLE SCENES

Performance wise Part II is also pretty good and the regular cast are all on form once again. 

Starting with Michael J. Fox great once more as the young (and old!) Marty, who is thrown into sorting out his own future at the Doc's behest.  

Fox has several highlights in the film and even the scenes where we get to see him play his incompetent future son and also even his future daughter are still fun as they are both so ridiculous!  Fox as Marty's son also get's a hilarious moment where he meets with the young bully, Griff, who asks him if he is in or our for the robbery and Marty says "I don't know I think I should ask my father!".  Also as Marty Jr, Fox uses a a line from Midnight Cowboy as a he walks onto the road a car toots its horn at him he shouts "Hey! I'm walking here!". 

Then there is the scene in the future where 47 year old Marty gets fired from his job for getting involved in a scam with his work colleague, Needles (played by Flea from RHCP). So, in the scene Needles teases Marty and says to him "What's the matter? This will solve all your financial problems! Just stick your card in the slot and I'll handle it, unless you want everybody at division to think that your chicken?". And this sets off Marty who angrily says "Nobody calls me chicken, Needles! Nobody!" and Needles tests him and says "Alright, prove it!" and gives him a look. So, Marty after a pause says "Alright, Needles. Here's my card. Scan it! I'm in!" and Needles smiles and says "Thanks, McFly. I'll see you at the plant tomorrow" and hangs up.

So, in the very next moment, Marty's boss, Fujitsu appears on Marty's large TV screen and shouts "McFLY!!!" and Marty surprised turns round and says "Fujitsu-san! Konnichiwa!". And Fujitsu angrily says "McFLY! I was monitoring that scan your just interfaced! You are terminated!!" and Marty begs "Terminated?! No! No! It wasn't my fault! It was Needles! Needles was behind the whole thing!" and Fujitsu says "And you co-operated!" and Marty tries to bluff his way out of it and says "No, I didn't know, it was a sting operation! I was setting him up!". However, Fujitsu has already made his mind up and shouts at Marty "Read my fax!" and he pushes a button and a big sign comes up on Marty's TV saying "YOU'RE FIRED!". Marty then despairs "No! Please no! I cannot be fired! I'm fired!" and three fax machines pour a sheet of paper with the words "you're fired" on it and Marty takes one of them and crumples it against his head and says "Oh, this is heavy. What am I gonna tell Jennifer???". 

Fox also has another funny moment where he wakes up in Biff's hotel room and he is comforted by his mum, who has had a breast enlargement done. And similar to the first film, Marty is knocked out this time by Biff's goons and he comes to in a big apartment building and his mum, Lorraine tends to him as he stirs and she says to him "Well, your safe and sound now up on the good old 47th floor" and Marty springs and asks "47 floor?!" and he looks at his aged mum with her large bosom and he says "Your my mum...your my mum..." and Lorraine says "Well of course its me, Marty" and Marty looks at her in surprise and says "But you're so... you're so.... big!".

And after Biff storms in and berates Marty and Lorraine and he storms out, Marty outraged and puzzled by circumstances asks her "Mum, you were actually defending him!" and Lorraine says "Well, we should he is your father and we should give him respect" and Marty outraged shouts "Respect???!! How could you leave dad for him?!". Lorraine puzzled asks "Leave?! Marty are you feeling alright?" and Marty frustrated "No, I'm not all right, I wanna know what the hell is going on here and why nobody can give me a straight answer?!". Lorraine then says "Oh, they really hit you hard on the head this time" and Marty pleads with her "Mum, where is my dad? Where is George McFly?" and Lorraine tells him "Marty, your father is in the same place he's always been for the last 12 years, Oak park cemetery" leaving Marty stunned.

This also leads into a funny scene where the young Biff taunts Marty as he stands outside the school dance ballroom looking at his parents and his self in 1955, only for Biff to suddenly confront him. So, Biff angrily asks him "Hey, Butthead! You really think that stupid disguise could get past me?! Let's have it out, you and me right now!" and Marty says "No thanks" and walks off.  And as he turns, Biff shouts after him "What's the matter?! Where are you going? Are you chicken?!" and this prompts Marty to turn back to him and he angrily says "Nobody, ever calls me chick....!" and his other self opens the door in Marty's face, knocking Marty sideways to the ground.   

