Back to the Future: Part 2 Review

On this day, October 21, 2015, Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveled to, what was then, the future! Back to the Future Part II mesmerized audiences of 1989 with its portrayal of the “distance” future. Hoverboards, flying cars, and 3D movie ads for movies like Jaws 19 are all iconic moments from the film. It even predicted that the Chicago Cubs baseball team, who have not won a World Series since 1908, would finally break the “Curse of the Billy Goat” and win the World Series in 2015. While fully functioning hove-boards may be a thing of the future, technology is slowly reaching that point. Even the Cubs have a legitimate shot at winning the World Series if they can beat the Mets in the next few games of the NCLS. To celebrate the day, I am reviewing Back to the Future Part II, the sequel to one of my favorite films.

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Comedy,
Release Date: November 22, 1989
Running Time: 108 minutes
MMPA rating: PG

The Good: Great soundtrack, Entertaining chemistry between the cast, A few hilarious moments,

The Bad: Tone comes off as unnecessarily corny, Lacks charm of the first,

Plot: 6.3/10- Part II’s biggest difference is that, while the first film managed to seamlessly pull off a goofy and lighthearted tone, Part II’s goofy moments, particularly Biff, come off as corny rather than charming. Of course, the time-travel plot, much like the first film, does lack logic, so that is not as much of an issue as it would be for more serious film. Otherwise, the pacing is solid, and its take on the future is even more humorous and amusing today than it was in 1989.

Characterization: 6.9/10- Back to the Future might not have the most complex characters but Marty and Doc Brown are iconic for a reason. They are fun to watch, and while they are not as fun as the first film, seeing the future version of Marty is still funny. However, Part II overuses the “Are you chicken?” phrase from the first film to an uncharacteristic degree.

Acting: 7.5/10- Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd’s chemistry is an excellent as ever. Their performances are what make the characters a blast to watch. Unfortunately, the dialogue is not nearly as smart or witty as the first film, and it shows as the delivery is noticeably weaker. The supporting cast is also weaker due to the campy script.

Special effects: 7.0/10- Part II’s effects hold up surprisingly well. Nothing is groundbreaking, but it at least looks good. The old-age makeup is the weakest aspect as it is glaringly obvious.

Soundtrack: 8.7/10- Alan Silvestri’s iconic theme from the first film returns along with new tracks to compliment the futuristic setting. However, the score as a whole is not nearly as memorable as the first.

Humor: 7.5/10- Part II is still a funny movie. The humor may not be as smart, but there are plenty of laughs to be had at the zany dialogue and amusing view of the “future.”

Entertainment Value: 7.7/10- Thanks to the humor and characters, Part II is, if nothing else, a fun movie. And it is one that I would watch again on occasion, albeit not nearly as often as the original film.

Overall: 7.0/10- Despite all its flaws, Back to the Future Part II is an entertaining, albeit disappoint, sequel. It may lack the charm of the original, but that does not mean it is a bad or boring film, and it is necessary viewing before watching the much better Part III.

Closing comments: Back to the Future Part II may not have accurately predicted much about the future. But without it, who knows if we would even have tried to make a hoverboard, and even if the Cubs lose, they have gotten closer to winning the World Series for the first time in years! Considering how inaccurate most films are at predicting the future, you have to admit, Part II did a mighty fine job.

Recommended for: Anyone that watched the first film,

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Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies: Part 5

Finally, we have reached the Top 10; the best of the best. These are the films that go down in history as the pinnacle of the science fiction genre. At this point, everyone should have seen these films, and if you have not, you probably should go watch them.

10: The Terminator

James Cameron's breakout film as a director, The Terminator is responsible for both Cameron's later success as well as the "Governator," aka Arnold Schwarzenegger, becoming a household name. As for the film itself, The Terminator set the standard for the killer robot movie. Despite being more than three decades old, the film is every bit as hard hitting and thrilling as it was all those years ago. Just be sure not to think about the time-travel aspect too long; your brain will start to hurt. On a personal note, along with Star Wars and a few other sci-fi films, The Terminator is one of the films that inspired my interest in computers as a kid, which led to my current career path in IT.

9: Serenity

A sequel film to Joss Whedon's unjustly cancelled cult-classic Firefly, Serenity might not have been the second season that we all wanted, but Whedon gave us just enough conclusion to satisfy the fans. While Serenity can be enjoyed as a standalone film, without watching the series much of the emotional impact and callbacks are missed, so be sure to watch the series first. To quote the opening song, “You can burn the land and boil the sea, but there's no place I can’t be since I've found Serenity.”

