Back to the Future Part II 1989

Dave Kehr, Chicago Tribune: Glum, claustrophobic and often oppressive. Read more

Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune: A surprisingly oppressive, rapid-fire, noisy, gadget-filled action picture lacking the emotion of the original film. Read more

Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel: The most important point is that the new film is fun. Read more

Desmond Ryan, Philadelphia Inquirer: Fans of the original should relish going back to Back to the Future. Read more

Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine: Satirically acute, intricately structured and deftly paced, it is at heart stout, good and untainted by easy sentiment. Read more

Janet Maslin, New York Times: It manages to be giddily and merrily mind-boggling rather than confusing. Read more

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader: By the end, you may feel that you've just sat through a feature-length commercial for both part one (which has to be seen to make this sequel comprehensible) and part three (a trailer for it literally ends part two). Read more

Ira Robbins, Entertainment Weekly: Another fantastic voyage in a thoroughly entertaining contraption. Read more

Mike McGrady, Newsday: While the funny-bone is being gently tickled, the eye is constantly diverted. Unfortunately, and I find this true of every Zemeckis movie, neither the mind nor the heart is ever fully engaged. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: The movie is fun, mostly because it's so screwy. Read more

Geoff Andrew, Time Out: It's impressive entertainment, and best of all, it never degenerates into Spielbergian sentimentality: you can laugh, be thrilled and think without feeling embarrassed. Read more

Variety Staff, Variety: Zemeckis' fascination with having characters interact at different ages of their lives hurts the film visually, and strains credibility past the breaking point, by forcing him to rely on some very cheesy makeup designs. Read more

Rita Kempley, Washington Post: The latest must-see, peer pressure, carve the logo on your head, designer blue jean experience. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: Cleverly plotted, but commercially overloaded. Read more