WARNING: BIG SPOILER IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH!

And lastly there are the final scenes where Marty gets a letter addressed from the Doc mere minutes after the DeLorean is struck by lightning by a Western union mail official. So, Marty opens it and with delight shouts "Its from the Doc!" and he reads from it "Dear, Marty. If my calculations are correct, you should receive this letter shortly after the lightning struck the DeLorean. First off, I want you to know that I am alive and well and living in the year 1885. The lightning bolt overloaded..." and he stops and says "1885! September 1885!" and he is about to run off but the official stops him and asks "What, kid! What is this all about?!" and Marty says "The Doc's alive! He's living in the old west but he's alive!" and the official asks him "What's the matter, kid?! Do you need help?!" and Marty tells him "There's only one man that can help me!".

And this is followed by the final scene where we see Marty go back to 1985 in the Delorean and 1955 Doc from the first film yell in delight only for Marty to suddenly run up to him, much to the Doc's disbelief. So, Marty shouts "Doc! Doc!" and the Doc gasps in shock and reels backward and Marty tells him "Doc, calm down! Its me, its Marty!" and the Doc stunned says "It can't be! I just sent you back to the future!" and Marty tells him "That's right you did send me back to the future but I'm back. I'm back FROM the future!" and this is too much for the Doc who exclaims "Great Scott!" and he passes out.  

Christopher Lloyd is also great again as Doc Brown, and he has a gallon of lines to deliver, which he does in his own inimitable way at a frantic pace, with great energy.  

Lloyd has many highlights in the film and great dialogue, such as when they arrive in the future and after the Doc parks the DeLorean, the rain is still on and he looks at his watch and waits a few seconds then the rain goes off, "Right on the tick!  Too bad the post office in the future isn't as efficient as the weather service!".  And also a bit later on when the Doc warns Marty about young Griff "Oh and watch out for that Griff character, Marty.  He's got a few short circuits in his bionic implants!".  

And on the revelation that Jennifer has been taken by the police, possibly back to her future home, he says the consequences could be disastrous: "I foresee two possibilities.  One coming face to face with herself put her into shock and she'd simply pass out.  Or two, the encounter could create a paradox, which would unravel the fabric of the space continuum and destroy the universe!  Granted that is the worst case scenario.  The destruction might in fact might be localised, limited to merely our own galaxy!" which prompts a sarcastic response of "Well that's a relief!" from Marty.  

Another great scene from Lloyd is where the Doc explains to Marty what happened when they arrived back in the altered 1985 where Biff is corrupt and powerful. So, the Doc takes a piece of chalk and draws on a blackboard in his broken into lab and explains the alternate reality has come about and that old Biff stole almanac. 

So, in the scene Marty suggests "OK, so we go back to the future and we stop Biff from stealing the time machine" but the Doc warns "We can't, because if we travel into the future from this point in time, it will be the future of this reality, in which Biff is corrupt and powerful, and married to your mother,
and in which this has happened to me!" and he shows a newspaper front page that has a picture of the Doc in a straight jacket and a headline reading "EMMETT BROWN COMMITTED". 

The Doc then goes onto explain "No. Our only chance to repair the present is in the past, at the point where the timeline skewed into this tangent. In order to put the universe back as we remember it, and get back to our reality, we have to find out the exact date and the specific circumstances of how, where, and when young Biff got his hands on that sports almanac" and Marty determinedly says "I'll ask him".

Lloyd also has a nice little scene where he accidentally bumps into himself from the past in 1955 when he encounters his other self set up the experiment for Marty to get back to 1985.  And the Doc's other self asks for a wrench on a toolbox, which the Doc hands to him without looking and they talk about the weather quickly, and the Doc's other self says "Nice talkin to you. Maybe we might bump into each other again in the future." and the Doc slowly walks away saying "Or maybe the past!".

