In 1990, theBack to the Futurefranchise avoided a major trilogy problem that other series often fall victim to.Back to the Futurehas been widely considered one of thebest movies of all time,ever since it was released in 1985. Not only is the original film widely regarded as a classic, its two sequels have also been heavily praised in the decades since they were released. The quality of theBack to the Futurefranchise is so high that it even avoided a very common problem sequels often run into.
There are very few sequels that can live up to the movie they’re following, and even fewersequels are more famous than the original film. WhileBack to the Future’s sequels didn’t manage to outshine the original, they did manage to beat several other notable franchises. In fact,Back to the Future’s sequels are notable in their own right, both for being filmed back-to-back, and for making a combined worldwide box office total of over $400 million (viaBox Office Mojo). One of their most impressive feats, however, was avoiding the “third movie curse.”
Back To The Future Part III Avoided The “Third Movie Curse”
Most Third Movies Are Lackluster, But Not Back To The Future Part III
For most trilogies and franchises, by the time the third installment comes around, the narrative has run out of steam. Whatever magic the first film had usually disappears, and the third movie is, more often than not, considered the worst of the bunch.There are plenty of examples:Alien 3is nowhere near as iconic asAlien,The Matrix Revolutionsis serviceable, but not nearly the sensation the original was, andJaws IIIis laughably bad when compared to Steven Spielberg’s original. It’s such a common occurrence that it’s often referred to as the “third movie curse,” yetBack to the Futuredidn’t succumb to it.
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In fact,Back to the Future Part IIIisn’t just one of the fewmovies to break the third movie curse, it’s one of the better third movies out there. It’s filled with humor, suspense, and action, and it perfectly understands the characters.Back to the Future Part IIIeven manages to expand upon already-iconic characters by showing how Marty solved his problem with being called a chicken and how Doc found love. On top of that,Back to the Future Part IIIeven has a betterRotten Tomatoescritics score than the second installment did: 81%, compared toPart II’s 63%.
Back To The Future Part III Being Great Confirmed The Franchise’s Iconic Status
The originalBack to the Futurewas an instant classic, but the franchise wasn’t always guaranteed to follow suit. There are plenty of iconic movies whose sequels fail to live up to the original -Jaws,Robocop, andPsychoare prime examples - but there are far fewer who maintain such a high quality that the entire franchise is considered great.Back to the Futureand its sequel were great movies, butBack to the Future Part IIIsolidified the entire franchise as a classic. The third installment took the series over the finish line and gave it an ending that was just as good as its beginning.
Back To The Future Part III Didn’t Even Need To Happen But Was Worth It
Either The Original Or Back To The Future Part II Would Have Been Great Endings To The Series
Perhaps the most impressive part of how goodBack to the Future IIIwas, however, is that it wasn’t entirely necessary. IfBack to the Future Part IIhad decided to simply end and not lead directly into a sequel, the franchise would still be regarded as a classic. Even if the originalBack to the Futurehadn’t been continued at all, it would be just as iconic as a standalone film.By all accounts,Back to the Future Part IIIwas a gamble, one that could have ruined the legacy of the previous films, but it paid off in dividends.
20 Best Back To The Future Quotes From The Whole Trilogy
The Back to the Future Trilogy is full of great moments, and also a lot of hilarious and memorable quotes.
Back to the FuturePart IIIpushed the envelope when it really didn’t need to, but it ended up putting a bow on the entire series. Everything about it worked, and every new avenue it explored and new character decision it made just felt natural and right. Even thoughPart IIIfound success by extending the franchise further than it needed to, it’s probably for the best thatBack to the Future 4never happened. It’s really impressive that the third film in theBack to the Futuretrilogy was able to provide such a perfect ending.
Back to the Future Part III
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The final entry in Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale’s timeless trilogy, Back to the Future Part III wraps up Marty McFly and Doc Brown’s adventures through time when Marty travels to 1885’s Wild West to save his mentor, meeting Biff Tannen’s ancestor “Mad Dog” and almost changing the course of history once again along the way.
