Back to the Future Part II

Back to the Future Part II is a 1989 American science-fiction adventure comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Bob Gale. It is the sequel to the 1985 film Back to the Future and the second installment in the Back to the Future trilogy. The film stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Thomas F. Wilson, and Lea Thompson and continues immediately following the original film. After repairing the damage to history done by his previous time travel adventures, Marty McFly (Fox) and his friend Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown(Lloyd) travel to 2015 to prevent McFly's future son from ending up imprisoned. However, their presence allows Biff Tannen (Wilson) to steal Doc's DeLorean time machine and travel to 1955, where he alters history by making his younger self wealthy.

The film was produced on a $40-million budget and was filmed back to back with its sequel, Part III. Filming began in February 1989 after two years were spent building the sets and writing the scripts. Two actors from the first film, Crispin Glover and Claudia Wells, did not return for the final two. While Elisabeth Shue was recast in the role of Wells' character, Jennifer, Glover's character, George McFly, was not only minimized in the plot, but also was obscured and recreated with another actor. Glover successfully sued both Zemeckis and Gale, changing how producers can deal with the departure and replacement of actors in a role. Back to the Future Part II was also a ground-breaking project for effects studio Industrial Light & Magic (ILM): In addition to digital compositing, ILM used the VistaGlide motion control camera system, which allowed an actor to portray multiple characters simultaneously on-screen without sacrificing camera movement.

Back to the Future Part II was released by Universal Pictures on November 22, 1989. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed over $331 million worldwide, making it the third-highest-grossing film of 1989.

Plot
On October 26, 1985, Dr. Emmett Brown arrives in the DeLorean time machine and persuades Marty McFly and his girlfriend, Jennifer Parker, to travel to the future with him, and help their future children. Biff Tannen witnesses their departure. They arrive on October 21, 2015, where Doc electronically knocks out Jennifer, and leaves her asleep in an alley, explaining that she should not have too much knowledge of future events. He has Marty pose as his own son and lookalike Marty Jr. to refuse an offer to participate in a robbery with Biff's grandson Griff, thus saving both of Marty's children from prison.

Marty switches places with Marty Jr. and refuses Griff's offer, but Griff goads Marty into a fight. Griff and his gang are arrested, saving Marty's future children. Before rejoining Doc, Marty purchases an almanac, containing the results of major sporting events from 1950 to 2000. Doc discovers it and warns Marty about attempting to profit from time travel, but before Doc can adequately dispose of it, they are interrupted by the police, who have found Jennifer incapacitated, and are taking her to her 2015 home. They pursue, as does Biff, who has overheard their conversation, and picked up the almanac that Doc discarded.

Jennifer wakes up in her 2015 home and hides from the McFly family. She overhears that her future self's life with Marty is not what she expected, due to his involvement in an automobile accident. She witnesses Marty being goaded by his co-worker, Douglas J. Needles, into a shady business deal, which leads to Marty's firing. Attempting to escape the house, Jennifer encounters her 2015 self and they both faint. While Marty and Doc attend to her, Biff steals the time machine and uses it to travel back to 1955 and give the almanac to his younger self to get rich betting, then returns to 2015. Marty, Doc, and an unconscious Jennifer return to 1985, unaware of Biff's actions.

The 1985 they return to has altered: Biff has become wealthy and corrupt, and has changed Hill Valley into a chaotic dystopia. Marty's father, George, was killed in 1973 and Biff has forced Marty's mother, Lorraine, to marry him. Doc has been committed to an insane asylum. Marty and Doc determine that the 2015 Biff took the time machine to change 1985, and Marty learns from the alternate 1985 Biff that he got the almanac on November 12, 1955. Biff attempts to confront Marty, but Marty flees and returns to 1955 with Doc, leaving Jennifer on her own front porch.

Marty secretly follows the 1955 Biff, and watches him receive the almanac from his 2015 self. Marty then follows him to the high school's dance, being careful to avoid interrupting the events from his previous visit. Marty and the 1955 Biff steal the almanac back and forth, but Marty and Doc retrieve it, until Biff crashes into a manure truck. Marty burns the almanac, reversing Biff's changes to the timeline, as Doc hovers above in the time machine. Before Marty can join him inside, the DeLorean is struck by lightning, and disappears. A Western Union courier immediately arrives and delivers a letter to Marty; it is from Doc, who explains that he was transported back to 1885. Marty races back into town to find the 1955 Doc, who had just helped the original Marty return to 1985. Shocked by Marty's sudden reappearance, Doc faints.

Cast

 * Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, Marty McFly, Jr., and Marlene McFly
 * Christopher Lloyd as Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown
 * Thomas F. Wilson as Biff Tannen and Griff Tannen
 * Lea Thompson as Lorraine Baines-McFly
 * Elisabeth Shue as Jennifer Parker
 * James Tolkan as Mr. Strickland
 * Jeffrey Weissman as George McFly
 * Crispin Glover as George McFly (archival footage)
 * Flea as Douglas J. Needles