Thomas F. Wilson this time has a meatier role as Biff, and he does a great job in playing both the young, middle-aged and elderly Biff Tannen (as well as Grff!).  And with the middle aged Biff proving the most dangerous and villainous and in that particular role he lends a bit more dramatic weight to the film.  

And the middle aged Biff also has some great scenes such as when he plays Griff, Biff's young grandson, such as when he meets Marty, after having subdued the younger Marty Jr, Marty pushes him back and Griff says "Well! Since when did you become the physical type?!". and as Marty says no to Griff's proposition, Griff says "What's wrong, McFly?? Chicken???" and one of his gang plays the sound of a chicken. And as Biff and his gang chase Marty, he uses a powered hoverboard called a pit bull and as his team hook their hoverboards onto he holds his baseball and says "Batter up!!"

Another good scene is when Wilson plays the corrupt and wealthy Biff, and he storms into find Marty in his hotel room and shouts at him "You're supposed to be in Switzerland you little son of a bitch!".  Biff then goes onto to threaten his drunken wife, Lorraine that he will cut off her kids if she leaves him and he says to her "Listen, Lorraine if you walk out that door, I'll not just cut off you, I'll cut off your kids!" and Lorraine desperately says "You wouldn't!". Biff then taunts her "Wouldn't I??? First, your daughter Linda, I'll cancel all her credit cards. She can settle her debts with the bank all by herself. Your idiot son Dave? I'll get his probation revoked. And as for Marty, well maybe you'd like to have all three of your kids behind bars just like your brother Joey. One big happy jailbird family!".   

Then is there the scene where the young Biff tries to woo Lorraine back in 1955 and he grabs her and says "When are you gonna get it into your thick skull, Lorraine, you're my girl!" and she tells him she would never be his girl, even if he had a million dollars, and she clubs him with the box for her dress and runs away.  And Biff runs after her yelling "Yes you will!  Its you and me, Lorraine!  Its meant to be!  I'm gonna marry you someday, Lorraine.  SOME DAY YOU'LL BE MY WIFE!!". 

And then there is the scene where the corrupt Biff tells Marty the story of how he got the almanac and then tells Marty about the old man that gave it to him (i.e. his older self). So, Biff says "Oh and he told me one more thing: some day a kid and crazy wild eyed old man who claims to be a scientist will come asking about that book and if that ever happens...". And Biff then produces a gun and he grins and says "Funny! I never though it would be you!" and aims his gun at Marty, who manages to escape to the rooftops.

And this is followed by the scene where on the rooftops, Marty looks around for the Doc who is nowhere to be seen in the DeLorean and then Biff appears behind him and shouts "Go ahead, kid! JUMP! The suicide will be nice and neat!". Marty then asks "What if I don't?" and Biff aims his gun and says "Lead poisoning!" and Marty then says "What about the police, Biff?! They can match up that bullet with your gun!" but Biff tells him "Kid, I OWN the police! Besides they couldn't match up the the bullet that killed your old man!" and Marty disgusted says "You son of a..." and Biff cocks and aims his gun and says "I guess its poetic justice! Two McFly's with the same gun!" and Marty at that point drops off the roof and Biff looks a bit surprised and says "Idiot" as he walks over to the edge only to see Marty reappear on the DeLorean and the Doc knocks Biff out with the door.

Later on Wilson has a fun scene when his older self and younger self meet in 1955 and the old Biff gives the young one the Almanac and the young Biff says "Thank you so much, now why don't you make like a tree and get out of here" and the old Biff smacks him on the head and says "Leave!  Make like a tree and leave!  You sound like a damn fool when you say it wrong!". And young Biff angrily shouts back "Alright leave! And take your book with ya!" but old Biff tries to convince him "Don't you get it? You could make a fortune with his book. Let me show you" and he turns on the radio and we hears an American football match being played and Biff looks at his book and makes a bet that a team wins from a losing position and much to young Biff's surprise the team does. So, young Biff says "OK pops, what's the gag? How did you know they were gonna win?" and old Biff says "I told you its in this book. All you need to do is bet on the winner and you'll never lose!".