8: Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park changed filmmaking forever with its revolutionary CGI effects, and yet, thanks to Spielberg's superb direction, the effects never overshadow the rest of the movie. In addition to the CGI, Jurassic Park used many brilliant practical effects, all of which hold up better than almost anything today. Special Effects aside, Jurassic Park is a fun film full of thrills, excitement, and breathtaking sequences that are as awe-inspiring today as they were 20 years ago. The film is the near perfection of the Summer Blockbuster!

7: Blade Runner

Ever since watching Blade Runner three years ago, the film continues to climb my favorites list for one simple reason: I am still thinking about the film. Every so often, I find myself considering the mysteries of the film and its depiction of Artificial Intelligence. Sure, at first, the movie might have seemed slow, but after watching the original cut and the Final Cut, it is a film that is the definition of "Staying Power." Anytime that I reference "Staying Power" in my reviews, Blade Runner is the one that sets the bar, because no other film has been able to change my opinion without a second viewing than Blade Runner. Often times, when you think about a film in-depth, it starts to fall apart, unless it is a truly great film, and thus Blade Runner is truly among the greats.

6: Back to the Future

From the clever script to the witty dialogue to the quirky sense of humor, Back to the Future is the definition of a classic. Few films pack so much pure entertainment into 116 minutes than Back to the Future! Even though its time-travel logic is a little contradicting at times, where else can you find a film that is just so much fun to watch!

What do you think of this part of the list? Please comment below and check out the previous parts in the links below.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

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Back to the Future Review

On this day, November 5th, 14 years ago Marty McFly traveled back in time to 1955, which makes no time like the present to review the sci-fi classic, Back to the Future.

Despite having seen many of the iconic 80s films like Indiana Jones and Star Wars when I was a kid, somehow, Back to the Future spilled through the cracks of my viewing, but that all changed three years ago when I watched this classic for the first time.

Honestly, there is no reason to hold back my opinion on whether or not Back to the Future holds up as a classic, because yes, it absolutely holds up!

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis

Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Comedy,

Release Date: July 3, 1985

Running Time: 116 minutes

MMPA rating: PG

The Good: Insanely entertaining, Cleverly written plot, Often hilarious Memorable quotes, Timeless soundtrack, Likable characters, Superb use of licensed music, Great chemistry between the cast members, Star Wars reference, Endlessly rewatchable,

The Bad:

Plot: 9.7/10- Back to the Future’s plot is incredibly fun and clever. Not a second goes by when Marty and Doc Brown’s fast pace sharp dialogue does not entertain. 

Despite a few enviable gaps in time-travel logic, the film’s plot cleverly uses almost everything said in the beginning of the film to create smart gags and references when Marty travels to the past, some of which are even funnier on later viewings.

Characterization: 9.5/10- Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown are the main characters, and their interaction and dialogue is the highlight of the film. However, it never forgets to add some solid character development. McFly understanding more about his parents after traveling back in time is another strong aspect thematically as well.

Acting: 9.4/10- Michael J. Fox gives the perfect performance for the type of character the film calls for. He is funny, frantic, and has excellent chemistry with Christopher Lloyd, who is equally exceptional. Also, Fox is great at making a shocked/puzzled expression throughout the film; seriously, look at the pictures in this post!

Special effects: 8.0/10- For the most part, the special effects hold up rather well today, with nothing standing out as good or bad. 

Soundtrack: 10/10- Alan Silvestri's soundtrack is one of the best film scores ever composed. 

It adds such an effective sense of adventure and fun to the film. Also the movie had two great songs, "Johnny B. Goode," originally by Chuck Berry, and "Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News. The film's cover of "Johnny B. Goode," by Mark Campbell, is just as good as the original, and one of my personal favorite songs.

Humor: 9.9/10- Despite the excellent clever humor, Back to the Future is not necessarily a comedy, at least not in the tradition sense. However, Back to the Future is still an often hilarious film with many clever and smartly written gags and jokes.  

Entertainment Value: 10/10- Back to the Future is, in fact, one of the films that inspired my “Entertainment Value” rating because of its incredible amount of pure entertainment. Few films are so much fun, yet so clever.

