40th Anniversary Lookback at The Return of the Jedi

 

This used to be my favorite Star Wars movie. Yes you heard me correctly, but as a kid though. The reason for this was very simple. When I was young, I didn't like Empire Strikes Back as much as I do now. Luke lost his hand, and we lost Han to the bounty hunter Boba Fett. Empire was a dark entry into the original trilogy that left us fans hanging and wanting more. It's only with age have I been able to fully appreciate how magnificent Empire was. It had so much depth and layers to the story.

Enter Return of the Jedi  the penultimate episode in the George Lucas's Star Wars saga. This story was more straight forward. The good guys triumph over the evil empire, and Darth Vader is redeemed by the protagonist, and his son Luke Skywalker. In my opinion, this was the perfect end to the Skywalker saga. No need for sequels to this completed story arc. And since 2023 is the 40th anniversary of this flick, what better time than now for me to discuss this movie? Well let's jump right into it. I will first cover some facts and discuss my thoughts about the original theatrical release versus the special edition, and the Blu-ray release. Yes there are several versions of the movie.

For hard-core Star Wars fan's, you would probably remember that the movie was originally supposed to be called Revenge of the Jedi. There were posters and even toys with backing cards using the Revenge moniker. George Lucas changed Revenge to Return at the last minute as he felt like jedis do not take Revenge. This change in title would also have the added benefit for George's prequel movies, seeing how episode III would be titled Revenge of the Sith.

As for the final cut of the movie we got in 1983, several scenes were also cut from the movie. The more memorable ones that I wish had made it into the final cut include the scene in a cave on Tatooine where Luke puts together his green bladed lighsabre and hides it in R2, and the sandstorm scene that sees our heroes make their way to the Falcon.

Then there is the debacle that drove a wedge between George Lucas and the OG Star Wars fan's. George made numerous changes to 'improve' on the original release of the movie. I could write a multi page essay extolling why the original release should be left alone and not altered in any way. George felt that he couldn't achieve the vision he had for the movies with the technology at that time. When VFX tools finally caught up, George went back to the three original movies, reworked, added some scenes, and re-released them in theaters as the special editions. Star Wars received the most extensive additions, while Empire received the least, a testament to how perfect the final product was. I personally didn't mind the modifications to both of the mentioned as the scenes did add to the enjoyment of the films. The same cannot be said for Return.

I took particular offense to the Jabba throne room sing and dance number featuring close ups of some aliens I didn't care for, or the new song. Give me Lapti Nek anyday. I had the issue with George getting rid of the ewok celebration song Yub Nub right at the end of the movie as well. Did not like the ' elevator music' we got as replacement. And what's with replacing Sebastian Shaw with Hayden Christensen? We so didn't appreciate that swap. And George didn't help the situation by refusing to release the original theatrical version of the movie. Fans have resorted to scanning and restoring these from old film reels. In fact that is the only way to see these three classics in their full unaltered glory. Kudos to these dedicated fan. The last release of these versions were a low resolution copy of the Laser Disc release!

And with all that griping, here is my unadulterated recap of the original 1983 theatrical release of Return of the Jedi. The movie brings back our crew of heroes. In Empire Luke struck out on his own after the events on Hoth to train with Jedi Master Yoda. Han, Leia, Chewbacca and C3PO escape from the Imperial fleet, but are later ambushed at Bespin, and Han is frozen in Carbonite and given to vile gangster Jabba the Hutt.

