Which Back to the Future movie is the best one?

[Mahaloth]

It's that easy, folks. Which is the best one?

[Mahaloth]

I'll start things off by voting for the third one. I just think it is the most fun of the group. I love the Wild West theme and I think everyone is on their game here. A lot of the in-jokes pay off in this one and I had a ton of fun watching this one in the theater in 1990.

[bienville]

I am a fan of the entire series . . . but this is a no-brainer. The first, as a stand alone movie, is one of the greatest movies of its decade, an all-time classic.

I love the whole series. I share Mahaloth's affection for the third. But, c'mon.

[Jas09]

See, I think the third is a distant, well, third. The second, however, is still pretty engaging for me.

The first, obviously, is the standard-bearer for the series.

[blondebear]

The original is my favorite, especially the scenes where he's on guitar. He tries out his amp and blows himself away,then his audition gets rejected by Huey Lewis, and finally he get to do all those classic moves at the dance. I haven't listened to any commentary tracks-- I wonder what he has to say about doing those scenes.

[jackdavinci]

That's not easy!

1 is obviously the most standalone and classic.

2 has the best timey wimey time travel convolutions and adventure.

3 has the most heart, sentiment, nostalgia, and resolution.

By a narrow margin I pick number two because it's the best time travel movie of the three.

[Lobot]

I find Part II the most fun to rewatch, but the original is so perfect that it really is the "best", IMHO.

And really, seeing the original in the cinema in '85 as a kid just couldn't be topped by the other two. Part II came close but Part III was no more than entertaining.

[Battle Pope]

Part I by a mile. Part II is probably a better film but I find Part III more fun to watch.

[Mahaloth]

Originally Posted by Lobot

And really, seeing the original in the cinema in '85 as a kid just couldn't be topped by the other two. Part II came close but Part III was no more than entertaining.

This probably affected my answer. I did not see part 1 in the theater, watching it countless times on tape.

My whole family went to see part 2 and 3 in the theaters, though, and we absolutely adored them. It was probably the theater experience that made me love the sequels even more, especially the final one for me.

[Stink Fish Pot]

I went with number 2 mainly to give it some love. Without number one, there is no 2 and 3, and number one can obviously stand on it's own.

Number two I enjoyed because I liked the idea that someone with that ability would absolutely exploit it for future profit, and I was glad it was Biff.

The only flaw with II was they didn't use the same Jennifer. Unless that actress was dead, I'm sure she was available. I wonder what happened that they couldn't get her for the second movie?

I loved the interaction between the old Biff and the young, cocky but stupid Biff. He's a good actor, and I'm surprised he hasn't been in many more things.

[Mahaloth]

Originally Posted by Stink Fish Pot

The only flaw with II was they didn't use the same Jennifer. Unless that actress was dead, I'm sure she was available. I wonder what happened that they couldn't get her for the second movie?
.

She quit acting. Something about her mother being ill as well.

They didn't use the original George, either. Crispin Glover actually sued over usage of his image.

[Sundrop]

Part I is obviously the best of the three. Love the whole series, and Part II was fun and interesting. BUt Part III Just went off the rails.

[Quimby]

The first one is an almost perfect movie and got my vote. The second one should get more credit for being risky. Going to the future was a no brainer and set up by the end of the first one but dealing with parallel timelines and weaving the story around the events of the first one was crazy risky for its time and it paid off IMO.

The third is not a bad movie but played things as safe as the second one took risks. I think setting nearly the entire movie in one era like that was a less interesting choice.

[Accidental Martyr]

Originally Posted by Stink Fish Pot

I loved the interaction between the old Biff and the young, cocky but stupid Biff. He's a good actor, and I'm surprised he hasn't been in many more things.

Yeah, I liked his character in Freaks and Geeks. I thought he did a good job with it.

[TaoPilot]

[quote=Sundrop;15427389]Part I is obviously the best of the three. Love the whole series, and Part II was fun and interesting. BUt Part III Just went off the rails.[/QUOTE]

Only when the train hit the Delorean in 1985...

I voted for the first one. Truly a classic movie, and stands alone. The others are fantastic as well, but if I had to choose only one movie to keep, it'd be the first one.

[BigT]

The third one has the problem of the logical Doc going completely stupid for a woman (risking certain death)*. The first one is good, but it doesn't really do anything interesting with the temporal premise. The second one, however, deals with a complete altered timeline, along with having Marty show up in two places at the same time. That's just more interesting.

* I thought it also had another bit of stupidity, but I figured out why Mr. Fusion wasn't hooked up to handle ground-based travel: 1955 Doc didn't know how to fix that part of the device, and 1985 Doc didn't have the parts to fix that, anymore then he had the gasoline to power the combustion engine. And 1985 Doc probably didn't plan for the eventuality of needing to use the combustion engine again, and thus didn't refit the Delorean with a diesel.

[MaxTheVool]

1st one by an absolute mile... one of the most flawlessly entertaining movies ever made.