And last of all is the scene where Biff in 1955 confronts Mary just outside the school dance hall and he says to Marty "Hey butthead! You think stupid disguise could get by me! Let's have it out! You and me, right here, right now!" but Marty refuses and says "No thanks" and walks off. Biff riled up then asks Marty "What's the matter?! Where are you goin?! You chicken?!" and Marty stops in his tracks and Biff goads him "That's it, isn't it?! Nothing but a little chicken!". Marty then slowly and angrily walks back to him and says "Nobody...calls me chicken...!" and he gets hit in the face by a door opened by his other self in 1955. And on the ground, Biff sees that Marty has the almanac and says "What the hell? You steal my stuff??!" and he takes it back and kicks Marty in the stomach and shouts "And this one is for my car!" and he kicks Marty again and runs off.

Lea Thompson is also really good again in her role as Lorraine, who also has fun in playing the young, middle aged and elderly Lorraine.  

Although her elderly take on Lorraine is a bit of comical and its really the middle aged Lorraine that lends a bit more gravitas to her performance as a woman forced into a loveless marriage.  Lea does also get something good lines in her role as Lorraine, particularly in her middle aged role as Biff imnsults Marty in front of her and says "Look at him! He's butthead like his old man was!" and Lorraine angrily says "Don't you DARE talk that way about George! Your not even half the man he was!". Biff then threatens to cut off her money and he says "Who's gonna pay for your cosmetic surgery, Lorraine?!" and she turns and says "You're the one that wanted me to get those things!  You want em back? You can have them!".  

And after Biff storms in and berates Marty and Lorraine and he storms out, Marty outraged and puzzled by circumstances asks her "Mum, you were actually defending him!" and Lorraine says "Well, we should he is your father and we should give him respect" and Marty outraged shouts "Respect???!! How could he be your husband?!!! How could you leave dad for him?!". Lorraine puzzled asks "Leave?! Marty are you feeling alright?" and Marty frustrated "No, I'm not all right, I wanna know what the hell is going on here and why nobody can give me a straight answer?!". Lorraine then says "Oh, they really hit you hard on the head this time" and Marty pleads with her "Mum, I just wanna know one thing: where is my father? Where is George McFly?" and Lorraine tells him "Marty, your father is in the same place he's always been for the last 12 years, Oak park cemetery" leaving Marty stunned.

Also there is the scene where she parks with Marty in the car before the school dance, she says to Marty in the car "When I have kids one day they can have anything, anything they want" and he quietly says "I'd like to have that in writing!". And at this point we see the Marty from 1985 sneak by the car and he says to himself "Yeah me too".

In the supporting cast, Elisabeth Shue does a good job at filling in for Claudia Wells, who was in the first film but was unable to continue due to personal circumstances with her family.  

Elisabeth although ultimately has a rather small role but she still has one or two notable moments such as the one at the start where they are in the future driving in the DeLorean.

And in the scene Jennifer asks what is going on as Doc mentions they are in the future and Jennifer asks "The future?! Marty, how can we be in the future?!" and Marty awkwardly says "Jennifer, I dunno how to tell you this but...you're in a time machine!". Jennifer then takes a moment and says "Wow and this is the year 2015?" and Doc tells her "October 21, 2015". Jennifer then becomes excited at the notion of her future and says "That means I can see our wedding! I can my wedding dress!" and she asks the Doc "Doc, did we have a big wedding! I bet we had lots of guests and kids...! How many kids do we have???" and the Doc then uses a device to knock her out and the Doc explains she was asking too many questions.

And last of all is the scene where Jennifer comes face to face with her future self and they both look at each other and screams out "I'm old/I'm young!" at one another before passing out.  And in the scene prior to that, while in her future house she sees a cheesy wedding picture of her and Marty which says "Chapel o Love" and she says "I get married in the Chapel o Love??? I gotta get out of here!". 

