Bill & Ted Face the Music

Maybe coming from a place of bias for having loved the originals as a young 'un, I can't help but respect the team for having another go at such a stupid premise. An A lister like Keanu could have scoffed it off and went back to making Oscar bids, but instead swallowed his pride and returned to the dopey character that kickstarted his career. It properly pays homage to the feel of the originals, bouncing from one illogical time travel scenario to another, never taking itself seriously and roping in a couple celebrity cameos who also seem to be just enjoying the ride. It nods to how absolutely ludicrous the idea of a "song that unites the world" is while still maintaining that earnest 80s belief that rock 'n roll can save your soul.

It's great seeing some of the actors return. You can tell everyone had a blast filming this. That alone in certain moments can bring a smile to your face. Not all of the jokes land, but that's comedy. The finale damn near brought me to tears. I guess 2020 has been a rough year.

If you've never seen the first two Bill & Ted movies, I suggest you pass on "Bill & Ted Face the Music". While this third film isn't bad, it certainly isn't as fun and original as the previous two...and it might also prove to be very confusing. But, if you are a fan already of the series, you'll enjoy this film provided you don't expect the impossible...for the film to recapture 100% of the charm and humor of the originals. Adjust your expectations and you will surely like the film.

As far as the plot goes, it's pretty confusing. Suffice to say that after the second film, when it appeared that the whole world was saved by Bill & Ted, over time you come to see that it was a fluke and Bill & Ted of 2020 are losers. How do they over come this and why do they need to? See the film.

To me, this film clearly was best released to video...which is what happened due to COVID. I would not have recommended you go to the theater to see it...but as a direct to DVD or film on a pay channel, it's well worth your time.

First of all, hear me out but as a musician I gotta say that the song they played at the wedding was actually pretty cool, highly creative and it had layers upon layers of sonic dissonance that brought note resolution to a new step in each direction using non-conventional tools. I could not believe it was written as a throw away joke.

Now, about the movie. That it could've been better? Yes, it most definitely could've. Specially if they had picked up from the events from Bogus Journey. But alas, that movie was written as a finale and not planned to have a sequel.

The gender swap of little Bill and little Ted was troublesome at first, but given the most excellent and honest performances by the two actresses mimicking their movie dads, it was quickly forgiven.

That being said, that I wished it would've been better written with higher character development and a bolder comedy standard? Most definitely.

That I enjoyed it? Yes, I kinda did but I think it was because I wasn't expecting much due to the state those long term sequels are working nowadays. Would I recommend it? No, not really. The movie is non, non, non-bogus, but it's also non-Excellent.

Either way, remember the lesson from the first two and Be Excellent to each other.

It's "ok".

That's all you really need to know. It's ok, and it does its job. This film was never going to top the first two, becasue they are a product of their time, and you can never re-create that, but Bill & Ted Face The Music is a decent enough send off for the characters.

It is a bit sad though that it is just "ok". The film does have a certain cheapness to its look and feel, and Keanu was sounding a bit tired if I'm honest. It retreads some ground, but not as much as you would think, and there are genuine laughs in here for sure. Dean Parisot's directing is solid, but a bit lacklustre in places, and I think they should have got Peter Hewitt back from Bogus Journey. It's not awful by any means, but I think it lacks a bit of magic (which was probably the 80s/90s).

A special mention must go to Alex Winter who does a great job here. He IS Bill S. Preston, and he has his old mannerisms down to a tee which was very familiar and very comforting.

In a way, the film made me a bit sad. Bogus Journey tied up the story quite well, but there was always a bit of the door open to do more if they wanted, and now that it's done it was a kind of uneventful. 1994-ish would have been a perfect time to do a third film, because as upsetting as it is, Bill and Ted with all their "Wows" and "Dudes", are The past.

However, they are MY past, and from MY generation, so I was very happy to see them once last time, and despite all the nitpciks, I had fun with the film.

All that's left to say is the best message in any film ever:

Be excellent to each other...

... and party on!!!