[PSXer]

First one by far. It doesn't have as much to do with the temporal premise, but that is what makes it work. It's a story about people, not time travel.

I like the sequels, but they're not on the same level as the first one.

[cmyk]

It's no contest, the first film is a classic, flawless piece of blockbuster entertainment. My favorite movie, actually.

I love the sequels, but they had their flaws and just didn't seem too add up to the sheer exhilaration, and pure movie magic the first one managed to achieve.

For me, part II had a weak, and over the top first half. The setup at the end of the first film about Marty and Jennifer having to do something about their kids turned out to be an anti-climatic let down in part II. It was obvious Bob Gale and Zemeckis didn't really have a sequel plotted out, so they were forced to contrive some reason to necessitate Marty to have to go to 2015 to bail out his son (not his "kids", after all). Parts of the future sequences are fun, but overall, I think they could've come up with something better. Also, the alternate 80s drags a bit for me (but it is pretty kickass when Marty just steps of the ledge on the rooftop, taking Biff by surprise).

However, the second half of part II is pretty brilliant, and makes for some interesting storytelling woven around the events of the first film. The ending of Part II, for myself, is the best of all three films and brings back a bit of the exhilaration from the first film.

Part III is just pure fun, and a treat for full-on Marty/Doc chemistry. I think it's the most notable for the callbacks and all the reversals between Marty and the Doc from the first film: It's the Doc this time who has the girl problem. It's Marty who's attempting to rescue the Doc. The technical problem this time wasn't generating the 1.21 jiggawatts, but rather getting the DeLorean up to 88 mph. I believe they even switch catch phrases at one point where Marty says "Great Scott," and the Doc exclaims "This is heavy." I think there's even more, but all in all part III was definitely more fun than II, and part I is infinitely more rewatch able that either sequels.

I'd give Part I a 10 out of 10.

Part II a 7 out of 10 (would've been a 5 or a 6 for me if the 2nd half didn't totally redeem itself).

And Part III an 8 out of 10.

[GuanoLad]

I mostly agree with cmyk's assessment, but I think I'd give the edge to Part III; it just has all my favourite character moments (though Lea Thompson is wasted).

P.S. Watch the whole trilogy in close succession, or it's easy to overlook some amazing acting that is hidden in plain sight - and that is of Tom F Wilson. He has a really elaborate range of characters to portray, and he absolutely nails it pitch perfectly every time. He is most definitely cruelly underrated.

[drewtwo99]

cmyk hits it head on.

Although, for me, the ending to part II redeems the movie even more for me. It is absolutely positively shockingly brilliant, and some of the best written dialogue of all time. Doc dissappears in the Delorean just getting struck by lightning, and then suddenly a guy drives up from the post office. Hillarity ensues.

Then, back at the end of the scene from the first movie, just as Marty drives off in a flash of light and leaving the trails of flame, he then suddenly runs up to Doc and confusion abounds. I love it, love it, love it!

So yeah, the end of Part II is really fantastic (and I haven't even really gotten into all the clever interweaving of the main events of the first movie).

Part III is also a great one, and used to be my favorite for a while.

But overall, 1 is the best. II could have easily been the best if the first half of the movie had been better. and III ain't bad at all.

[Sister Vigilante]

Part I is my favorite but I love all three.

[etv78]

III is my least favorite because that period of history is my least favorite (for U.S. History, anyway). The 1st is a great stand alone flick, and I also agree that Biff used the almanac the way we all would if we could.

[tdn]

Part I by far.

The various incarnations of Biff in all three are interesting, but in part II he's kind of a jerk.

[Gretchion]

Originally Posted by cmyk

they were forced to contrive some reason to necessitate Marty to have to go to 2015 to bail out his son (not his "kids", after all.

Well, both of his kids were in trouble after all, since if Marty Jr. went to jail, his sister would have been caught trying to get him out, and she would have been put in jail as well.

[Quimby]

Originally Posted by tdn

Part I by far.

The various incarnations of Biff in all three are interesting, but in part II he's kind of a jerk.

Kind of? He murdered George McFly so he could steal his wife and attempted to kill his own Stepson.

[cmyk]

Originally Posted by drewtwo99

cmyk hits it head on.

Although, for me, the ending to part II redeems the movie even more for me. It is absolutely positively shockingly brilliant, and some of the best written dialogue of all time. Doc dissappears in the Delorean just getting struck by lightning, and then suddenly a guy drives up from the post office. Hillarity ensues.

Then, back at the end of the scene from the first movie, just as Marty drives off in a flash of light and leaving the trails of flame, he then suddenly runs up to Doc and confusion abounds. I love it, love it, love it!

Exactly this.

That whole climax in the very rain storm from the first film, on the empty road in front of Lyon Estates, with Doc trying to maneuver the DeLorean... Then gets struck by yet another bolt of lightning which sends him randomly through time.