The movie opens with the revelation that the empire has started construction on a new Death Star. Darth Vader personally travels to the Death Star to oversee it's completion. Meanwhile on Tatooine, R2D2 and C3PO make their way across a desolate landscape towards a foreboding metal gate. They have been sent by Luke Skywalker as a token of goodwill to Jabba the Hutt. The plan is to infiltrate Jabba's palace to rescue Han Solo. Leia, disguised as bounty hunter Boussh brings in Chewbacca in an attempt to gain access to Han. She successfully releases Han from his carbon freezing prison, but is captured in the process and made a slave to Jabba. Luke has to make an appearance to try and bargain for Han's life. Jabba tries to kill Luke instead by dropping Luke into the rancor pit. Luke makes quick work of the rancor, enraging Jabba even further. Jabba decrees that our heroes are to be brought to the Dune Sea and cast into the Pit of Carkoon, the resting place of the Sarlacc. With the force as an ally, and with the help of a semi blind Han, Lando disguised as a skiff guard, and Chewbacca, Luke dispatches the guards on the skiffs and on the main deck of Jabba's sail barge. As for Jabba himself, he is choked to death by the very chain he used to enslave Princess Leia. Our heroes escape after blowing Jabba's Khettana to smithereens.

The second act sees Luke travel back to the swamp planet Dagobah to complete his Jedi training. He is saddened to discover that Yoda has fallen ill and is on his death bed. Yoda reveals to Luke that his training was complete save one fact, he was not ready for the burden of learning that Darth Vader was in fact Anakin Skywalker his father. Yoda also mentions to Luke that there is another Skywalker before  becoming one with the force. Luke struggles with his feelings as Obi-Wan appears to comfort him. He reveals to Luke that he had a twin sister. Luke senses that Leia is his sister and Obi-Wan confirms his feelings. Luke then regroups with the others as they plan their assault on the Death Star. In order to gain access to the Death Star, they will have to deactivate the force field beamed from the forest moon of Endor. The rebels assemble a strike force to take down the shield, led by General Solo. Lando leads the strike on the Death Star. The heroes then depart for Endor in a stolen Imperial shuttle.

The Endor strike team land in a forest clearing and spot some Imperials. Han's clumsy approach accidentally alert the Imperial scout Troopers. Luke and Leia give chase and although successful, they are separated. Luke is able to reunite with Han and the rest. Leia is rescued by Wicket, a teddy bear like creature called ewoks. The rebels later fall into a trap set by the ewok tribe. When they spy 3PO among the group, they fall to their knees in reverence. They are convinced C3PO is a god, and Luke uses this to free them. They are reunited with Leia. The ewoks join the rebels in their fight to take down the deflector shield after listening to 3PO's tale about their escapades with the empire. Luke reveals to Leia the truth that she is his twin sister, and that Vader is their father before surrendering to Vader. He believes there is still good in him, and that he can save him. After Luke's departure, Han and company begin planning their assault.

With the help of the ewoks, Han manages to gain access to the base. However it is revealed that Emperor Palpatine had anticipated this and set a trap for them. We then see Han and the rebels captured, as the rebel fleet, led by General Calrissian and Admiral Ackbar come out of hyperspace. The rebel fleet is stunned when the Death Star fires upon them. To buy Han and company more time, Lando moves the rebel fleet closer to the Star Destroyers. Han and the rebels are freed by the ewoks and successfully blow up the shield generator. Lando then leads a squadron of rebel star fighters to the core of the Death Star. Meanwhile on the Death Star itself, Vader brings Luke before his master, Emperor Palpatine. The Emperor is successful in goading Luke to embrace his anger and fight his father. Luke, with the dark side as his ally overpowers Vader and chops off his hand. Luke then realizes what he has done and stops. An enraged Emperor Palpatine unleashes his full fury on Luke, bathing him in sith lightning. Just when he is about to strike the final blow, Luke's faith in his father is repaid. Vader absorbs the killing blows and hurtles Palpatine to his doom! Luke has to then half drags carries his redeemed father to a shuttle. In a final touching moment father and son come face to face for the last time. Luke takes off just as Lando fires the shot that takes out the Death Star.

