By: Jesse Striewski
After nearly three decades since their last adventure, Bill S. Preston, Esq (Alex Winter) and Ted “Theodore” Logan (Keanu Reeves) have finally returned to the big screen (and with the current state of the world, it’s not a moment too soon). Bill & Ted have always been a personal favorite of mine (to this day, I still have my original VHS copy of the first film), so taking the family to see the latest entry was a no-brainer.
This third chapter finds Bill & Ted traveling through time once again to find their future selves in order to obtain the song that will ultimately unite the world and prevent reality from totally collapsing, often with hilarious results. Meanwhile, the duo’s daughters (played by Samara Weaving and Bridgette Lundy-Paine) simultaneously attempt to construct the greatest band ever (a la the original Excellent Adventure) by jumping through time and nabbing every historical maestro possible from Mozart to Jimi Hendrix.
Sure, there’s plenty of ridiculousness along the way that requires one to have a really open mind, including a cameo from Dave Grohl, and an emotionally conflicted killer robot (played brilliantly by Anthony Carrigan) named Dennis. There’s also plenty of familiar faces from throughout the series that return here, including William Sadler as the Grim Reaper, Hal Landon Jr as Captain Logan/Ted’s dad, and even Amy Stoch briefly returns as Missy (I mean, “mom”). A brief appearance of George Carlin as Rufus via archival footage adds a touch of class as well.
If there’s anything to complain about with this entry, it’s the music itself, or lack of it. Sure, there’s a couple of headbanging tracks thrown in here and there, but the previous two films were nearly giant MTV advertisements with their enriched soundtracks in comparison. Still, Bill & Ted Face the Music is harmless, dimwitted fun, a wyld ride of sheer escapism, and everything the world needs in 2020. Definitely worth seeing on the big screen, if you’re able to make it to one.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