James Tolkan reprises his role as Mr Strickland and he is hilarious in this film as he is given a slightly bigger role and some great dialogue.  Tolkan's best scene is in the alternate 1985 where he encounters Marty on his porch and he is armed with a shotgun and he says to Marty who tells he gave him detention just last week "The school burned down six years ago.  Now you've got exactly three seconds to get off my porch with your nuts in tact!".  After this a gang do a drive-by shooting on his house and Strickland runs after them shouting "Eat lead, slackers!!!".  

And in a later scene, back in 1955, Tolkan has another fun scene as Strickland, when he catches out the young Biff reading what appears to be the sports almanac. And Strickland flicks through the book and says "Sports statistics, very interesting. Homework, Tannen?" and Biff smiles and says "No, it ain't work cos I ain't at home" and Strickland then pushes Biff back and says "You've got a real attitude problem, Tannen, you know that?! And one day I will get you where I want you: in detention!  SLACKER!!". 

Then there are some amusing brief roles from future actors such as Billy Zane, who plays a part of Biff's gang in 1955 and also amusingly observes how Marty from 1985 is wearing his leather 50's jacket one minute but then spots the Marty from the first film on stage in the zoot suit.  And Zane says the great line "How the hell did he change clothes so fast?!". And his funniest line in the film comes as he plays a similar henchman in the alternate 1985 where Marty is captured by Biff's goons and he tells Marty "Now, son we can do this the easy way or the hard way" and he knocks out Marty and we hear him says "The easy way!".   

Jason Scott-Lee who plays one of Griff's gang in the future is not too bad although its a very brief role and has very few lines although the one he does have comes in the scene where Griff's gang chase Marty in the future. And as Marty's hover board is stuck on water, one of Griff's crew shouts "Hey, McFly you bozo! Those boards don't work on water!" and Jason's character shouts "Unless you've got power!" and he laughs maniacally. 

And Flea from the RHCP also shows his aptitude for acting as he actually provides a good albeit brief performance as Needles, who taunts McFly by trying to get him involved in a dodgy business deal.  And Flea get's to say some good lines such as in the aforementioned scene when he taunts Marty Sr into the deal and he says to him that his Japanese will never find out and "Come on... Stick your card in the slot and I'll handle it. Unless you want everyone in the division to think you're chicken!".  And as Marty Sr is riled by this and says "Nobody calls me chicken, Needles!  Nobody!" Needles taunts him further saying "All right, prove it!". Mary Sr then relents and says he's in and Needles pleased says "Thanks, McFly. I'll see you at the plant tomorrow".

Also last of all its worth mentioning that Crispin Glover did not reprise his role as George McFly though, as it was reported that he was not happy with the salary Zemeckis offered him for his return to the role and that the other actors got more than he did.  So instead they cast Jeffrey Weissman to take over the role and they used a series of prosphetics such as a false chin and nose, as well as sunglasses to cover his eyes.  Glover later as a result was not happy with the likeness of him in the film and he even filed a lawsuit against Zemeckis for the unlawful use of his image on screen, which lead to the creation of clauses in the Screen Actors Guild that prohibited the usage of methods to create the likeness of another actor. 

DIRECTOR AND MUSIC 

Moving finally away from the performances onto the direction side of things, and Robert Zemeckis does another great job here with Part II as he gets a bit more ambitious with the scope of the story, shifting between three different time periods, it allows for a change in the dynamics of the film as well.  Zemeckis also makes good use of an at that time new technique in film making called digital compositing, as well as the Vista Glide camera control system, which is put to use in the scene where Michael is seen playing the three different versions of himself on screen at the same time, as well as the scenes where the older Biff meets his younger self. 

Alan Silvestri also reprises his duties as the film composer (and Zemeckis's regular composer) and he produces another good effort for Part II with some of Silvestri's usual rising passages of music until they hit a crescendo being put to use again.  Its a technique that can get a bit annoying after a while but overall its still a pretty good score from Silvestri.

