'Masterpiece' film part of 'greatest trilogy ever made' now streaming for free

A beloved action film that viewers find themselves returning to time and again is now available to stream without charge this weekend. Back to the Future Part II, the sequel to the cinematic masterpiece Back to Future, can now be watched on BBC iPlayer.

The movie, which enthusiasts claim has left "a huge mark on pop culture", continues to be praised as a "masterpiece" despite its flaws. Under the direction of Robert Zemeckis, the original Back to the Future debuted in 1985, with its sequels arriving in 1989 and 1990 respectively.

The second instalment follows schoolboy Marty (Michael J Fox) and quirky scientist Doc (Christopher Lloyd) as they once again board the DeLorean for a journey through time, desperately trying to restore 1985 and their lives to normality.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the plot unfolds as follows: "In this zany sequel, time-traveling duo Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown return from saving Marty's future son from disaster, only to discover their own time transformed.

"In this nightmarish version of Hill Valley, Marty's father has been murdered and Biff Tannen, Marty's nemesis, has profited.

"After uncovering the secret to Biff's success - a sports almanac from the future - Marty and the Doc embark on a quest to repair the space-time continuum."

Whilst the follow-up earned just a 64% fresh rating from critics, viewers awarded it a significantly higher 86% approval rating, reports the Express.

This falls short of the original film's impressive 93% critics score and 95% audience approval.

Fans have been effusive in their praise for the film, with one declaring: "Back to the Future (any of them) are certifiable masterpieces!"

Another fan expressed their delight, writing: "One of my all-time favourite films, and it was so awesome seeing it in theatres again."

A third admirer shared their thoughts, adding: "An awesome sequel, part of one of the greatest trilogies ever made."

Critics have also shared their positive takes, with CBR's David Reddish noting: "Back to the Future Part II left the biggest mark on popular culture, sparking imagination and inspiring more adventure."

He further observed: "Whatever its flaws or negativity it inspired from fans of the first movie, it remains the defining entry in the series."

Hannah Rose from the same publication highlighted an often-overlooked aspect, writing: "One of the greatest and subtlest selling points of Back to the Future was its cuteness."

She elaborated: "It might be odd, even trivial, to call a big-budget, epic sci-fi film cute, but this is an accurate description."

David Jenkins from Little White Lies offered a succinct verdict, simplying putting: "Imperfect, but very lovable."

While Ira Robbins of Entertainment Weekly described the experience as "another fantastic voyage in a thoroughly entertaining contraption".

Richard Schickel of TIME Magazine also found much to admire, commenting: "Satirically acute, intricately structured and deftly paced, it is at heart stout, good and untainted by easy sentiment."

However, not everyone was impressed, as highlighted by Variety's critique, which read: "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."

Jonathan Rosenbaum from the Chicago Reader also had his reservations, stating: "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)."

Back to the Future Part II is available to stream on BBC iPlayer from Saturday, August 2.