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Back to the Future Part III (1990)

tomatometer

71

Average Rating: 6.4/10
Reviews Counted: 42
Fresh: 30 | Rotten: 12

No consensus yet.

38

Average Rating: 5.2/10
Critic Reviews: 8
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 5

No consensus yet.

audience

74

liked it
Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 620,746

My Rating

Movie Info

The final installment in the Back to the Future trilogy picks up where the second film left off, but it casts off the dizzying time travel of the first two films for mostly routine comedy set in the Old West. Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) receives a 70-year-old letter from his inventor friend, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), who tells Marty that he has retreated a century in time to live out a relatively quiet life in the Old West. Doc Brown reveals that he hid his DeLorean car/time machine in an

Dec 17, 2002

MCA Universal Home Video

Cast

All Critics (43) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (36) | Rotten (12) | DVD (28)

The simplicity of plot, and the wide expansiveness of its use of space, are a refreshing change from the convoluted, visually cramped and cluttered second part.

May 5, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety | Comment
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

This is a good deal more likable than part two because the product plugs have been held back, and Zemeckis is clearly having fun alluding to his favorite westerns; there's also a certain sweetness and charm in the Lloyd-Steenburgen romance.

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

Except for Mr. Lloyd, the film is so sweet-natured and bland that it is almost instantly forgettable.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comments (4)
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Divinely frivolous, nearly perfect fun.

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

Ties up all the loose ends but runs out of energy and inspiration.

January 1, 2000 Comment
Film.com
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Makes a few bows in the direction of time-travel complexities, and then settles down to be a routine Western comedy.

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

Wild West-themed final installment is fine for older tweens.

December 31, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | Comment
Common Sense Media

avoids many of the previous sequel's narrative and logical pitfalls and reengages more successfully with the simple, direct pleasures that made the 1985 original such a hit

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

Back to the Future Part III continues to move the spirit of the series forward in new and exciting directions, and it reaches a satisfying conclusion to the overarching story.

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

Every bit as confident and slick as its two predecessors; but it is hard to ignore a distinct feeling of deflation.

July 29, 2010 Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy | Comment
Antagony & Ecstasy

It's a lovely, rootin' tootin' cowboy romp with a superbly suspenseful runaway train finale, and an apt closer that permits the excitement to continue on beyond the screen. It was an utter joy in 1990, and again in 2010.

May 24, 2010 Full Review Source: BrianOrndorf.com | Comment
BrianOrndorf.com

Doc Brown's threatened time paradox is no match for the final installment's dreary life lessons.

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

It ain't only the DeLorean that's out of gas.

February 25, 2009 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | Comment (1)
Slant Magazine

A fitting end to one of the most enjoyable fantasy series of the 1980s.

May 5, 2008 Full Review Source: Film4 | Comment

A clever and enjoyable wrapping-up of the time-travelling adventures.

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

Fttingly the one installment in the trilogy that most resembles an old-fashioned movie, from its lovingly evoked western setting to its charmingly sentimental mood.

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

A triumphant combination of comedy, science fiction, romance and the Western.

September 23, 2006 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | Comment
Combustible Celluloid

Overall this is a good time, but the steampunk adventure doesn't thrill us quite as much as the original.

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

Affectionate, innovative, and vaguely lunatic.

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

Audience Reviews for Back to the Future Part III

This last film in the Back to the Future trilogy is the most unrealistic of the three, but the story is much better than Part 2. The whole point here is to have fun, not to be scientifically accurate or believable, so enjoy the crazy ride for what it is.

February 7, 2012
Raymond Wieser

Super Reviewer

The final installment of the BTTF trilogy is ultimately a disappointment, but an extremely enjoyable one.

December 12, 2011
Graham Jones

Super Reviewer

    1. Marty McFly: Great scott.
    2. Dr. Emmett Brown: I know, this is heavy.
    – Submitted by Cameron D (5 months ago)
    1. Marty McFly: "Nobody calls me yellow"
    – Submitted by Adam B (10 months ago)

Latest News for Back to the Future Part III

December 22, 2005:
Back Again to the Additional Future?
Guardian Unlimited shares some Michael J. Fox news from Moviehole.net and the lovable guy had a few...

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Foreign Titles

  • Zurück in die Zukunft III (DE)
  • Back to the Future Part 3 (UK)
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