The Wacky World of Cosplay

 

A staple of comic and anime conventions, Cosplay, or costume play has seen an explosion in the past few years. From casual fans like mua and my daughter, who buy our costumes to some of the professional Cosplayers who make a living from their art, Cosplay has become an integral part of the geek culture. Indeed it's increased prominence and popularity has propelled some of the more popular Cosplayers into the celebrity stratosphere. I'm sure all you Cosplay fan's would have seen the TV show, Heroes of Cosplay. Below are a discussion of the two main stars of this show, as well other Cosplayers of whom I have personally met and befriended through the many cons I have attended throughout the years..

Probably the most popular and well known cosplayer to grace local as well as international cons, Yaya Han was featured prominently in Heroes of Cosplay, and is regarded by many as the queen of Cosplay. Yaya developed her own textile and product line, in collaboration with her partner Brian Boling to support the cosplay community. This super talented Cosplayer makes her own props and costumes and is largely regarded as one of the pioneers of Cosplay. She is busy these days jetting around the globe as a competition judge and sharing her experience in the creation of her different personas in convention panels. She is also extremely approachable and enthusiastic about Cosplay. We shared some highly informative discussions on Cosplay and geekdom at cons in SoCal.

Another big name in the world of Cosplay is American Kiwi Jessica Nigri. She was featured along side Yaya Han in the TV series Heroes of Cosplay. She was discovered by scouts at a San Diego Comic Con where she did her own take on Pikachu. Jessica has a knack for putting her own sexy spin on cute and gender bent Cosplays. She is best known for her quirky personality and sexy costumes, makes all her props and costumes from scratch and is highly sought after by gaming companies to promote their wares. Jessica gives back to the community by uploading extensively detailed how to behind the scenes YouTube videos detailing how she brings her creations to life. She even details the intricacies of working with worbla, a heat malleable thermoplastic, as well as other materials used in crafting weapons and body armor. Her video series are a great resource for DIY Cosplayers. She also has an insane number of dedicated followers on Instagram.

And talking about representation, there are so many excellent Asian American Cosplayers . Close to home, as is San Jose, we have Cosplayer Linda Le, better known as Vampy Bit Me . Vampy has a sizable Instagram following and uses her platform to review games, as well as Gundam kits and such. She is most well known for her X-MEN Psylocke Cosplay, as well as for her One Piece Nico Robin. She is also in demand as a judge and as a brand ambassador. Another well known Cosplay judge and comic book reviewer is Animia. She also has an impressive Instagram and YouTube channel and crafts her own costumes and was very generous with her time with me and my daughter, who dressed up as Jedi Rey. We spent a good part of the afternoon picking her brain! She is Asian and hails from Atlanta, Georgia.

That said I would like to shine the spotlight on some of my close friends who happened to be amazing Cosplayers, Reel Guise David Schowman and his husband Paul Baum. I first met David and Paul at Stan Lee's Comikaze, where they were Cosplaying Rick Grimes and a zombiefied Shane Walsh. We would later meet up again at Walker Stalker Con in San Francisco. David also does one mean Dragpool Cosplay and happens to be a swell human being. Through Reel Guise, I met Macy Thompson, another NorCal resident and versatile Cosplayer. I would become close friends with Macy and her family. The Reel Guise folks are fantastic people.

Some other familiar faces at cons that I would befriend include Hugh Jackman look alike Lonstermash, who does a mean Wolverine and Rocky Cosplay, and Jacqueline Groehner who embodies the very essence of Sara Pezzini's Witchblade. They are some of the more outstanding Cosplayers to look out for if you attend cons in the California. Overall I am really enjoying the popularity that Cosplay is currently encountering. It adds a new dimension to cons and gives it that more immersive feel. It gives more creative fans an outlet to express their love for pop culture regardless of creed or religion. And the best of all is that anyone can participate without any prejudice.