Overall: 9.7/10- Unquestionably, Back to the Future is one of my all-time films, and an absolute classic. It has everything that a classic needs, clever writing, iconic characters, and pure entertainment value.

Closing comments: If, for whatever reason, you have not seen Back to the Future, do yourself a favor and watch it; you will not regret it!

Recommended for: Everyone, Sci-Fi fans, Humor fans, Time-Travel fans,

Please check back tomorrow for the final part of my summer anime review and Friday for the last part of my Marvel Phase 3 breakdown.

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If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Movie Moms: Happy Mother's Day.

Since today is Mother's Day let's celebrate some of cinema's best moms. Unlike a few of my other similar posts, this is not a list and the characters are in no particular order, but it just features many of the best movie moms.

 

 

 Leia Organa Skywalker Solo

Although not featured in the Star Wars films yet, in the Star Wars Expanded Universe Leia and Han had several children. Considering that Leia is, by far, my favorite heroine in any form of fiction, there is no question that she should be included on this post. With upcoming Star Wars films we should get to see her children on the big screen, 2015 cannot come soon enough!

Aunt May

Again, not the biological mother of the character, but Aunt May a motherly figure to her nephew Peter. Her speak in Spider-Man 2 about the definition of a hero is amazing.

Sarah Conner (Terminator)

Sarah Conner has to be the most bada-- mothers in cinema history. After being the one that needed saving in the first Terminator, she turned into one tough mother defending her son from the Terminators.

Ellen Ripley (Alien Franchise)

While her real daughter was never featured in the film, Ellen Ripley from the Alien franchise, which I recently watched, did have a mother/daughter type relationship in the sequel Aliens with the little girl Newt. 

 

 

 

 Lorraine McFly (Back to the Future)

Back to the Future gave us an extremely awkward mother/son moment and possibly the most distributing scene in film history, but it did remind us that our parents were teenagers once too.

 

Mrs. Gump (Forrest Gump)

"My momma always said, "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." Who could forget those iconic words from Forrest Gump.

 

 

 

Mrs. Bates (Psycho)

“A boy's best friend is his mother.” Norman Bates and his mother have a very strange relationship, however saying anything more would ruin one of the best thrillers ever made. Basically, watch Psycho!

Samara (Mass Effect)

Although she is not in a movie (yet), Samara from my favorite video game franchise, Mass Effect, has a unique relationship with her children. All of her daughters have a rare Asari condition that kills anyone they "bond" (mind meld) with and she has hunt her daughter before she murders even more people.

Molly Weasley (Harry Potter) 

Mrs. Weasley does not play a major role in the Harry Potter franchise, but she still had some memorable moments.

 

 

One honorable mention would be Elasticgirl/Helen Parr from Pixar's The Incredibles.

 

Who are your favorite movie moms? Are there some that I left off the post? Please comment below.

 

Also a big thanks to my mother for being the best mom in the world, I would not be here today without her.

 

 

Here is a hilarious "Yo Mama" song about compliments, opposed to insults. It is by one of my favorite YouTube channels, RhettandLink.

 

Please check back tomorrow for my review of Wreck-It Ralph, Tuesday for a review of Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, and hopefully Wednesday for a Iron Man 3 review.

 

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Back to the Future Review.

Thoughts: On this day, November 5th, in 1985 Marty McFly traveled back in time to 1955 and so here is the review for Back to the Future! I have always wanted to watch the Back to the Future movies since they are considered to be good movies and the fact that I like time traveling things like Doctor Who but I really did not expect them to be that good. But I was very surprised by how good they were! Especially the first movie, it is by far the best of the Trilogy. The other two movies were good but not any were near as good as the original. I watched all three of the Back to the Future movies in two days, since they are basically one long movie with each one picking of directly after the next, literally the end of the first is re-shown at the beginning of the Back to the Future Part 2. I highly recommend watching the movies back-to-back or in consecutive nights if possible.
Back to the Future is one of the best movies I have ever seen. I am not sure if Back to the Future would considered a comedy since comedy is not the main focus of the film but it is a hilarious film at times. There is a lot of clever humor using references from what is known to come later. The script is excellently written; almost everything about that is said in the beginning of the movie set in 1985 is referenced for important plot points and humor later on in the film. There was even a hilarious Star Wars reference. Back to the Future is such an excellent film, the writing is clever, and the humor is hilarious every time you watch it.

