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Back to the Future Part II (1989)

tomatometer

64

Average Rating: 6.1/10
Reviews Counted: 42
Fresh: 27 | Rotten: 15

No consensus yet.

33

Average Rating: 4.2/10
Critic Reviews: 6
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 4

No consensus yet.

audience

80

liked it
Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 674,994

My Rating

Movie Info

Things have barely settled from the excitement and resolve of the original Back to the Future, when in pops that crazy inventor Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd) with news that in order to prevent a series of events that could ruin the McFly name for posterity, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox ) and his girlfriend are whisked into the future to the year 2015, where Marty must tangle with a teen rogue named Griff, who's obviously the descendant of Biff, the first Future film's bully. Marty foils

PG, 1 hr. 49 min.

Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comedy

Dec 17, 2002

MCA Universal Home Video

Cast

All Critics (42) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (32) | Rotten (15) | DVD (26)

Zemeckis' fascination with having characters interact at different ages of their lives hurts the film visually, and strains credibility past the breaking point, by forcing him to rely on some very cheesy makeup designs.

May 5, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety | Comments (2)
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

By the end, you may feel that you've just sat through a feature-length commercial for both part one (which has to be seen to make this sequel comprehensible) and part three (a trailer for it literally ends part two).

February 26, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | Comment (1)
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

It manages to be giddily and merrily mind-boggling rather than confusing.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comment (1)
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Cleverly plotted, but commercially overloaded.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post | Comment
Washington Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The latest must-see, peer pressure, carve the logo on your head, designer blue jean experience.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post | Comment
Washington Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The movie is fun, mostly because it's so screwy.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | Comment
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

one-half a very bad movie and one-half a very good movie

October 28, 2010 Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk | Comment (1)
Q Network Film Desk

Sure, [Back to the Future II] has a clunky first act - which takes place in a hilariously overblown futuristic society - but the film knows just how, and when, to entertain us, and it does so in spades.

October 25, 2010 Full Review Source: IGN DVD | Comment (1)
IGN DVD

Lackluster yet benign time-travel sequel.

September 16, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | Comment (1)
Common Sense Media

Taken as a pair, the first two films ask a number of unresolved and unresolvable questions about causality, order, and intention; and taken as a pair, they're also a hell of a lot of fun.

July 28, 2010 Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy | Comment (1)
Antagony & Ecstasy

For anyone who ever wanted to see Michael J. Fox playing Tracey Ullman, there's Back to the Future Part II.

February 25, 2009 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | Comment
Slant Magazine

The one thing the film got right was the crushed effect the media's growing omnipresence has had on human existence.

February 25, 2009 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | Comments (2)
Slant Magazine

See website for more details.

May 30, 2008 Full Review Source: Screen It! | Comment (1)
Screen It!

Solidly entertaining.

May 5, 2008 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | Comment (1)
Empire Magazine

An ambitious film that fails to recreate the warmth or excitment of the first Back To The Future.

May 5, 2008 Full Review Source: Film4 | Comment (1)

There are definitely aspects of laziness to the script--jokes which haven't been fully considered, simpleminded characterizations, subplots which have no life outside of the narrative--but at the same time the movie has a spirit of exploration and daring,

June 15, 2007 Comment (1)

The film works best through its magnificent technical achievements (the visual effects received an Oscar nomination) and the inherent charm of Fox, Lloyd and, especially, the delightfully menacing Thomas F. Wilson.

February 26, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | Comment (1)
TV Guide's Movie Guide

It turned off most viewers, but fascinated me.

September 23, 2006 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | Comments (2)
Combustible Celluloid

The relatively quaint and simple time travel arc from BTTF gets far more confusing and, in some ways, more fulfilling.

September 16, 2006 Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | Comment (1)
Filmcritic.com

It's impressive entertainment, and best of all, it never degenerates into Spielbergian sentimentality: you can laugh, be thrilled and think without feeling embarrassed.

January 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comment (1)
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Back to the Future Part II

The second part to the Back to the Future trilogy is more confusing, cheesy, and hokey than the first one (especially the aging make-up), but it's still lots of fun. It's future scenes are definitely clunky, and are probably the most confusing of all the scenes in the movie. But when they have fun, so do we, and

February 7, 2012
Raymond Wieser

Super Reviewer

In my opinion, the BTTF sequel is superior to the first installment. The twisting and turning plotline may seem confusing to some but it is ultimately more rewarding. Also this may be the only time I've actually enjoyed mass product placement in a film.

December 12, 2011
Graham Jones

Super Reviewer

    1. Marty McFly: There's a little matter we have to talk about.
    – Submitted by Paul H (2 months ago)
    1. Marty McFly: You're not going to believe this. We have to go back to 1955.
    2. Dr. Emmett Brown: I don' t believe it!
    – Submitted by Austin G (7 months ago)

Latest News for Back to the Future Part II

September 8, 2011:
Nike Makes The Back to the Future Shoes Real
The shoe giant's new MAG line was inspired by the adventures of a certain Marty McFly.

August 27, 2010:
Nike Goes Back to the Future for Self-Lacing Shoe Patent
Almost in time to make our "Back to the Future" dreams of self-lacing shoes come true, Nike has...

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Foreign Titles

  • Zurück in die Zukunft II (DE)
  • Back to the Future Part 2 (UK)
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