Back to the Future Part III (1990) Review: Johnny Spoiler on the Western Finale That Quietly Nailed the Landing
I’ve been trying to write this intro for three hours.
Not because it’s hard.
Because writing always gets harder when something in the background keeps whispering, “Why bother?”
So naturally, instead of spiraling, I did what any emotionally stable person does:
I went down a rabbit hole about a deleted scene from Rambo: First Blood.
That’s where my head is at right now.
The entire planet is locked into football playoffs, Super Bowl conspiracies, and whether the fix is already in. And look, I get it. I’ve yelled at televisions. I’ve nodded along with Reddit threads. I don’t have proof the Super Bowl is rigged, but I do have a gut feeling they already know who’s winning before the season starts.
And unless your show is about who’s winning, who already won, who’s losing so hard it somehow counts as winning, or which crime might be attached to a championship ring, most people are checked out.
But not all of us.
Some of us are still here.
Still chasing movies.
Still chasing sequels.
Still chasing the strange little cinematic moments that hit harder than a halftime pyrotechnics malfunction.
This episode is for those people.
The Movie of the Week: Back to the Future Part III (1990)
Back to the Future Part III is the final chapter in Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale’s legendary trilogy, and it might be the most misunderstood of the three.
Picking up directly after Part II, Marty McFly finds himself stranded in 1955, only to learn that Doc Brown has been living in 1885—and was murdered shortly after sending his now-famous letter. With no fuel for the DeLorean and no easy way home, Marty heads to the Old West to save his friend before history locks into place.
What follows isn’t a tech-heavy sci-fi scramble. It’s a Western. A character piece. A love story. And a surprisingly emotional goodbye.
Starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, and Mary Steenburgen, Back to the Future Part III trades hoverboards and dystopian futures for steam trains, revolvers, Monument Valley vistas, and the ticking clock of mortality.
Why Part III Feels Different (And Why That’s the Point)
Where Back to the Future is a near-perfect masterpiece and Part II is a frantic, timeline-juggling anxiety dream, Part III slows down.
That’s not a flaw. That’s the design.
Tonal Shift:
Part III abandons the dark, convoluted timeline chaos of Part II in favor of something simpler, sweeter, and more deliberate.Character Focus:
For the first time in the trilogy, Doc Brown becomes the emotional center. His greatest problem isn’t science. It’s falling in love with Clara Clayton.Genre Love Letter:
This film is packed with homages to classic Westerns, from John Ford compositions to Sergio Leone references, right down to Marty’s officially sanctioned “Clint Eastwood” alias.
This isn’t about fixing the future anymore.
It’s about choosing how to live.
Western Homages, Easter Eggs, and Deep Cuts
Back to the Future Part III is absolutely loaded with details casual viewers miss:
Marty’s cast-iron stove door bulletproof vest directly mirrors A Fistful of Dollars
The DeLorean being pulled by horses mirrors Stagecoach (1939)
The ravine’s name evolves from Clayton Ravine to Eastwood Ravine, completing a long-running butterfly effect
Doc’s cowboy shirt features atomic symbols, proving he never stopped being a scientist
ZZ Top appears as an Old West festival band playing an acoustic version of Doubleback
Even the climactic train sequence was filmed in reverse to protect Michael J. Fox, then flipped in post-production to sell the illusion.
This movie rewards attention.
Reception, Legacy, and the “Weakest Sequel” Myth
At the time of release, Back to the Future Part III earned less than its predecessors and was often labeled the “weakest” entry.
And yet…
Critics praised its heart and closure
Fans increasingly recognize its emotional payoff
Rotten Tomatoes currently lists it at 79%, with consensus calling it a satisfying conclusion
Over time, Part III has quietly become many fans’ favorite—not because it’s the flashiest, but because it actually ends the story.
No sequel bait.
No open threads.
Just resolution.
Johnny Spoiler’s Verdict: BINGE NOW
This one’s a BINGE NOW—with an asterisk.
You have to watch the entire trilogy.
Seventy years of time travel.
Fifteen trips.
Four DeLoreans existing simultaneously in 1955 at one point.
By the time that time train disappears into the distance, this movie earns its goodbye.
And yes, over time, Part III has emerged as my favorite entry in the series.
Will There Ever Be a Back to the Future Part IV?
Zemeckis and Gale have been firm: no official Back to the Future Part IV.
But fans haven’t stopped imagining:
A next-generation story with Doc’s sons, Jules and Verne
A “Cobra Kai” style legacy sequel
A found DeLorean reboot
Or the one I keep coming back to…
Because how do we know all he did was steal an almanac?
Closing Time in Hill Valley
This episode closes the same way the trilogy does:
With acceptance.
With nostalgia.
With one last look at the tracks behind us.
“Closing Time” isn’t just a bar anthem.
It’s a reminder that endings matter.
You don’t have to go home.
But you can’t stay here.
And sometimes, the best way to honor the future…
Is knowing when to let the story end.
— Johnny Spoiler
