Back to the Future Part II (1989)

All Critics (42) | Top Critics (7) | 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 | Comments (2)

Variety Staff

Variety

Top 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 | Comment (1)

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

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 | Comment (1)

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Top Critic

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

May 20, 2003 Full Review | Comment (1)

Janet Maslin

New York Times

Top Critic

Cleverly plotted, but commercially overloaded.

January 1, 2000 Full Review

Desson Thomson

Washington Post

Top Critic

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

January 1, 2000 Full Review

Rita Kempley

Washington Post

Top Critic

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

October 28, 2010 Full Review | Comments (2)

James Kendrick

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 | Comment (1)

R. L. Shaffer

IGN DVD

Lackluster yet benign time-travel sequel.

September 16, 2010 Full Review | Comment (1)

Sandie Angulo Chen

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 | Comment (1)

Tim Brayton

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

Eric Henderson

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 | Comments (2)

Eric Henderson

Slant Magazine

See website for more details.

May 30, 2008 Full Review | Comment (1)

Rory L. Aronsky

Screen It!

Solidly entertaining.

May 5, 2008 Full Review | Comment (1)

Tom Tunney

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 | Comment (1)

Film4

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 | Comments (2)

Douglas Pratt

DVDLaser

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 | Comment (1)

TV Guide's Movie Guide

It turned off most viewers, but fascinated me.

September 23, 2006 Full Review | Comments (2)

Jeffrey M. Anderson

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 | Comment (1)

Christopher Null

Filmcritic.com

• 1. Dr. Emmett Brown: [running out of the room] 1.21 gigawatts!
  – Submitted by David F (5 months ago)
• 1. Video Game Boy: You mean you gota use your hands? That's like a babies toy.
  – Submitted by Ed F (5 months ago)
• 1. Biff Tannen/Griff: It's 'Leave' you idiot! Make like a tree & leave! You sound like a damn fool when you say it wrong!
  – Submitted by Matthew D (8 months ago)
• 1. Biff Tannen/Griff: LORRAINE!
  2. Lorraine: Oh, my god, it's you father.
  3. Marty McFly: My father?
  4. Biff Tannen/Griff: You're supposed to be in Switzerland, you little son of a bitch!
  5. Marty McFly: My FATHER?
  6. Biff Tannen/Griff: Did you get kicked out of another boarding school?
  – Submitted by Matthew D (8 months ago)
• 1. Biff Tannen/Griff: [to Lorraine] That's about as funny as a screen door on a battleship.
  2. Marty McFly: [to himself] Screen door on a submarine, you dork.
  – Submitted by David G (9 months ago)
• 1. Dr. Emmett Brown: Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads.
  – Submitted by Pancho P (14 months ago)