BACK TO THE FUTURE 3

US, 1990, 118 minutes, Colour.
Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenburgen, Thomas F. Wilson, Lea Thompson, Elisabeth Shue.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis.

Back to the Future Part 3 is much less complicated than Part 2. It is quite straightforward, mostly a western (part Blazing Saddles spoof and part Clint Eastwood tough western).

Doc and Marty Mc Fly calm down a little while back in the past and there they meet Biff's ancestor, the silly villainous Beaufort Tannen (well played by Thomas F. Wilson). They also meet Clara (Mary Steenbergen) and Doc falls in love.

The film has a confusing and rapid-fire dialogue start, but continues to perk up through the action and the use of the western conventions to a happy and nicely moralising ending. Christopher Lloyd is frenetic as Doc. Michael J. Fox is good as Marty but has the opportunity (as in the other films) to do other Mc Fly characters, this time his great grandfather Sean Mc Fly, an Irishman. Lea Thompson has a guest role as Maggie Mc Fly, his wife.

1.The enjoyment of the trilogy? The success of the series? Audience expectations of this part? Enjoyment? Time-travel? American history?

2.The '80s settings, 1955? The focus on 1885, the same place as the '80s setting and a century apart with its consequent changes? The atmosphere of the west, the western town?

3.The special effects, for the time-travel, the car and the train, for Michael J. Fox to act with himself?

4.Enjoyment of the western, the conventions? The satire in the Blazing Saddles vein? Marty calling himself Clint Eastwood, the humour at Clint Eastwood's expense? The spoof with the Man With No Name westerns - with the non violence and the non-use of guns? The rousing score?

6.Audiences accepting the premise of time-travel, the time space continuum, Doc's explanations? Changing our future? The photo and its changing?

7.The moral of the trilogy - American history, heritage, but the freedom to shape our own futures?

8.Doc in 1955, his experience, theories, sending Marty back to the '80s, the failure, Marty's being with him, the letter from 1885? Marty and the '80s and his return? Bringing the letter? The news about Doc's experiments, the photo of the grave and their discovery of the grave? Marty's decision to return?

9.Marty, the western clothes, the experiments with the car, using the driving, the painting of the Indians? Going back to the past, the real Indians, hiding under the cliff, the cavalry? Losing the petrol? Walking the west, meeting the Mc Flys, the pioneer family, the dirty water and the awful food, the baby and it being his great grandfather? Going to town, walking the western town, the search for Doc, the bar, the whisky burning the counter, the encounter with Tannen? His name being Clint Eastwood, the bullets and his dancing? Rap-dancing, the reaction of the villains, of the oldtimers? The celebration, the dance, defying Beaufort again, the clash, calling him out? The admiration of the people in the town? And the humour of the bets on his surviving, the new set of clothes and the undertaker measuring him?

10.Doc and his experiments, the blacksmith in 1885, the grave, the photo? No Clara in his life? The request to meet the train, his not going? The plans for the return, no petrol, the various theories, the plan with the train, the model train? Going to the site, Clara and the runaway horse, rescuing her, falling in love? Doc at his most tender? At the dance, the clash with Beaufort, Marty's gallantry? The evening with Clara? The future, his not wanting to change the space-time continuum, his telling Clara, her being hurt, the Jules Verne stories? Being sad, telling his sad story in the bar and holding his drink? The toast, the antidote, his head in the trough? The build-up to the shootout, his being taken hostage? The escape, going to the train, the speed of the train, Clara chasing the train, his going to rescue her?

11.Marty, life in the town, preparing to go back to the future, the dance, chivalry, clash with Beaufort, being called a coward? Sean and his presence and watching him? Waking up, the build-up to the shootout, before breakfast? In the street, no gun, his being shot, using the stove door, the fight and defeating Beaufort? Escaping to the train, driving the car, the gathering speed and his return?

12.Sean and Maggie, Irish pioneers, the Irish touch, their home life, William, Sean observing, Marty giving him the gun and his selling it?

13.Beaufort and the gang, the ancestral Biff? Tough and stupid, the robberies, the sheriffs and the marshals chasing them, the shooting, mixing up his words - like a duck instead of a dog? High noon before breakfast? No guns but his shooting Marty? The fight, the arrest and the chase of the criminals?

14.The picture of the town: the bartender and his advice, the oldtimers playing cards and their laughing, the visitor and his being moved by Doc's sad story and telling it in the train?

15.Clara, coming to town, runaway horse, the teacher, in love with Doc, coming to get her things fixed by him? Telescope? Looking at the stars? Romance, the night? The dance? Her reaction to Doc's story - and Jules Verne? Her hearing the story in the train? Returning, getting the horse, chasing the train, upside-down on the train, rescued by Doc?

16.Going back to the '80s, the train smashing the car, his family wondering where he'd been, waking up Jennifer, her nightmare, travelling with her, the encounter with Doc and Clara and Jules and Verne? Doc and his final words and going back to the past?

17.All's well that ends well? The American heritage? Shaping our lives?