What the hell is happening to The Mandalorian? They have lost the way. SPOILERS FOR SEASON 3 FINALE

 

This is NOT the way! Yeah you heard that right. This is NOT the way. How did the Mandalorian fall this far from grace. I felt compelled to write this piece after ' suffering' through the turd of the episode that was episode 8. What was Favreau and filoni thinking when penning this story? While I am fine with the overall arc of Katie Sackhoff's Bo Katan Kryze  regaining her faith and stepping up to lead both factions of Mandalorian's, I can't help but feel Din Djarin and Grogu have been sidelined. And with only two episodes left of a short eight episode season, and with three squandered episodes which do little to advance the main story (the silly first episode with the IG11 resurrection, the third episodes emphasis on Dr Pershing, or the latest episode with some totally unstarwarsy celebrity cameos) I am not sure how this season is going to pull itself out of the muck. There are some great episodes scattered throughout, but on the whole, season three has been severely lacking in the writing department. Have they dropped the ball? Only time will tell. Check back again in two weeks for my final thoughts on this season.

Conclusions And takeaways 

So episode 8 of season 3 just aired. The last two episodes managed to salvage some decent arcs from what was a mostly empty and lackluster season, where Din and Grogu got sidelined for a good part of the time. The main protagonist, it seemed was Bo Katan Kryze and how she regains her faith after taking Din Djarin to the living waters beneath Mandalore, and seeing a living Mythosaur while saving Din. We follow her story arc as she is accepted into Din's tribe, and is recognized as the mandalorian to unite all the tribes by the Armorer. She gets to show the tribe that she is fully capable by leading them to save a foundling from a raptor, and later an assault on the Pirates, who attacks Nevarro. The final two episodes see a reunited Mandalorian tribe go up against Moff Gideon's beskar armor equipped Troopers as they act to reclaim Mandalore. In between the main arcs, we see Din get captured by Moff Gideon. He is saved by Grogu, and Bo Katan. They ultimately discover that Gideon has been cloning himself, and attempting to imbue his clones with the force using Grogu's blood. The season ends with Gideon defeated, Mandalore reclaimed, and Din Djarin adopting Grogu as his own so he can start training his ' apprentice'.

So have my feelings changed after watching the last two episodes? Not in the least bit. This season was all over the place, and reminded me a lot of the Book of Boba Fett, with too many side stories that derailed the forward momentum achieved every time we had something important happen. The side stories with Dr Pershing, and Jack Black's Bombardier were given way too much time, time that could be used to focus more on the shadow council, Grand Admiral Thawn's impending return, or even on Moff Gideon's secret base near the great forge on Mandalore. Some have theorized that Jon Favreau was forced to rewrite a good chunk of the script following the firing of Gina Carano. Cara Dune was supposed to play a huge role in the Mandoverse, and was to get her own series Rangers of the New Republic. I am inclined to believe this theory. Now that this story arc has been resolved, maybe, just maybe we can recapture the original 'Lone wolf and cub' spirit that worked so well in season 1 and 2. Only time will tell!

NOTE: all images used herein belong to Lucasfilm 

Chinese cinema classics : Tai Chi Master

 

Tripping down memory lane with Jet Li's finest movies is a very rewarding experience. There are so many excellent ones to choose from. I must confess that I became a huge fan after watching Jet in Shaolin Temple. He would go on to star in a myriad of movies, playing folk heroes Wong Fei Hong, Fong Sai Yuk, Chan Zhan and Fok Yun Kup. The ones I've highlight so far have been my favorites from the 'the golden era' of Jet Li's career. He will always be numero uno in my book, no small feat considering how he has to contend with my childhood hero Jackie Chan.

The reason I chose this movie was for the sheer exhilaration in seeing Jet flex his comedic chops after he loses his mind midway through the flick. Seeing him play off Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh is another highlight. It's also such a joy to see Jet take on a new martial art style, this time taking on the fluid style of Tai Chi. It's funny how Michelle would later star in MCU's Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, playing the aunt of Liu Simu's Shang Chi who so happens to be a Tai Chi Master. This movie, much like it's predecessors Fong Sai Yuk and Once Upon a time in China features great martial art choreography. In terms of comedy, this one straddles the middle ground between over the top Fong Sai Yuk and more serious Once.

