Back to the Future #13 – Reggie’s Take Movie Franchise Countdown

By Reggie's Take on December 9, 2014 • ( 1 )

The Back to the Future movie franchise follows the adventures of Marty McFly and scientist, Dr. Emmett L. Brown as they travel in time between different periods in the history of Hill Valley, Claifornia in what else a DeLorean.

Back to the Future is a sci-fi comedy classic in my book and it comes in at number 13 in my Reggiestake.com Movie Franchise Countdown.

Back to the Future, the first film debuted in 1985 and was the highest grossing movie of the year.

Eric Stoltz was originally cast in the role of Marty McFly due to the producers of the television show Family Ties would not allow Michael J. Fox to star in the film. The films director and producers after filming had already started decided that Stoltz was not right for the role of McFly

Zemeckis felt Stoltz was not that funny and gave a “terrifically dramatic performance”. Gale felt that Stoltz was just acting out the role, whereas Fox had a personality like Marty McFly and once again went after Michael J. Fox.

Fox along with the producers of Family Ties were able to work out a timetable structure that would allow Michael to shoot the movie and still keep his commitments to the show.

Having to re-shoot everything that had already been shot by Stoltz added and extra $3 million dollars to the movies budget.

Back to the Future finally opened on July 3, 1985 and spent 11 weeks at number one. It would go on to gross $210.61 million in States and $383.87 million world wide despite the fact that Bob Gale was unhappy with Universal’s tagline of “Are you telling me my mother’s got the hots for me?”

Back to the Future Part II picks up where the first film left off. Marty McFly and “Doc” Brown travel to the year 2015 in order to stop Marty’s future son from going to jail, but while there future “Biff” steals the DeLoarean and travels back to 1955 altering history by giving his younger self the “Grays Sports Almanac” and making young “Biff” rich.

When Marty and Doc return to 1985 from the year 2015 they find things not as they left them and they themselves are forced to travel back to 1955 and take back from “young Biff” that what “old Biff’ gave him in order to put the future back as they know it.

Crispin Glover was asked to reprise his role of George McFly but could never come to an agreement with the producers. Bob Gale said Glover’s demands were excessive for an actor of his professional stature at that point in time.

Zemeckis would go on to use previously filmed footage of Glover from the first movie and inter-spliced footage shot with actor Jeffrey Weissman, who wore prosthetics. Glover later filed a lawsuit against Spielberg and the producers on the grounds that they did not own his likeness or have permission to use it.

Claudia Wells was also replaced with actress Elisabeth Shue in the role of Jennifer Parker. Wells was going to return to the role, but was unable to due to her mother’s bad health.

Part II was released on November 22, 1989. The film received favorable reviews, but not as strong as the first movie. Back to the Future Part II would go on to gross $331 million worldwide.

Back to the Future Part III was shot back to back with Part II and hit theaters six months after Part II on May 25, 1990.

Part III picks up just where Part II ended. Now stranded in 1955, Marty discovers that Biff Tannen’s great- grandfather, Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen shot and killed “Doc” Brown while trapped in 1885 over the matter of $70 dollars.

With the help of the 1955 “Doc” Marty is able to go back to the year 1885 to rescue the “Doc” and bring him back to 1985.

Back to the Future Part III although it received positive reviews was the lowest performing of all three movies in the franchise. Despite that, Part III still went on to be the 6th highest grossing movie of 1990 earning $244.5 million dollars worldwide with a budget of just $40 million.

Back To The Future / 1985 / Universal

Marty McFly is accidentally sent back in time to 1955 in a time machine built from a DeLorean by eccentric scientist Doc Emmett L. Brown. To make matters worse, Marty did not bring back any extra plutonium to power the time machine, so he must find the 1955 version of Doc Brown and convince him that he is from the future, in order for the Doc to send him back to the future, but this is the least of Marty’s problem.

After accidentally getting in the way of the important meeting between his future mother and father, Marty must get them back together before he changes time forever, and destroys his own existence.

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly
Christopher Lloyd as Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown
Lea Thompson as Lorraine Baines-McFly
Crispin Glover as George McFly
Thomas F. Wilson as Biff Tannen
Claudia Wells as Jennifer Parker
James Tolkan as Mr. Strickland
Marc McClure as Dave McFly
Wendie Jo Sperber as Linda McFly

Back To The Future Part II / 1989 / Universal

Doc Brown travels with Marty to the year 2015, where he has discovered Marty’s family is in ruins. Marty, using an idea given to him in the first film by Doc, buys a sports almanac which he plans to use to gamble and make a fortune. However, Doc catches him and throws the almanac in the trash, which old Biff Tannen finds. While Marty and Doc are at 2015 Marty’s house, Biff steals the DeLorean and gives the book to himself at some point in the past. When Doc and Marty return to 1985, they find that Biff has used the almanac’s knowledge to make himself rich and control Hill Valley. Discovering that old Biff went back to 1955, Marty and Doc set out to steal the almanac from Biff in 1955 before he can use it to destroy their lives.

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, Marty, Jr., and Marlene McFly
Christopher Lloyd as Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown
Thomas F. Wilson as Biff Tannen and Griff Tannen
Lea Thompson as Lorraine Baines-McFly
Elisabeth Shue as Jennifer Parker
James Tolkan as Mr. Strickland
Jeffrey Weissman as George McFly
Flea as Douglas J. Needles

Back To The Future Part III / 1990 / Universal

After finding out that Doc Brown is trapped in 1885, Marty sets out to find the 1955 Doc to help him find the DeLorean and restore it to working order. Instead of going back to 1985 as Doc wished, Marty travels back to 1885 to bring his friend back to the future. Unfortunately Marty rips a hole in the fuel line, rendering the DeLorean immobile. Further, Doc has fallen in love with the schoolteacher Clara Clayton, and insists on staying in 1885. Marty must convince Doc to come back with him and find a way to get back to his time before it’s too late.

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly and Seamus McFly
Christopher Lloyd as Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown
Mary Steenburgen as Clara Clayton
Thomas F. Wilson as Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen and Biff Tannen
Lea Thompson as Maggie McFly and Lorraine Baines-McFly
James Tolkan as Marshal James Strickland
Elisabeth Shue as Jennifer Parker
Jeffrey Weissman as George McFly
Flea as Douglas J. Needles