Bill S. Preston, Esq. (Alex Winter) and Ted "Theodore" Logan" (Keanu Reeves) are a pair of California slackers who dream of being rock and roll stars, but are in danger of flunking out of high school and landing in military school if they don't turn their grades around. Just when their lives look totally bummed, a time traveler from the future, Rufus (George Carlin), shows up and tells them their destiny — that the music of their band Wyld Stallyns — will change the world. Rufus gives the boys a time machine (shaped like a phone booth), which enables them to gather famous people from throughout history including Napoleon (Terry Camilleri), Billy the Kid (Dan Shor), Socrates (Tony Steedman), Sigmund Freud (Rod Loomis), Genghis Khan (Al Leong), Joan of Arc (Jane Wiedlin), Abe Lincoln (Robert Barron) and Ludwing Van Beethoven (Clifford David). After a chaotic trip to a 20th century mall, the historical figures and Bill and Ted, race back to the school just in time to deliver a rocking presentation and save the grades of heroes.