The story centers around two good friends who are disciples in the Shaolin Temple. The elder of the two, the more ambitious Tian Bo goads the younger one, Jet Li's Jun bao to secretly learn martial arts. We see the two progress with their training while washing (and wrecking) laundry and fending off bullies. One day Tian Bo sees a master practice an unorthodox move and practices it. As a result they are both expelled from the temple when he employs the move while sparring. Both of them try to seek alms but are rejected by the towns folks. They resort to performing roadside shows to make a living, and attract the attention of the eunuch and his Imperial troops. He attempt to recruit both of them for their prowess in martial arts. Tian Bo sees the opportunity and enlist, while Jun bao declines and end up meeting the rebels.

Time passes and we see Tian Bo rise through the ranks, thanks to his ruthlessness and thirst for power. He soon finds himself in conflict with the rebels, and with his old friend Jun bao. In an encounter he is unable to see his friends point of view and literally destroys Jun bao's martial arts and renders him comatose. It's here where Jun bao loses his mind after recovering from his injuries. With help he rediscovers martial arts and creates an entirely new art form based on studying the mechanics of water, the push and pull. This is Tai Chi. He is even given a a new name  Zhang San Feng for his crazy mannerisms. He is ultimately forced to face a power hungry Tian Bo who even kills the eunuch, and some of his troops. He doesn't just want to be a general, he wants to take over! San Feng has no choice but to kill his friend. Seeing how merciless Tian Bo was, the troops allow  San Feng and the surviving rebels to kill Tian Bo and to leave. A highly enjoyable flick and one of Jet Li's better ones. Go watch it now!

Chinese cinema classics : Once Upon a time in China

 

Today I want to cover another classic movie from the early 90's, from the height of Jet Li's popularity. It was this very series of movies that launched Li's career into the stratosphere! Li was in virtually every movie going forward and everyone was humming George Lam's tune about becoming a hero. I remember going to the cinema in Chinatown with a group of friends to watch the first movie on the silver screen. Everything from the cinematography to the fight choreography was new and fresh. This felt like the start of a new era in martial art cinema. The highly stylized action sequences were to become the standard of which modern Hong Kong gong fu flicks would have to adhere to. I actually prefer this style of fight choreography over the fancier wire fu used in movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, where pugilists would fly through the air while clashing! The more grounded style of fighting would be used for other productions such as Fong Sai Yuk, Tai Chi Master, and the Donnie Yen vehicles Ip Man, adding to the realism.

The story follows the exploits of pugilist and physician, Wong Fei Hong of Foshan who runs a medicinal hall, Po Chi Lam. The story opens with Wong attending a lion dance event aboard a ship. As the firecrackers go off, the French navy fires on them, thinking they have been attacked. Wong has to save the day. This event sets the tone for the rest of the movie with the exploitation of the Chinese people by the gwai lou (foreign devils). This trope has been done to death by Hong Kong cinema, and by Hollywood. The American company, working in tandem with a local militia group recruit locals with the promise of 'jing shan'(gold mountain). These workers are instead sold as slaves to build infrastructure in America. They also abduct women folk to serve as comfort women. Racial stereotypes abound. The only saving grace of this movie is the the Catholic priest who sacrifices himself to save Wong for his beliefs. I cringe every time I see these being used to further the narratives. My hope is that one day we can move away from using this as a plot device!

