Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Amusing futuristic sequel more dated, edgier than original.
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Back to the Future Part II
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 24 parent reviews
Based on 88 kid reviews
Kids say this sequel is a mix of edgy content and thrilling storytelling, receiving mixed reviews that highlight its entertaining aspects while criticizing the excessive profanity and mature themes. Although it features clever narrative twists and beloved characters, many feel it is not as kid-friendly as the original, making it more suitable for older teens and adults due to the increased violence and suggestive elements.
- edgy content
- mixed reviews
- not kid-friendly
- clever narrative
- older teens recommended
- excessive profanity
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II, the sequel to Robert Zemeckis' wildly popular blockbuster Back to the Future, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) once again time travels—this time not because he's fleeing terrorists, but because Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) implores him to go to the future. Marty brings his girlfriend, Jennifer (Elisabeth Shue), along, and the three of them travel via DeLorean to the year 2015 in order to save Marty's future son, Marty Jr. (also Fox), from danger. During their time in 2015, an older but still-cruel Biff Tannen (Thomas S. Wilson) figures out that Marty and Doc have traveled from the past and decides to go back with a sports almanac to 1955 to give his younger self an easy way to become rich by betting on winners. That change in the space-time continuum causes all sorts of devastating changes for Marty's present (1985), so he and Doc head all the way back to the 1950s to stop Biff.
Is It Any Good?
There are downsides to this installment that make it less exciting than the original. As with The Matrix, a few critics regard the Back to the Future trilogy as one milestone original and two less-memorable sequels—particularly this one. Admittedly, there's still plenty of nostalgia value and amusement at the expense of the once distant, now all-too-imaginable future depicted here, and Fox and Lloyd continue to be a winning comedic combination. But the plot's overdependence on the annoying Biff character; the replacement of Crispin Glover, who so deftly played Marty's meek father George McFly; the fact that Fox and Wilson have to play more than one person; and the simple lack of novelty with the time-travel concept are but a few of the reasons this sequel is fun but not fantastic.
Viewers who grew up in the 1980s may be surprised at how dated Back to the Future Part II feels, even though it was obviously made after the original, which still holds up after decades. It will remain, however, one of those movies that Generation Xers gravitate to and introduce to their kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Back to the Future Part II compares to the original. How is Marty's family dilemma different in 2015 than it was in 1955? What are some differences between the original and the sequel? Which one do you like better, and why?
What makes Biff such an unredeemed, unapologetic nemesis? How are his motives for time travel back to the 1950s different from Marty and Doc's?
The "future" is set in 2015, a year that's already passed. How did real life compare to the future depicted in the 1980s?
Did all of the time travel make sense, or was it to difficult to follow? What are some other time-travel movies that explore similar themes of trying to right past wrongs?
Movie Details
- In theaters : November 22, 1989
- On DVD or streaming : January 25, 2005
- Cast : Christopher Lloyd , Lea Thompson , Michael J. Fox
- Director : Robert Zemeckis
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Adventures
- Run time : 108 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : December 9, 2025
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