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Comedy,
Release Date: July 3, 1985
Running Time: 116 minutes
MMPA rating: PG


The Good: Excellent plot, Some hilarious humor, Memorable quotes, Great soundtrack, Clever writting, Two top notch licensed songs,

The Bad:




Plot: The following plot summery is copied from Wikipedia.com.
Seventeen-year-old Marty McFly lives with his bleak, unambitious family in Hill Valley, California. His father, George McFly, is bullied by his supervisor, Biff Tannen, and his unhappy mother, Lorraine Baines McFly, is an alcoholic. Marty's underachieving older siblings, Dave and Linda, also live in the household. When Marty and his band audition to perform at the high school dance, they are rejected. Despite this setback, Marty's girlfriend, Jennifer, encourages him to pursue the dream of being a rock musician. At dinner that night, Lorraine recounts how she and George first fell in love when her father hit George with his car.

Marty meets his friend, scientist Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown, late at night at a deserted shopping mall where Doc reveals a time machine made from a modified DeLorean; the vehicle's time displacement is powered by plutonium, which supplies 1.21 gigawatts of energy to a device he calls the "flux capacitor." Doc explains that the car travels to a programmed date upon reaching 88 miles per hour, using the date November 5, 1955, as an example destination. Before Doc can make his first trip, the Libyan terrorists from whom he stole the plutonium shoot him. Marty attempts to escape in the DeLorean and inadvertently activates the time machine. He is transported back to November 5, 1955, and finds himself without the plutonium needed for the return trip. Watch the movie to see what happens next.
 

Plot: 9.7/10- The plot is written so that almost everything that is said in present day is referenced later on in the movie when he goes back in time to 1955 and there was even some tension at the end of the movie. The dialogue is sharp and the cast delivers it with perfection. The only problem is how time traveled is handled, it never really explains it but the movie is more about fun than deep time travel concepts.

Action: 5.8/10- Back to the Future is not an action movie but there is some adventure action scenes.

Acting: 9.2/10- Overall the acting was great and very comical. Michael J. Fox performance was very believable for a guy, who just expectantly time traveled to 1955 and he plays Lloyd for great comical effect. Christopher Lloyd's performance as the crazy Doc Brown was hilarious at times and serious at others. 

Special effects: 8.0/10- Overall the special effects hold up very well today. I really did not see anything that looked dated.

Soundtrack: 9.9/10- Alan Silvestri's soundtrack is one of the best film scores ever composed. It ads such adventure and fun to the film. Also the movie had two great songs "Johnny B. Goode" originally by Chuck Berry and "Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News. The new version of "Johnny B. Goode" sung by I assume Michael J. Fox was just as good as the original if not better.

 Comedy: 9.9/10- I am not sure if Back to the Future would be considered a comedy since it covers some many other genres but it is a hilarious movie. The jokes are clever and the dialogue is witty, a perfection combination of humor and story. The movie as a whole is just so much fun to watch, I had smile on my face throughout the entire movie.


Would I Watch It Again: Back to the Future is one of the few movies that I watched again within a week of the first viewing and enjoyed even more the second time.


Overall: 9.5/10- Overall Back to the Future is a excellent sci-fi classic, full of humor, wit and great writing.


Closing comments: If I were to rate Back to the Future on how much fun a movie it was to watch I would rate it an 10/10 easy. Watch the movie, you will not regret it.


Recommended for: Sci-Fi fans, Comedy fans, Anyone,


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If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Epic Film Score and More Plus Answers.

 A few weeks ago I had a "Name That Movie Soundtrack!" contest, which JT at The Window on the South and JT's Tales was the only person to answer correctly. The answer to the it was Back to the Future, one of my favorite movies featuring one of my favorite film scores by the great Alan Silvestri. Below is the main theme from the movie as well as two of the great songs used in the movie. If you have not seen Back to the Future, do yourself a favor and go watch it now. It is one of the most ridclously fun movies you will ever see. Also expect a Name That Movie Soundtrack! contest coming up later this week or the next. If you have not read my review for this week's Clone Wars episode, Clone Wars "Front Runners" Review. please click on the link to do so.

 

 

 

Here is the main theme for the movie that I used for the Name That Movie Soundtrack! contest.

 

 

In the movie the character Marty McFly actually sings what one of my favorite songs, "Johnny B. Goode", original sung by John Berry. I even like this version better than the original.

 

Here is the song "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News, that was used in the movie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.