Anyway back to the story at hand. Enter Iron Vest Yim, a struggling pugilist trying to eke out a living. A chance encounter allows Yuen Biao's Leung Fu to meet him as they challenge Wong to a sparring match. They travel to Po Chi Lam, and Leung Fu is ashamed to show his face as he tried to become a pupil earlier. He is defeated, and falls into bad company with the militia group. He is recruited as muscle for the group. They attack the governor's ball and Wong once again thwarts their plan. The foreign dignitaries present are disgusted by the barbaric display and blame the francas on Wong and his followers. The militia also decide to hit Wong where it hurts and burn Po Chi Lam to the ground. Wong and his followers are arrested and imprisoned. Things come to a head when they capture  the 13th  aunt and Wong finds out about their nefarious plans. He is released by a sympathetic official who sees the light. He goes up against Master Yim one last time and defeats him again. He saves 13th  aunt and tries to rescue Yim. He is however shot by the Americans and dies in Wong's arms. The troops arrives and saves all the locals who are about to be sent over.

I highly recommend watching this movie for its significance in the reinvigoration and it's stylistic influence on the martial arts genre. It really helps that the first movie also had a star studded cast with Rosamund Kwan as the 13th  aunt, Jacky Cheung as Bucktooth, and Yuen Biao as Leung Fu, something that was severely lacking in the next few.

Doc I'm back, back from the future. Part 2

The second act of the trilogy remains my favorite to this day. Like both the Star Wars and Terminator franchises,  the sequel improved on the first movie, while building on the previous story arc. My favorite part of the movie involves the futuristic Hill Valley city, Jaws in 3D, self lacing NIKE shoes, and hover boards. 

The story starts off right where we left with Marty arriving home and meeting his childhood sweetheart Jennifer, and discovering that everything is good with his family. Just as he is about to head out, the DeLorean comes screeching into the driveway. Doc falls out hurriedly and starts blabbering about the future and how Marty has to time travel once again to save his kid. Turns out that Marty Jr agrees to help Griff, Biff's grandchild with a heist and goes to jail. Marty has no choice but to agree and they take Jennifer with them. We end up in the the same diner and town square and Marty dresses up as his son, tells Griff no, and the same scene replays where Marty evades Griff and his goons on a hover board (instead of Biff and the skate board as in the previous movie). Griff tries to take Marty down on his powered hover board, but Marty ducks in the nick of time and Griff smashes into town hall and is apprehended. Things go pear shaped when the cops pick passed out Jennifer up and send her home, her future home that is. She gets to see future Marty get fired, and meets her future self. Just when you think things couldn't get any worse, Marty makes a blunder and buys an old sports almanac, which falls into grandpa Biff's hands. Whilst Marty and doc are busy saving Jennifer , Biff steals the DeLorean, travels back to the past, and gives the almanac to himself.

When Marty and doc travel back to the present day, they are horrified to learn that Hill Valley has changed and is now under the the thumb of multi millionaire Biff Tannen. Biff now owns the town and the police force. To make matters worse, Marty's mom Lorraine is now married to Biff, and his dad George was murdered by Biff. Marty discovers that it was the sports almanac he purchased in the future that caused this alternate time line. He has to travel back to the past to steal the almanac from young Biff to undo all the damage caused by the almanac. He gets to relive all the events he had to go through in the previous movie. Just when he is about to travel back to the present after successfully completing what he set out to do, lightning strikes and doc disappears! It's up to Marty once again to save the day.

Back to the old west

I found the final installment to be the weakest of the trilogy. With that said, all three movies were of the highest standards compared to what we get today. In this concluding story , Marty gets a very old letter delivered to him from the time of the old west. As it turns out, doc didn't die the night lightning struck the DeLorean. Doc was flung back into the past, to the old west. Marty has to time travel once again in an attempt to save his friend. He fires up the DeLorean engine and drives towards a billboard. Before he knows it, he is hurtling towards a tribe of native Americans. He quickly puts the car in reverse and into a cave. He then sets off on foot for Hill Valley.

