"Be excellent to each other and party on, dudes!"
In Bill and Ted Face The Music, our most triumphant duo have fallen on some totally bogus times. After the devastating realization that the song they performed at the end of Bogus Journey was not the song that would unite the world, Bill S. Preston Esq. (Alex Winter) and Ted Theodore Logan (Keanu Reeves) have spent the last two decades desperately trying to write and perform the one song that will fix everything.
Now, in 2020, Wyld Stallyns have lost all musical credibility, The Grim Reaper (William Sadler) has been booted from the band due to copyright infringement, Bill and Ted have garnered a reputation for trying way to hard with very little payoff, and the bodacious princesses (Joanna as portrayed by Jayma Mays and Elizabeth as portrayed by Errinn Hayes) are close to divorcing the duo. What's worse, the very fabric of space and time has started to unravel. Bill and Ted are given a deadline in which they must write and perform the one song that will unite the world, or else reality as we know it will cease to be.
At a loss, our excellent duo decide to use the classic phone booth to travel into the future and steal the song from a version of their future selves that have already performed it. Their super cute daughters (Billie as portrayed by Brigette Lundy-Paine and Thea as portrayed by Samara Weaving ) go on their own time traveling adventure through the past in an attempt to create the best band possible for their dads.
Bill and Ted are back, baby! Without a doubt, the main draw of this latest outing is not only to see Reeves and Winter reprise their roles, but also to see how Bill and Ted are as adults. Alex Winter steps seamlessly back into the role, and Keanu Reeves is entertaining, although it feels like he is struggling to get back to the essence of Ted. That said, the Ted we know and love definitely can be felt in some moments. William Sadler also effortlessly returns as The Grim Reaper, and is a joy every second he is on screen. In this outing, The Grim Reaper has been demoted in Hell due to his friendship with Bill and Ted, and he has had a falling out with the duo over a lawsuit and his love of bass. Amy Stoch as Missy (who in this film is recently married to Ted's little bro Deacon, as portrayed by Beck Bennett) and Hal Landon Jr. as Ted's long-suffering dad, make appearances and aren't given much to do, though it is still nice to have them back regardless.
Bridgette Lundy-Paine and Samara Weaving are perfection as the daughters of Bill and Ted. They are a duo in their own right, and both are massively entertaining (especially Lundy-Paine, who definitely feels like a female version of Ted). Kristen Schaal definitely has some funny moments as Kelly, daughter of Rufus. Dazmann Still as Jimmi Hendrix, Jeremiah Craft as Louis Armstrong, and Daniel Dorr as Mozart are the stand-out as far as historical figures go. Kid Cudi also appears as himself and is the subject of a one-note joke that works incredibly well and doesn't get old (He is a highlight of the film).
Bill and Ted Face The Music is, ultimately, highly entertaining but uneven. I would say most of the jokes land, but some still fall flat. Some of the bits involving Bill and Ted meeting their future selves are hilarious, but most don't fully work, and after a while Bill and Ted's various voyages into the future become repetitive and one-note. Surprisingly, it's Billie and Thea's adventures through the past that are the most memorable parts of this film.
Ed Solomon and Chris Matheson, the creators of Bill and Ted, return to script this latest outing and they prove they've still got it. As stated above, most of the humor works and the essence of the Bill and Ted characters still shines through throughout (There are definitely quite a few bits that feel like classic Bill and Ted), but I'd be lying if I said this last outing didn't feel like it was trying too hard at times. Dean Parisot takes over the directing reigns this go-round, and does a more than serviceable job.
In the end, Bill and Ted Face The Music is not as bogus as it could been, but it's also not as excellent as it should have been. The film likely won't appeal to anyone who isn't already a fan of Wyld Stallyns (though I imagine Thea and Billie might be able to bring in a new generation of fans, and could garner their own following as well. Honestly, I'd be ok with some spin-off films featuring these two alone.), but for long-time fans, this will likely do the trick. Bill and Ted Face The Music is uneven (with a very abrupt and sudden end), but highly entertaining and consistently funny. It makes for a good pick-me-up during these troubled times. It may not be excellent, but will likely leave you feeling most excellent regardless. STATION!
3 STARS