The disquieting silence of Marty trying to contact him, but knowing full well he's gone.

Then... The headlights in the distance. I had no idea where it was going the first time around, so when it turned out to be a guy from Western Union with a letter from the Doc, 70 years prior, I was giddy.

Then the ending with Marty saying "There's only one man who can help me now." Cut to 1955 Doc just celebrating his success after his long arduous ordeal of getting Marty back to 1985... and here he comes again, running down the street... "But I'm back. Back from the future!"

"Greatt Scott." then he faints.

I especially love how the Doc is so wrapped up in his success, he looks at Marty in a "Oh, hey there" way, then turns back to his car, and then it dawns on him like a bolt of lightning.

Brilliant.

[Skammer]

None of them are a disappointment and all three are worthy of re-watching, but 1 is a classic of 1980s cinema. There's really no contest.

#2 is fun for all the time-travel, especially the revisit of 1955 and the alternate 1985 dystopia. #3 is a fun western adventure with a touching love story and the best action sequence of the series (the train ride). But #1 is still the best.

[jacobsta811]

Originally Posted by Quimby

Kind of? He murdered George McFly so he could steal his wife and attempted to kill his own Stepson.

Not to mention, you know, trying to rape Lorraine in 1955 before getting punched out by George. Edit to add, and trying to run over marty several times with the car.

[cmyk]

To add:

The 1st film wasn't necessarily written as a set up for sequels (despite the way it ended). The 1st film holds the entire backbone that inspired the story to begin with: The idea of going back in time, meeting your parents at your age, but in their era, and of course, altering the course of events that endangers your very existence.

This was all resolved by the time they got to writing and producing the sequels. It was only by the strength of the characters (including the Delorean itself), and the world and rules of time travel they had fleshed out that was fortunately able to sustain further chapters.

Even the shot of Marty, standing in the Lone Pines Mall parking lot, pointing his camcorder at the cargo trailer as it opens revealing the Delorean, with Einstein next to him is one of my favorite cinematic shots of all time. The other two films seem to lack this sense of unfolding awe and anticipation, because it can only be explored once. And the first film did it so well it was magical.

I did like that they made Biff senior wiser than his younger self, especially when he admonishes his younger self in '55, saying "It's 'leave' you idiot! You sound like a moron when you say it like that!"

I want a cane with a little bronze fist when I get that age.

And Mad Dog Tannen was an awesomely hysterical character; the best incarnation of Biff IMHO.

[Covered_In_Bees!]

Has there been a more lopsided poll than this one?

[Lukeinva]

Part one probably is the best but I wasn't thinking three dimensionally and voted part three. The Old West ambience does it for me, and the locomotive and of course Mary Steenburgen!

[jnglmassiv]

If anyone has never seen Tom Wilson's Biff Questions Song, it's a hilarious treat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwY5o2fsG7Y

[drewtwo99]

Originally Posted by Covered_In_Bees!

Has there been a more lopsided poll than this one?

I think there was a "do you support gay marriage" poll in IMHO once, with over 90% voting yes.

[tdn]

Originally Posted by Quimby

Kind of? He murdered George McFly so he could steal his wife and attempted to kill his own Stepson.

How is that not being a jerk?

Actually, II is my least favorite because of that. He's such a complete asshole that he makes the entire film unenjoyable for me. Not that Mad Dog was much better, but they were such over-the-top villains that they made the films actively annoying. Give me the softer, gentler Biff of I anyday.

[tdn]

Originally Posted by drewtwo99

I think there was a "do you support gay marriage" poll in IMHO once, with over 90% voting yes.

And there was a "What temperature do you wash your dishes in?" poll. The OP was the only one that voted "cold."

[Quimby]

Originally Posted by tdn

How is that not being a jerk?

Actually, II is my least favorite because of that. He's such a complete asshole that he makes the entire film unenjoyable for me. Not that Mad Dog was much better, but they were such over-the-top villains that they made the films actively annoying. Give me the softer, gentler Biff of I anyday.

I think we are saying the same thing. I thought "kind of a Jerk" was a huge understatement.

Also, as someone else mentioned above, softer, gentler Biff in the original was an attempted rapist.

[tdn]

Originally Posted by Quimby

I think we are saying the same thing. I thought "kind of a Jerk" was a huge understatement.

The huge understatement kind of a joke. I guess it failed to land.

[Khadaji]

I only enjoyed the first one.

[TBG]

Originally Posted by Stink Fish Pot

I loved the interaction between the old Biff and the young, cocky but stupid Biff. He's a good actor, and I'm surprised he hasn't been in many more things.

Apparently he prefers standup and music.

Cite: http://twentytwowords.com/2012/05/11...around-an-faq/

[GuanoLad]

Tom Wilson currently does a podcast on the Nerdist network. I respect him as an actor, but I can't say I like him very much as a person (not in any kind of demonstrably bad way, I just don't think we'd get along very well if I knew him in the real world. Something about him rubs me the wrong way).