Marty arrives in town, goes to a tavern and encounters Beaufort 'Maddog' Tannen, the great grandfather of Biff. He inadvertently pisses (literally as he moonwalks and kicks a spitoon full of piss) on Beaufort. The latter challenges him to a showdown. This changes the fate of a certain blacksmith who is supposed to die at the hands of this bandit. This is none other than his good friend Dr Emmett Brown. Doc meets a teacher, Clara and they fall in love. 

The day of reckoning is fast approaching and doc and Marty device a plan to get the DeLorean up to the required speed using a mix of chemicals and a locomotive to push the vehicle. Marty, who now goes by the name of of Clint Eastwood confronts and defeats Beaufort using a trick he learned from his name sake. He dons a poncho over a metal breastplate. He has to immediately head to the railroad track to carry out their plan. A complication arises when Clara shows up, boards the train and professes her love for doc. Doc has to save Clara as the critical temperature is reached and the train stack blow. Marty slips doc the hover board in a last ditch effort. Doc and Clara get clear just as the train goes into overdrive and propelles Marty back to the future.

Marty arrives in the present and before he can move the DeLorean from the track, an oncoming train smashes into the car. Marty is crushed. How is he going to save doc now? Just when he thinks all is lost, a time traveling locomotive appears with a few bangs. It's Dr Emmett Brown and his family. He now has two kids Jules and Verne!
 

Great Scott it's Back to the Future time! Part 1

No self respecting child of the 80's would not have experienced the brilliance of Robert Zemekiss time traveling duo of Michael J Fox's Marty McFly, or Christopher Lloyd's Dr Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future! Between flux capacitors and garbage guzzling Mr Fusions, this trilogy remains as the best time traveling tales by far, and this includes MCU's Infinity War saga. In fact that said saga references this very trilogy! The main charm of the movies is the chemistry between the two main characters, the incredible VFX, the visual imagery of the past and future and the rocking soundtrack, featuring the likes of Chuck Berry and Huey Lewis and the News. Michael J Fox brings a down to earth earnestness to his role as Marty. This is juxtaposed with the wildly eccentric and other worldliness of Dr Brown, who always has some hairbrain scheme up his unconventional sleeve. Heck he creates a time machine out of a DMC DeLorean! Thrown into all this madness is his childhood sweetheart, his mom and pops, and even the high school bully. Through the time travel lens, we get to see the evolution and devolution of Hill Valley as we shuttle back and forth between the old West, to the 50s, 80's and 2000s. The story always seems to center around a certain clock tower, the site of the first successful manned time travel.

The first entry sees Marty McFly visit his old friend, cantankerous scientist Dr Emmett Brown and his trusty side kick Einstein. Doc enlist Marty's help in documenting his latest hairbrain scheme, to test out his time machine, made out of a gull wing DeLorean. He successfully sends Einstein to the future and back. He is, however gunned down by thugs,who want payment for the illegal plutonium they obtained for him to power the flux capacitor required for time travel. Marty pilots the DeLorean and saves doc.  He inadvertently travels back in time and has to seek out a much younger doc who hasn't built the time machine yet. He also encounters his parents, who are still in high school. Marty soon realizes that his dad, George is a loser that has no luck with the girls. To make matters worse, he is constantly getting pushed around by school bully Biff Tannen. A chance encounter with Biff and his goons see him stand up to Biff, causing Biff to crash his car into the back of a truck carrying manure, another running theme in their encounters through the ages. He inadvertently impressed his future mum Lorraine, who is so smitten with Marty, she wants him to be her date to the Enchantment under the Sea event. It's now up to Marty to convince George to stand up to Biff and win Lorraine over. If he fails, he will cease to exist. We see Marty on stage, standing in for the singer, while George finally stands up to Biff and knocks him out cold when he tries to get fresh with Lorraine. With disaster averted, he rushes back to the town square where doc has jerry rigged the DeLorean to be super charged by lightning from a once in a lifetime storm. This works with some hiccups and the clock tower is rendered inoperable. Marty successfully makes it back to 1985!

Stay tuned for part 2.