Back to the Future 2 - 5th April 2011

Two weeks after watching the brilliant Back to the Future (Part 1), we now have;

Back to the Future Part 2

Doc and Marty pick up where they left off in 1985 to partake in more adventures, whilst trying not to mess up the very fabric of the space time continuum!

First off they head forward to 2015 to sort out Jennifer and Marty's kids. Unfortuantely, Biff Tannen hears the time travelling secrets of the Marty, Doc and the DeLorean and also discovers the Sports Almanac that Marty had bought, that lists all the sports results of the last 50 years. Biff goes back in time in the DeLorean to give the almanac to his 1955 self and thus changing the future. So when Marty and Doc travel back to 1985 everything has changed!

Confused?

It's not that bad. Doc draws us a handy diagram to explain the parallel 1985! You'll see.

And so the time travelling exploits continue. I won't go much deeper on the storyline, it's better to watch it yourself,  but I will say that the film concludes with a trailer for Back to the Future 3.

The trailer sequence for the 3rd film was added to the end of the 2nd, because they filmed both movies in an 11 month period between 1989 and 1990, (5 years after the original). The idea for the 2nd film and the story behind it was so long originally, they decided to make two movies.

Some other facts I didn't know. A lot of the sequences from the first movie, that are seen in the second movie were shot again, as they needed to be seen from another perspective. Essentially recreating the scenes again.

The actress who played Marty's girlfriend, Jennifer, in the original was played by Claudia Wells. For the second movie, she wasn't available, so the part was taken on by Elisabeth Shue. I bet you can't spot the difference. However, this required them to reshoot the last sequence of Part 1, for the start of Part 2.

Another actor not available, but this time because he wanted too much money, was Crispin Glover. He played the part of George McFly, Marty's Dad in the first film, so in the second film, the character had to be essentially written out. Although in some of the 2015 sequences he does make an appearance, this time appearing upside down played by Jeffrey Weissman. (You'll see why he was upside down if you watch the film!).

I think, all things considered, I preferred Part 2 to Part 1. The story was more complex, it was darker and harder in places and it did keep you gripped, so some good work there by the writers Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale.

I just hope part 3 lives up to it's predecessors. We shall see, Part 3 will be coming up on a; Tuesday Night is Film Night night very soon!