Back to the Future Part III

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Wild West-themed final installment is fine for older tweens.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this final installment in the Back to the Future trilogy is, like its predecessors, a PG film with a tad more language than usual. But there's actually slightly less innuendo and a lot less bully-related violence in this one than in Part II. The coarsest language includes "bitch," "assh--e," and "s--t," with several insults and synonyms for "coward" thrown in on a more regular basis. Although there's romance, it's very chaste except for two kisses and one off-color reference to what a woman could do that's worth $80 to settle a debt. All of the violence involves guns and fists, and in one brief scene it looks like Marty is going to be hanged, but no one dies, and it's all kept rather comical, even when a huge group of horse-mounted Indians are riding with guns and arrows. Unlike in the first two movies, in this one Doc Brown learns love is even more important than his rules for time travel.

  • One of the most important messages in this movie is letting go of words that rile you up -- not taking the bait when bullies try to demean you. It's good for kids to learn that words, although they hurt, don't need to catalyze you to do self-destructive things. Marty finally learns this lesson at the very end of the film. Doc's decision also shows that in the end he values love over all else.
  • In addition to Marty and Doc Brown, who always demonstrate the importance of loyalty, friendship, and trust, this trilogy installment benefits from the introduction to Clara, a sweet and kind teacher who falls in love with Doc Brown and stands up for herself against the town bullies.
  • Violence is all Wild West-style: there are barroom brawls, a shoot-out at dawn (well, 8 AM) and other old West violence, none of it particularly nasty. The Biff ancestor is aggressive and likes to push Marty and his ancestor around -- shooting at Marty's feet. When he first arrives in the Wild West, Marty encounters a group of horse-mounted Indians riding toward him with guns and arrows. In one brief scene, Marty is shown with a rope around his neck, as if he's about to be hanged -- until he's saved.
  • A couple of kisses but mostly there's a lot of longing looks between Doc and his love interest. In one scene a man makes a reference about what a woman "could do worth $80," which a child may not understand but clearly alludes to sex. Marty and his girlfriend Jennifer also exchange a couple of heated kisses.
  • Some stronger words than usually heard in PG movies: "bitch," "assh--e," and "s--t," as well as mild insults like "damn you to hell," "chicken," "yellow," "coward," "lily livered," "gutter trash," and more.
  • Marty wears Nike sneakers, the discontinued sports car the DeLorean is of central importance.
  • There's drinking in the town saloon that is shown a few times. Only men are shown with drinks in hand.

What's the story?

Once again picking up right where Back to the Future Part II left off, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) gets a telegram from Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) explaining that he's stuck in the year 1885, but instructing him not to attempt time travel again. Marty discovers Doc's tombstone, and decides to disregard Doc's orders. Marty dresses up in a cowboy costume and slips into the DeLorean again, landing in the 19th century. He runs into his Irish ancestors (played by Fox himself, and Lea Thompson), and the town outlaw "Mad Dog" Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson), who is Biff's ancestor. Marty finally reunites with Doc, and the two must find a way to refuel the time machine before Mad Dog kills Doc. Complicating matters is the arrival of open-minded schoolteacher Clara Clayton (Mary Steenburgen), who winds up falling for Doc, and forcing Doc to rethink his stance on not changing the past.


Is it any good?

 

After the mildly disappointing Part II, it would seem that a Wild West-themed threequel would flounder under the weight of too much time-travel confusion and overall Marty and Doc fatigue. But somehow Robert Zemeckis, Fox, and Lloyd make the back-in-time gimmick work. The introduction of a love interest for Lloyd may not seem interesting to kid viewers, but as an adult viewing it through grown-up eyes, that subplot with Steenburgen is so much more appreciated. Doc was such a hermit outside of his connection with Marty, that it was a relief to see he could still have a chance at love -- especially with someone as patient and intelligent as Clara. So for the romantics at home, this installment is for you.

Humor-wise, there are plenty of in-jokes for those who've seen the first two films, like Marty's touchiness at being called "yellow." As Marty's rival, Wilson gets to unleash a whole new set of insults as he bullies everyone around him.  A heavily accented Thompson returns as Marty's relative, and Fox does double duty again as his own great-great-great grandfather, but the McFly kin has less to do in this one than in the first two; the final film really belongs to Lloyd. One of the funniest moments is the saloon scene where Marty does the moonwalk when he's being shot at; it may take some explaining if your kids don't understand the significance of Michael J. Fox's signature dance move, but it's funny even two decades later. The entire trilogy is still a must-see for parents who want to share a little bit of their own youth with the next generation, even if the children won't laugh quite as hard as you do at some parts.


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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about how Marty and Doc remain loyal friends in all three movies. How do they help each other in this installment? What challenges change from film to film, and what stays the same?

  • How did romance change Doc's ideas about time travel? Why does he decide that he's going to stay behind in the "past"?

  • What does Marty learn about not letting taunts like "are you chicken?" get to him? How can you apply that lesson in your own life?

  • If you've seen the first two films, which of the three is your favorite? Why?


This review was written by Sandie Angulo Chen
Kid, 12 years old
February 19, 2011
 
Awesome!!!!!
Confusing if you have not seen the first and second.

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Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
 
Great second sequil

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Kid, 11 years old
August 29, 2010
 
Back to the Future: Part 3
This one is better tan 2 but not as good as one.

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Teen, 14 years old
December 20, 2009
 
Good movie.Second best of the triology.This movie is more mild then the first two.The thing that will attract 7 and 8 yr.olds is thew pricess/primce like love between doc and the lady.Overall this is an awsome movie and i really miss BTTF. May It Shall Forever Be Remembered Back To the Future

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Teen, 15 years old
August 26, 2010
 
Perfect for kids 8+
Better than part 2 but not as good as part 1.The Teen walks into a bar and sees two prostitutes smoking in a balkany for a good 5 seconds.Theres a pepsi billboard in 1955.Theres drinking ivoled thats how the inventor is pass out at the end of the film.The Teen Character is offer a drink and cigar but refuses and He also is given a gun.Scary part for the little ones must be the .the train scene,shootout,and the teen is amlost killed by a train when the Delorean on the train track in1985 door is jammed but escapes in the nick of time.The end part with the shoot out is when the bully shoots the teen and is on the ground but the teen kicks him then the bull punches his stomach and hurts himself becuas e the teen reveales a iron plate vest with the dent from the bullet on it

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Kid, 13 years old
August 2, 2011
 
Epicness
Epicness. My brother, 10, and I watched all 3 movies. :3 It was a great experience.

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Teen, 18 years old
January 16, 2011
 
I really like it!

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Teen, 14 years old
April 25, 2011
 
PG-13 Hands Down
This movie was made after PG-13 was invented so why didn't they rate this movie PG-13? There's harsh cussing, old western violence that is also harsh, some sexual jokes, and mild drinking. It should be rated PG-13 hands-down.

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Kid, 13 years old
July 11, 2009
 

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Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
 
Great Movie!
The Back to the Future movies are my favorite movies of all time. They are better as a set, but you can watch just one, too. This one has a small amount of violence, but it is not graphic at all.

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This review was written by Sandie Angulo Chen
Topics:adventures
Studio:Universal Pictures
Director:Robert Zemeckis
Cast:Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Mary Steenburgen, Michael J. Fox
Genre:Science Fiction
Run time:118 minutes
Theatrical release date:January 1, 1990
DVD release date:September 12, 1991
MPAA rating:PG

This review was written by Sandie Angulo Chen
 

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ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
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