Nowadays, movie studios are all about franchises, tentpoles, superheroes, and spin-offs. But there’s one groundbreaking trilogy of films that cemented their place in pop culture and won’t be receiving a big-screen remake anytime soon if the original creators have anything to say about it. Released in 1985, Back to the Future put a new spin on the concept of time travel (via DeLorean, no less) and became an instant classic. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and co-written with Bob Gale (and executive produced by Steven Spielberg), the filmmakers easily created the best movie about time travel along with a trilogy hailed as cultural touchstones.
The sequel, Back to the Future Part 2, picks up right where we left off with Marty McFly and Doc Brown. That film didn’t hit theaters until 1989, with it being shot back-to-back with Part 2I. The follow-up was met with mixed reviews upon release, but fans and critics now regard it as one of the best sequels of all time. However, which of these masterpieces is the superior viewing experience, and which one needs to make like a tree and get out the hell of here?
Just so you know, we won’t be touching on Part 3 in this video. That’s a cultural divide for another day. So grab your hoverboard, fire up the flux capacitor, and let’s see what happens when this baby hits 88 miles an hour… FACE OFF!
This episode of Face Off is written by Matthew Hacunda, narrated by Dave Davis, and edited by Matthew Hacunda. But don’t let us have the final word — tell us in the comments which time-traveling adventure is your pick — Back to the Future or Back to the Future Part 2!