Back to the Future Part II is part of one of the most popular trilogies in film history, yet it has a surprisingly low Rotten Tomatoes score for several reasons. Concerning the ranking of Back to the Future movies, it is safe to say that it is a near-unanimous view that the original 1985 film is the best. Where the sequels are concerned, the opinion fluctuates. Both movies are considered solid successors to the original that include iconic Back to the Future scenes for any fan to enjoy.

Nonetheless, many would agree that Back to the Future Part II and Part III are simply not as strong as their predecessor, which is part of the reason why Back to the Future 4 never happened. Despite this view that the first movie is the best, all three are often collectively regarded as one of the most consistently great trilogies in cinema history. Although this is true, it may come as a surprise to some that Back to the Future Part II has a fairly low critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, begging the question of why.

Back To The Future Part II’s Tomatometer Score Is Surprisingly Low, Given The Trilogy’s Popularity

​​​​​​Back To The Future 2 Is The Worst-Ranked In The Trilogy

As I alluded to, Back to the Future Part II‘s Rotten Tomatoes score is unexpectedly low, sitting at 63% approval rating. Admittedly, the audience rating for the second movie is much higher with a 23% gap. The audience approval rating for Back to the Future Part II is 86%, yet the fact that the movie only just scraped a “Fresh” rating from critics is incredibly surprising. The main reasons for this surprise are the overall popularity of the Back to the Future trilogy and the individual scores of the other two movies involved.

The original Back to the Future has a 93% critical rating on the website, while the third film was rated positively by 79% of critics. The score for Back to the Future Part II is clearly the worst of the three, yet Back to the Future is often noted as one of the best movie trilogies ever made. Unlike others of this ilk, like Star Wars, Toy Story, Lord of the Rings, or The Dark Knight, the Back to the Future trilogy has one movie that is regarded as notably weaker than other installments, which seems somewhat contradictory given its popularity.

What Critics Said About Back To The Future Part II Upon Release

Back To The Future 2 Had Several Drawbacks According To Critics

With Back to the Future Part II‘s shockingly low critical score in mind, it is worth exploring what critics said about it to warrant this reception. Upon the film’s initial release, perhaps the biggest criticism was that the story was too convoluted. One of the best aspects of the original Back to the Future was its simplicity, with the film taking a time-travel plot and making it easy to digest. Back to the Future Part II, however, introduced another time period, 2015, and alternate versions of the same character.

This resulted in Doc Brown having to spell out the various plot threads of the movie for the audience at one point, proving how convoluted the movie truly was. Moreover, many criticized Back to the Future Part II for being too dark at the time of its release. Lorraine being forced to marry Biff and the death of George McFly were two overly dark elements of what was, at least based on the first movie, perceived as a light-hearted, family-friendly franchise. For these reasons, as well as the film’s big cliffhanger, Back to the Future Part II‘s mixed reception became reality.

Back To The Future Part II Isn’t As Good As The Original, But It’s Not A 63% Movie

Back To The Future 2 Deserves Slightly Better

With all of this in mind, it is worth arguing that Back to the Future Part II deserves better than a 63% rating. Although it remains the case that the film is not as truly excellent as the original 1985 film is, its critical score makes it seem like an average movie at best. The threshold for a “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes is 59%, meaning the movie was almost regarded as an overall poor film based on critical aggregates. Anyone who has seen Back to the Future Part II knows this is somewhat of an injustice.

Back to the Future Part II certainly has its flaws, but the movie contains a lot of things to love. Based on the reaction to the film since its release, many would agree that it is on par with Back to the Future Part III. A critical score of around 75-80% seems fair for both Back to the Future sequels, with 63% being far too low. I suppose it is a saving grace of sorts that the trilogy as a whole is still held in high regard, and that the surprisingly low critical score of Back to the Future Part II does not mar the overall series.