Retour vers le futur II

The kind of Zemeckis movie where I'd believe there was no script, just storyboards. The individual sequences and ideas are awesome (especially the return to 1955 and the filmmaking challenges associated with it), and as a gimmick it just goes off without a hitch. The way the individual attractions are pieced together, however, is a disaster (Doc only functions here as a quest-deliverer, a Wikipedia of film lore, and a deus ex machina). It is, however, interesting to see the 1980s vision of the future (2015), which the filmmakers claim was created not to second-guess technological advances, but mainly to look cinematically entertaining. While the first Back to the Future followed the unifying lines between the suburban petit bourgeoisie of the 80s and 50s, it's interesting how much it manages to guess the bourgeois trends of the teens of the 21st century. The future is depicted here through a pop culture-infused society, spending time in faux retro venues where they can play sports and eat sushi at the same time (I still think with goosebumps of the old scary idea of Aero cinema, of droning along on exercise bikes while watching movies), the fashion exploits both that 80s era and the tendency to combine sports and loungewear. Poverty and lower social status here is not dependent on access to technology, there is greater inclusivity (police dominatrices and the updated membership of Griff's band of thugs), and mainstream culture is built on recycling (Jaws 19 directed by Spielberg's son). Given the vision of the future promised by the writers (mainly it has to be entertaining), one wonders if we're not currently living in some kind of 80s nightmare, which if you consider that the 80s is the most celebrated decade in history, is actually quite funny. (31/05/2021)

Back to the Future II is in many ways similar to its predecessor, and even equal to it in quality. The time travel has been expanded by one plane, but they have managed to handle all three timelines in an artful way, and everything makes sense, and in the end, the viewer gets a teaser of the plot from the last part of the trilogy. Once again, I must praise the imaginative production design – especially in the "future" – and all those technical conveniences (which we can still dream about today, even though the film is partly set in 2015). While the second film is not as playful in terms of allusions to various historical figures and events, it is more action-packed and brisk. The makeup work was again a bit comical, but understandable given the year the film was made. Had I seen the film at the time of release, I'’d certainly give it a full score. (24/07/2021)

Shit. Again, the same problem as with the first part. It's not about the visuals, which are indeed outdated, but I can overlook that considering that time flies by. It's about the plot and the concept of the story. The main characters behave like idiots (and I even accept the extreme exaggeration). For a comedy, it's too “harsh” and straightforward, for sci-fi, it's too comedic, but altogether it just doesn't work and it's boring. Some plot twists are enjoyable, the incorporation into the first part is good, but it doesn't hold together, I was extremely bored. I miss at least a bit of seriousness and a realistic touch; the whole thing is just too much of a farce. Most people evaluate it solely based on sentiment. (26/08/2012)

In very few films can you see how much actors enjoy their foolishness. The paradoxes of time travel here reach absolute absurdity with constant jumps back and forth, and yet the second part, even in its complexity, is the best installment in the series. And I kept thinking that Marty's daughter looks kind of weird. (01/05/2006)

A sequel that invigorates and even upgrades the concept of the first movie. It’s an amazing ride from the get go, with a playful interpretation of the future (Jaws 19 – This time is very personal!), while also establishing a solid MacGuffin, logically putting the characters into a thrilling chase and making them hide from themselves – several times I told myself how it was possible in the 80s to write something at first glance so simple but that will glue you to your seat and won’t let you go until the end. I always find every mandatory obstacle and thwarting of the plans in the final timeline more enjoyable than most action spectacles and epic dramas. If I ever travel back in time, I only want to go to 1980s America, stay in the cinema for a couple of years and hang a poster of Marty McFly and Emmett Brown. 90% (24/03/2020)