I just had a thought. Is there any canon information as to Hill Valley's exact location in California? Which is the nearest large city? I don't remember them ever saying exactly where Hill Valley is.
Online sources place it in Northern California.
Doc Brown's age is another issue I'm curious about. He always looked old to me but maybe it's the hair. That can throw you.
It seems to me we could "shift" Doc's age in the opposite direction as the other characters. Every other character in the movie has three ages we see them at, 17, 47. and 77. (Well, we never see 77 year old Marty and Jennifer.)
In 1955 Marty's parents are 17. In 1985 they're 47 and in 2015 they're 77. Marty and Jennifer are 17 in 1985 and 47 in 2015.
So, I think we can apply this to Doc, in 1955 Doc is 47 and in 1985 he's 77. Coincidentally, today is Christopher Lloyd's birthday and he's.... 77! Which means he was 47 when he filmed Back to the Future and wore the old-age makeup for the 1985 sequences and his natural self for the 1955 sequences.
The "all natural overhaul" he gets in the future (Thanks, Obama!) he says added another 30 or 40 years to his life and gave him a more youthful appearance (so Lloyd wouldn't have to wear old-age makeup for the rest of the franchise) this brings "present" Doc's age -effectively- back in line with Lloyd's.
It also makes it possible for him to meet the 30/40-something Clara in 1885 and for them to have a meaningful relationship. (Though Doc is technically still kind-of a creeper marrying a woman who's actually half his age. An Old Maid to boot.
)
The only thing that kind of bugged me this time is the false drama caused as Marty races to save old Doc when he returns to 1985. He even says himself "I've got all the time I want, I have a time machine!" So, if he misses saving Doc, then he's got a whole case of plutonium with which he can pick any date prior to October 26 and warn him then.
In hindsight, yeah. But in the moment, Marty's going from emotions and isn't thinking about the case of plutonium near him, he's also thinking about the DeLorean being disabled.
I always found it interesting that Marty says he "has all of the time he wants" and only gives himself around 10 minutes. All of the time you want and that's 10 minutes? Why not go back an hour? Hell, go back a day or two and warn Doc then so he has more time to prepare? (Or, I guess, a week which seems to be the last time Marty saw Doc.)
When, I was a kid I was always a bit confused on how the DeLorean operated, particularly in BttF3 with the drama created by the DeLorean having no fuel and Doc insisting it always ran on gasoline. I'd thought that the nuclear chamber also powered the car because when Marty asks Doc is it runs on gasoline Doc says "it needs more kick, plutonium!" And when the car stalls in 1955 that's when the plutonium alert goes off.
I was never able to rationalize how the car still ran when apparently it stalled and was out of plutonium; but as an adult it just seems more like easily misinterpreted screenwriting.
The chase sequences still sort of bug me and it's not limited to this movie as it's a trope all movies use in chase sequences but it's the shifting Marty does when fleeing the Libyans and racing for the lightning bolt.
He says, "let's see if you bastards can do 90!" and then throws back the shifter and the car speeds off. Something similar happens as he races for the lightning bolt where he throws back the shifter and the car races forward.
The gear-shift isn't a "go faster" lever! Well, I guess it technically is but not in the way it's often portrayed in movies.
Really, Doc, you should have just gotten an automatic.
Fun movies, though. Man I loved them and seeing the first two with audiences last night was a blast. (I swear, the theater was more packed last night for the 30-year-old BttF2 than it was for the recent F4 movie.
I didn't want, or need to, see the third on in theaters; mostly because I wanted to be home and take care of some things before going to bed. The day was really all about the second one anyway.
) It's weird though, but I still considered the 2015 scenes "THE FUTURE" while watching them, even though technically it's "THE PRESENT"
