Author Topic: Major plot holes in Back to the Future trilogy.  (Read 4894 times)

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Major plot holes in Back to the Future trilogy.
« on: July 23, 2016, 12:35:23 AM »

Offline Eja117

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It suddenly occurs to me.....once Biff creates the alternate time line, not only should he not be able to return to original 2015, but original 2015 (where Doc and Marty are) should disappear completely and in alternate 1985 Doc and Marty should think everything is normal and be completely unaware that anything even happened.

This is by no means the only major plot hole (YOU can't just LEAVE Jennifer on a porch in alternate 1985! Wait. Can you?), but it seems the most egregious.

Re: Major plot holes in Back to the Future trilogy.
« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2016, 12:44:58 AM »

Offline Eja117

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In fact....once Biff creates the alternate timeline....it seems....Old Biff himself should disappear thereby making it impossible to even steal the Delorian in the future in the first place thereby making creation of the alternate timeline impossible anyway

Re: Major plot holes in Back to the Future trilogy.
« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2016, 12:47:57 AM »

Offline Csfan1984

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There are so many weird theories about time travel and continuity resulting from time travel. So hard to pin point what exactly can or cannot happen. They can easily explain those current holes by claiming changes on how they time traveled effected the reality and time for which they went to.

Re: Major plot holes in Back to the Future trilogy.
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2016, 12:52:07 AM »

Offline Eja117

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Doc explains it's legit to leave Jennifer in alternate 1985 because they will return to right before they even take her back in original 1985 so she won't have to go anywhere and everything will work out. Because he went to 1985 to tell Marty and Jenn their kids needed help in the future so once they get helped the whole trip will be unnecessary. Which is fine, except if they go back to right before they leave there will be 2 of everyone and they'll all be looking at each other and they'll create like an infinite loop

Re: Major plot holes in Back to the Future trilogy.
« Reply #4 on: July 23, 2016, 03:03:29 AM »

Offline LilRip

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this is why i'm generally not a fan of time travel in stories. I would assume the plot holes are potentially endless, if you really try to break things down. i think the only way to really explain stuff away (from a logical standpoint, at least) is to use alternate realities. Otherwise, the plot really calls for a suspension of belief where we just need take things for what they are.
- LilRip

Re: Major plot holes in Back to the Future trilogy.
« Reply #5 on: July 23, 2016, 03:21:22 AM »

Offline Beat LA

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Forget the plot holes - why did they ever make the third movie?  It's the same thing with Beverly Hills Cop, imo, and now it looks like Eddie Murphy is trying to make the fourth installment in the series.  Just, why, lol ;D? He can't possibly need the money, right?  It's like these directors and movie executives, etc., don't know when to quit while they're ahead, turning every series into a Land Before Time setup, like Rambo 4 - Escape from the Senior Center, lol ;D. Ugh.

Re: Major plot holes in Back to the Future trilogy.
« Reply #6 on: July 23, 2016, 03:46:11 AM »

Offline Neurotic Guy

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There's a Back to the Future 3?

Re: Major plot holes in Back to the Future trilogy.
« Reply #7 on: July 23, 2016, 03:51:08 AM »

Offline LarBrd33

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It suddenly occurs to me.....once Biff creates the alternate time line, not only should he not be able to return to original 2015, but original 2015 (where Doc and Marty are) should disappear completely and in alternate 1985 Doc and Marty should think everything is normal and be completely unaware that anything even happened.

This is by no means the only major plot hole (YOU can't just LEAVE Jennifer on a porch in alternate 1985! Wait. Can you?), but it seems the most egregious.
Eja, the movie's take on time travel is a little different.  Change doesn't happen immediately.  Hence in BTTF1 when Marty starts disappearing gradually.  Technically, him meddling with his father's meeting of his mother should have instantly made him disappear, but then they wouldn't have much of a movie... so there's time to resolve the issue before Marty vanishes.   There's been a bunch of essays, articles, wikis, etc dedicated to the BTTF timelines.  Here's one:  http://backtothefuture.wikia.com/wiki/Back_to_the_Future_timeline

But basically...  Timeline 3, Doc and Marty travel to 2015.   2015 old man loser Biff goes back to 1955 to give his younger self an almanac... thus causing a ripple effect with a second timeline.   When Doc and Marty travel back in time to 1985, you're right in that technically they should be immediately gone from existence.  In-fact, when they arrive in 1985, they learn that Doc is dead.  By the movie's time travel logic you can assume that they would both start to vanish from existence if they didn't immediately go back to 1955 to fix the splinter timeline.   So they go backwards to 1955 to fix things. 

Side note:  I met Thomas Wilson (actor who played Biff) last year and saw him do some stand-up.  He was surprisingly very talented.  A song and dance man.  Pretty versatile.   You can tell he doesn't love being known for one thing... but it's amazing how much he looks like 2015 Biff. 

Re: Major plot holes in Back to the Future trilogy.
« Reply #8 on: July 23, 2016, 08:28:04 AM »

Offline Eja117

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After Biff gives the book to Biff he goes back to the single worst place....the moment he leaves thereby allowing Doc and Marty to thwart him. He should have gone to the year 7000 and yelled "I need a hospital" then after getting medical help he's got a time machine. He could go back to 2000 and ask alternate Biff for some money then go wherever he wants

Re: Major plot holes in Back to the Future trilogy.
« Reply #9 on: July 23, 2016, 08:32:52 AM »

Offline arctic 3.0

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It suddenly occurs to me.....once Biff creates the alternate time line, not only should he not be able to return to original 2015, but original 2015 (where Doc and Marty are) should disappear completely and in alternate 1985 Doc and Marty should think everything is normal and be completely unaware that anything even happened.

This is by no means the only major plot hole (YOU can't just LEAVE Jennifer on a porch in alternate 1985! Wait. Can you?), but it seems the most egregious.

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Re: Major plot holes in Back to the Future trilogy.
« Reply #10 on: July 23, 2016, 09:05:10 AM »

Offline Eja117

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I think the time travel in Harry Potter worked way better

Re: Major plot holes in Back to the Future trilogy.
« Reply #11 on: July 23, 2016, 09:13:52 AM »

Offline Snakehead

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Don't pick apart time travel movies.
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Re: Major plot holes in Back to the Future trilogy.
« Reply #12 on: July 23, 2016, 09:51:30 AM »

Online bdm860

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Side note:  I met Thomas Wilson (actor who played Biff) last year and saw him do some stand-up.  He was surprisingly very talented.  A song and dance man.  Pretty versatile.   You can tell he doesn't love being known for one thing... but it's amazing how much he looks like 2015 Biff.

The question song Biff does in his stand up is pretty good, if you haven't heard it before give it a listen.

https://youtu.be/WmjYimspW-4

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Re: Major plot holes in Back to the Future trilogy.
« Reply #13 on: July 23, 2016, 10:06:52 AM »

Offline go11celtics

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I think the time travel in Harry Potter worked way better

Actually there's a problem with Harry Potter too. We see an endless loop, however it couldn't possibly have started like that. How could Harry have saved himself if he died before he had the chance to go back in time? Obviously something different happened the first time around, yet that is never shown.

Re: Major plot holes in Back to the Future trilogy.
« Reply #14 on: July 23, 2016, 10:35:38 AM »

Offline Eja117

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I think the time travel in Harry Potter worked way better

Actually there's a problem with Harry Potter too. We see an endless loop, however it couldn't possibly have started like that. How could Harry have saved himself if he died before he had the chance to go back in time? Obviously something different happened the first time around, yet that is never shown.
I was talking about when they saved Buckbeak