Back to the Future Part III (1990)

 Back to the Future Part III (1990)

7/10

Starring

Michael J Fox

Christopher Lloyd

Mary Steenburgen

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

I guess we’ve seen the present, the future, the past—so what’s left? Back to the Future Part III lassos its way into the Wild West. This is the part I’ve seen the most, because it was the one most shown on local TV back home. Of the three, it’s the one I liked least, even though it rounds off the classic trilogy. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, with Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd back as Marty and Doc, this finale slows down the frantic energy coming off Part II. The whole idea is that the trilogy is one big film, so Part III continues right where Part II leaves off.

The plot is all about saving Doc. Picking up right where Part II ended, Marty discovers Doc has been sent 70 years into the past—to 1885—thanks to a letter delivered to them. Using details from Doc’s 1885 letter, Marty teams up with the 1955 Doc to track down and fix the DeLorean so he can bring Doc back to 1985. But things take a turn when Marty stumbles on a tombstone with Doc’s name, revealing he was shot by Biff Tannen’s great-grandfather, Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen, just six days after writing the letter.

As expected, the chemistry between Fox and Lloyd remains the series’ backbone, delivering fantastic acting. Even Clara (played by Mary Steenburgen) was well portrayed. The effects in this movie are amazing, especially the ending with the train Doc worked on.

The reason this is my least favorite? The pacing. It stumbles compared to the others. No more multi-timeline acrobatics—instead, we get a straightforward Western romp, everything happening in 1885. Even though it’s still fun to watch, that intensity we feel from time-travel gymnastics and things not adding up—needing to sort it out—isn’t present here. Then there’s the romance between Doc and Clara. Though sweet, it eats up screen time that could’ve gone to Doc and Marty’s dynamic—the real heart of the trilogy.

Tonally, the film wobbles. One minute, we’re dodging bullets in a saloon shootout, the next, Doc’s speaking poetically about love under the stars. The shift from sci-fi to Western isn’t seamless—Part III feels like a genre detour, not a natural progression.

Also, the movie’s vision of 1885 is about as historically accurate as a TikTok cowboy influencer. Doc inventing things with 1885 tech stretches realism.

Regardless, it’s still a good movie. It lacks the punch of Part I and the chaotic charm of Part II, yet it sticks the landing emotionally—I’ll give it that. If you’re here for Marty and Doc’s bromance, you’ll leave with a smile. If you’re craving time-travel shenanigans, you might yawn into your popcorn.