Back to the Future Part III
Movie, 1990, The trilogy, Set in 1885
Back to the Future Part III is #3 of 4 in release order and #3 of 4 in chronological order in the Back to the Future.
The story
The final installment finds Marty digging the trusty DeLorean out of a mineshaft and looking for Doc in the Wild West of 1885. But when their time machine breaks down, the travelers are stranded in a land of spurs. More problems arise when Doc falls for pretty schoolteacher Clara Clayton, and Marty tangles with Buford Tannen.
Back to the Future Part III recap
Picking up straight after Part II, the 1955 Doc reads his own letter from 1885, saying he is happy as a blacksmith and has hidden the DeLorean in a mine for Marty to take home. But Marty finds Doc's gravestone: he was shot in the back by Buford Tannen, an outlaw known as Mad Dog, a few days after the letter was written. Marty travels to 1885 to bring him back, tearing the car's fuel line on arrival. Using the name Clint Eastwood, Marty finds Doc, and they plan to push the DeLorean to 88 miles an hour with a steam locomotive. Doc saves the new schoolteacher, Clara Clayton, from falling into a ravine, and they fall in love. Buford challenges Marty to a gunfight, and Marty has to learn to ignore being called a coward.
Back to the Future Part III ending explained
Marty refuses to be goaded into the fight, then beats Buford using a stove plate as armour, and Buford is arrested. Clara reaches the speeding train, Doc rescues her using Marty's hoverboard, and Doc stays in 1885 with her while Marty returns to 1985 and the DeLorean is destroyed by a train. Marty then avoids a car crash that would have ruined his future, and Doc arrives in a flying steam train with Clara and their sons, Jules and Verne, before flying off into time.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch Back to the Future Part III
Back to the Future Part III isn't on a US streaming service right now. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.5/10, Rotten Tomatoes 79%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Back to the Future Part II, before Back to the Future: The Animated Series.
- Chronological order: after Back to the Future Part II, before Back to the Future: The Animated Series.
What to watch before Back to the Future Part III
In release order, the essentials before Back to the Future Part III (1990) are Back to the Future (1985) and Back to the Future Part II (1989).
Cast
- Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly / Seamus McFly
- Christopher Lloyd as Doctor Emmett Brown
- Mary Steenburgen as Clara Clayton
- Thomas F. Wilson as Buford 'Mad Dog' Tannen / Biff Tannen
- Lea Thompson as Maggie McFly / Lorraine McFly
- Elisabeth Shue as Jennifer
- Matt Clark as Bartender
- Richard Dysart as Barbwire Salesman
- Pat Buttram as Saloon Old Timer
- Harry Carey Jr. as Saloon Old Timer
- Dub Taylor as Saloon Old Timer
- James Tolkan as Marshal Strickland
Directed by Robert Zemeckis.