FLAWS 

So as for the flaws.... does BTFII have any worth nitpicking over???  Well yes it does have one or two, for starters one of the things that might threaten to put off an audience about Part II is its somewhat intricate plot and perhaps there is too much to-ing and fro-ing going on.  However for me that is part of the appeal of the film in that it makes you think about what the consequences of each action taken of Marty and Doc's time travels, but its somewhat convoluted story is probably what generally makes this the least favorite of the three films in the public's eyes. 

Another thing that does hinder the film somewhat is the poor effects make-up for Michael J. Fox and Elisabeth Shue as they both look pretty unconvincing as 47 year olds in the film and it always struck me as one of the weaker aspects of the film's otherwise excellent production.  And it has to be said that some of the future scenes, especially the ones in Marty's future home feel a little bit too comical and superfluous to the story, in which the only real relevant details are that Marty had an accident which changed his life and that he got fired from his job, but apart from that once Marty has stopped his son from going to jail and Biff stealing the time machine, you feel everything after that is a bit padded until we get to 1985.

In fact you could even argue that perhaps Doc could have told Marty about his forthcoming accident in the future to prevent him from making the mistakes that would change his life to a path he probably could have avoided.  But instead Doc just decides to let Marty figure it out for himself which he eventually does in Part III while dropping one or two hints. 

Another niggle arises from the moment in the film when the old Biff returns to the future after having stolen the time machine, he emerges from the time machine looking strained and in great pain as he pulls his cane out of the car and accidentally thwacks himself in the gut with it.  This scene doesn't really make a whole lot of sense as to why Biff looked to be in pain, and the only thing I can think is that the changes he made in the past by giving the Almanac to his younger self probably had other consequences in the future and maybe the older Biff would cease to be as a result once he arrived back in 2015.  And there was actually a deleted scene which was put in the DVD where we see Biff collapse and vanish, which would probably back this up.  But in the context of the released version of the film whatever the reason, it is left unexplained and it remains the film's main plot hole.

Also further to this point if Biff had changed the past by going back to 1955 then surely the events of 2015 should have been changed as well to shape around his corruption and power.  Although perhaps that is the point as due to living a life of wealth and excess maybe it cost him to die in the future so maybe that's why Biff appears to be in great pain and die off.  Also it seems a bit incredible that Biff would be able to drive the time machine wily nily without knowing what buttons to press or what speed to get the DeoLrean up to to activate its time circuits but seems to manage it no problem! 

Another problem I have is to do with all the talk of paradoxes that could as the Doc put its "destroy the entire universe!" yet this proves to be unfounded in the movie on three separate occasions. And these are of course when Jennifer meets herself future self and passes out in shock, older Biff meeting his teenage self in 1955 and lastly even the Doc meeting his younger 1955 counterpart. And as a result of these meetings there are no paradoxes that cause the destruction of the universe, which largely cancels out the Doc's fears. However, the one paradox that could play out is Marty's 1955 counterpart being jumped by Biff's gang at the school dance, which would have resulted in Marty most likely not getting back to the future and dire consequences for his own future even though his parents future is safe at that point. 

And last of all I have to say that the Sports Almanac book which features the sports results of every major event for the last 50 years is actually when you look at it a pretty slim book!  And if was to carry so much statistical information for five decades then surely it would be a massive bloody tome and not a skinny little booklet which is what appears to be!  Yeah OK for a few years I'd buy that but for 50???  Nah!  It seems to be another detail that doesn't quite add up but its nothing major.

So that's it for the flaws! 

SUM UP

So, to sum up, Back To The Future Part II is still an excellent and very worthy sequel to the original film and its funny and clever script as well as the performances from Fox and Lloyd and Thomas F.Wilson make it all very much worth while checking out. The film also has some excellent special effects for its time from the futuristic skies of 2015 to the multi-cam techniques of the actors playing the same roles at the same time onscreen. It also scores points for making some uncanny predictions about future technology that actually came true!

So, overall this is a great follow-up to one of the best films of its kind and I will give Back to The Future Part II:

9 out of 10 

So, that's it and I will be back soon with probably my updated review of Part 3!

So, until then its bye for now!