# Why is back to the future II more popular than back to the future III **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 11, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-back-to-the-future-ii-more-popular-than-back-to-the-future-iii/553445 "2010-09-11T22:17:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-back-to-the-future-ii-more-popular-than-back-to-the-future-iii/553445/41 "2010-09-13T02:55:55Z")
2 was a whole lot better than 3. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-back-to-the-future-ii-more-popular-than-back-to-the-future-iii/553445/42 "2010-09-13T02:57:30Z")
Come on, now! “It will knock the fleas off a dog’s back at fifty yards, Tannon!” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-back-to-the-future-ii-more-popular-than-back-to-the-future-iii/553445/43 "2010-09-13T04:48:41Z")
If I’m channel-surfing and I see any BttF movie, I’ll stop to watch it. I like all three just fine, although II might be my favorite. I love the alternate timeline stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-back-to-the-future-ii-more-popular-than-back-to-the-future-iii/553445/44 "2010-09-13T15:39:21Z")
> [@Mach Tuck](#): > > Part II, for all its weaknesses, has a couple of great moments. In particular, I absolutely love this bit of dialogue: > > _Doc: Great Scott! Jennifer could conceivably encounter her future self! The consequences of that could be disastrous! > Marty: Doc, what do you mean? > Doc: I foresee two possibilities. One: coming face to face with herself thirty years older would put her into shock and she’d simply pass out. Or two: the encounter could create a time paradox, the result of which could cause a chain reaction that would unravel the very fabric of the space-time continuum and destroy the entire universe!.. **Granted, that’s a worst-case scenario.** _ > > That last line always cracked me up. It’s not “a” worst case scenario, it’s THE worst case scenario, period! The best part is the follow-up, where he adds “The destruction could be localized to just within our own galaxy.” Oh, that’s reassuring! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-back-to-the-future-ii-more-popular-than-back-to-the-future-iii/553445/45 "2010-09-13T16:37:15Z")
II and III are equally meh to me. I might watch them if they’re on, but I might not. The original, IMO, is an order of magnitude better. ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-back-to-the-future-ii-more-popular-than-back-to-the-future-iii/553445/46 "2010-09-14T03:03:27Z")
III was very predictable, very shallow, and you pretty much knew how it was going to end as soon as the movie began. No real surprises. That said, I liked all 3. Each of the 3 were different. I am not sure how else you could have done a III without being completely off base from the first 2. III was least popular, because it was the end, it was the last, nothing else, and no IV or V to look forward to . The biggest problem I had with III, was… why didnt Marty and Doc fix the fuelline leak and then just go to the other Delorean hidden in the cave and get some gas out of that car with a siphon?..but I guess if they did that then the movie would be over in 15 minutes. (if I had been Marty, the first thing I would have done is just go get some more gasoline from the other Delorean in the cave) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-back-to-the-future-ii-more-popular-than-back-to-the-future-iii/553445/47 "2010-09-14T03:36:01Z")
The other DeLorean would have had the fuel drained from it before storing it in the cave, and the date Marty arrived was just after Doc wrote the letter so it was already done. He could’ve replaced the blown fuel injection manifold with the other’s one, but that would potentially cause a paradox Doc wouldn’t be brave enough to risk (the DeLorean Marty found in the cave in 1955 did not have a blown manifold). The only thing I find partially wrong in Part III is that after they defeat Buford Tannen, they don’t need to rush home via the locomotive-pushed DeLorean anymore, and can take their time. But that would eliminate the exciting climactic end sequence, and it is, after all, a movie. ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-back-to-the-future-ii-more-popular-than-back-to-the-future-iii/553445/48 "2010-09-14T04:13:32Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > The other DeLorean would have had the fuel drained from it before storing it in the cave, and the date Marty arrived was just after Doc wrote the letter so it was already done. > > He could’ve replaced the blown fuel injection manifold with the other’s one, but that would potentially cause a paradox Doc wouldn’t be brave enough to risk (the DeLorean Marty found in the cave in 1955 did not have a blown manifold). > > The only thing I find partially wrong in Part III is that after they defeat Buford Tannen, they don’t need to rush home via the locomotive-pushed DeLorean anymore, and can take their time. But that would eliminate the exciting climactic end sequence, and it is, after all, a movie. 1. Even if Doc had already drained the fuel, I seriously doubt that Doc would have not saved the fuel in a container and let it just seep into the ground. I find it unbelievable that Doc would have not saved a can of gasoline in 1885 to be used for some future invention he was always working on. Inventors do not throw away one-of-a-kind items that are irreplacable. 2. “Rushing”, “hurrying up”, seeing Doc run back and forth is a trait of the trilogy. For example, when Marty sees Doc’s tombstone, he calls Doc to “come quick!”. There is no need for Doc to come quick to look at the tombstone. Along the same theme, since they could pick any time and any date, they frequently seemed to be cutting it too close causing them to rush, or be late. Again, it would not be much of a movie if instead of rushing they were slothful, and getting gas from the other Delorean in the cave would have made III a non-movie with no story. That said…the first thing I thought of when he needed gas was to siphon it from the other car. ---
**Author:** ![Short\_Guy\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@Short\_Guy\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short_Guy_1)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-back-to-the-future-ii-more-popular-than-back-to-the-future-iii/553445/49 "2010-09-14T12:07:25Z")
I’ve never understood why no one seems to realize that BttF III is the best one in the series. Seriously. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-back-to-the-future-ii-more-popular-than-back-to-the-future-iii/553445.md?page=2)