Back To The Future Part III (1990) ****

Back To The Future Part III (1990) was a blast right from its release. Filmed simultaneously with Back To The Future Part II (1989) (my review here) and released six months later, it's amazing how different the two films are. I still give them the same star rating, but, much like the Indiana Jones franchise, the third film is my second favorite of the series (my review of the first film here). 

BTTF III is simply a ton of fun, has the best action sequences of the three, and the most exciting finale of the BTTF series. It's also the most romantic without being overly sappy (Christopher Lloyd and Mary Steenburgen really shine in that regard). For fans of the genre, the film plays with Western tropes (including some nice homages to classics) in a very pleasing way without being too serious or too goofy about it. Michael J. Fox is, as always, the perfect lynchpin to the series. Additionally, when at first glance, he may just appear to be playing variations of villainous personalities, if you look at the diversity of Thomas F. Wilson's performances (aided by brilliant makeup and costumes) across the three movies, you really get a feel for the range he's capable of.

BTTF III ended the trilogy on an incredibly satisfying note—it's a thrilling action/adventure, an excellent comedy, and a marvel of technical wizardry. I'm not sure that the world needs any more BTTF films. Outside of some acknowledgeable problematic elements and perhaps dated FX, I don't see much room for improvement or need to revisit these characters. The trilogy looks and sounds incredible in new 4K iterations as part of the Ultimate Trilogy box set, holding a proud spot on my movie shelf.