Money talks, especially in Hollywood. While he always wanted to expand on the storyline to his humongous hit film Back to the Future, Robert Zemeckis never thought he'd get the chance. Tinseltown is so tenuous in its recognition and rewards that even the most important player can suffer from "what have you done for me lately" syndrome. Luckily, the original time travel treat was a massive box office draw -- so much so that Zemeckis was allowed the unusual option of making two sequels (thus completing a turnstile twisting trilogy) at the same time. As they say, it's impossible to capture lightning in a bottle, let alone twice. Zemeckis tried with Back to the Future Part II, and he almost succeeded.

At the end of the first film, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) warns Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and his girlfriend Jennifer (Elizabeth Shue) that they need to travel to 2015. Seems their children are in trouble, and the wacky scientist has a plan to save them. Once they arrive in the future, our hero is heartbroken to learn that he's an ineffectual loser, while his son is hanging out with a gang run by the grandson of Biff Tanner (Thomas F. Wilson). Thwarting a planned crime, Marty makes a mistake which allows the aging bully to change the past. Now, Biff is a big shot married to Marty's mom (Lea Thompsons) and controlling a corrupt gambling empire. With the doc's help, he must go back to the '50s and straighten things out once again.

The original Back to the Future film was such a brilliant piece of controlled scripting and clockwork direction that any return to the material had to pale in comparison. Luckily, Zemeckis and his crew decided that the best way to expand on the story would be to meld some fascinating future shock with a return to the previous narrative's school dance escapades. Even without the input of Crispin Glover (who failed to come back), the '50s events still shimmer with a kind of puzzle box perfection. It's the modern facets that may flummox and underwhelm some fans, as Zemeckis adds in lots of tech speculation to the mix. Some of its works (the hover skateboards), some of it doesn't (the mega-TVs with multiple channels and interactivity is now incredibly dated). Even with its post-millennial prophesying, the look and feel of the film is locked in the '80s.

Thankfully, the performances push us past some of the weaker elements. Especially noteworthy is Wilson, who's take on Biff Tanner (in all of his various era-specific guises) continues to categorize him as Back to the Future's most valuable performance player. We so totally believe in this villain, hissing and hating him, that we wonder if there's any sympathy to be found beyond the bad attitude. Luckily, Wilson tempers his evil with just enough dopey drive that we kind of feel sorry for the big lug. As usual, Fox makes Marty a loveable hero, accomplished enough to succeed while bumbling enough to keep us on the edge of our seat. Zemeckis' great feat here is creating a time travel comedy that's also a soaring suspense filled thriller. While Part II can't match the original's electricity, its interwoven plotline wins us over.

Indeed, in retrospect, the best thing about Back to the Future Part II is how Zemeckis, Gale, and the rest of the behind the scenes strategists effortlessly combine the first film with its sequel. In fact, this is more of a "continuance" that a real attempt to take the material in a different direction. As he would later learn with Part III, staying closer to your narrative roots works much better than branching out beyond the concept's ability to support itself. Back to the Future Part II definitely proves this.