User blog:ARTaylor/30 Years of Back to the Future Part II

Today is the thirtieth anniversary of the premiere of Back to the Future Part II. The second in the famous trilogy, the story follows Doc Brown as he takes his friend Marty McFly and his girlfriend Jennifer into the future to fix their kid's mistakes, only to inadvertently create a dystopian alternate present requiring them to return to 1955, interacting with their past selves, to set things right.

While the first film was meant as a single stand-alone story, this was filmed back-to-back with the third part. Several parts had to be recast when some actors chose not to return. This resulted in a lawsuit when the film used make-up and a lookalike to imply he had returned. The lawsuit became a significant moment in films as it forever changed how studios were able to handle archive footage. The film also proved ground-breaking for special effects when Industrial Light & Magic developed new technology so that a single actor could portray multiple characters in a single shot.

The film received mixed reviews from critics. Most found it entertaining but felt it was ultimately little more than a bridge between the first and third segments. However, it was a hit with fans. It broke the Thanksgiving weekend box office record and became the third highest grossing film of the year. The film received several award nominations including an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

The film features the talents of Thomas F. Wilson returning as Biff Tannen as well as his grandson Griff, Neil Ross as the Tannen Museum narrator, and John Erwin as the radio sportscaster.