In 1990, the best movies of all time, ever since it was released in 1985. Not only is the original film widely regarded as a classic, its two sequels have also been heavily praised in the decades since they were released. The quality of the Back to the Future franchise is so high that it even avoided a very common problem sequels often run into.

There are very few sequels that can live up to the movie they're following, and even fewer sequels are more famous than the original film. While Back to the Future's sequels didn't manage to outshine the original, they did manage to beat several other notable franchises. In fact, Back to the Future's sequels are notable in their own right, both for being filmed back-to-back, and for making a combined worldwide box office total of over $400 million (via Box Office Mojo). One of their most impressive feats, however, was avoiding the "third movie curse."

Back To The Future Part III Avoided The “Third Movie Curse”

Most Third Movies Are Lackluster, But Not Back To The Future Part III

For most trilogies and franchises, by the time the third installment comes around, the narrative has run out of steam. Whatever magic the first film had usually disappears, and the third movie is, more often than not, considered the worst of the bunch. There are plenty of examples: Alien 3 is nowhere near as iconic as Alien, The Matrix Revolutions is serviceable, but not nearly the sensation the original was, and Jaws III is laughably bad when compared to Steven Spielberg's original. It's such a common occurrence that it's often referred to as the "third movie curse," yet Back to the Future didn't succumb to it.

In fact, Back to the Future Part III isn't just one of the few movies to break the third movie curse, it's one of the better third movies out there. It's filled with humor, suspense, and action, and it perfectly understands the characters. Back to the Future Part III even manages to expand upon already-iconic characters by showing how Marty solved his problem with being called a chicken and how Doc found love. On top of that, Back to the Future Part III even has a better Rotten Tomatoes critics score than the second installment did: 81%, compared to Part II's 63%.

Back To The Future Part III Being Great Confirmed The Franchise’s Iconic Status

Back To The Future III Proved The Franchise Had Enough Great Material For An Entire Trilogy

The original Back to the Future was an instant classic, but the franchise wasn't always guaranteed to follow suit. There are plenty of iconic movies whose sequels fail to live up to the original - Jaws, Robocop, and Psycho are prime examples - but there are far fewer who maintain such a high quality that the entire franchise is considered great. Back to the Future and its sequel were great movies, but Back to the Future Part III solidified the entire franchise as a classic. The third installment took the series over the finish line and gave it an ending that was just as good as its beginning.

Back To The Future Part III Didn’t Even Need To Happen But Was Worth It

Either The Original Or Back To The Future Part II Would Have Been Great Endings To The Series

Perhaps the most impressive part of how good Back to the Future III was, however, is that it wasn't entirely necessary. If Back to the Future Part II had decided to simply end and not lead directly into a sequel, the franchise would still be regarded as a classic. Even if the original Back to the Future hadn't been continued at all, it would be just as iconic as a standalone film. By all s, Back to the Future Part III was a gamble, one that could have ruined the legacy of the previous films, but it paid off in dividends.

Back to the Future Part III pushed the envelope when it really didn't need to, but it ended up putting a bow on the entire series. Everything about it worked, and every new avenue it explored and new character decision it made just felt natural and right. Even though Part III found success by extending the franchise further than it needed to, it's probably for the best that Back to the Future 4 never happened. It's really impressive that the third film in the Back to the Future trilogy was able to provide such a perfect ending.

Sources: Box Office Mojo, Rotten Tomatoes