MOVIE REVIEW: BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC

A visitor from the future tells best friends Bill and Ted that one of their songs can save life as we know it and bring harmony to the universe.

Director: Dean Parisot

Cast: Alex Winter, Keanu Reeves, Kristen Schaal, Samara Weaving, Brigette Lundy-Paine, William Sadler, Anthony Carrigan, Erinn Hayes, Jayma Mays, Holland Taylor, Kid Cudi, Jillian Bell

Release Date: August 26, 2019

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Music

Rated PG-13 for some language

Runtime: 1 h 31 min

Review:

Bill & Ted Face The Music is a nostalgic throw back that uses the same template from the first two films with varying results.  Dean Parisot doesn’t offer up many curveballs in this belated finale.  He uses a lot of story beats fans of the original will instantly recognize but honestly it’s almost perfunctory.  The main thing all the children of the 80s wanted to see was Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves reprise their iconic roles.  Both slip back into their characters with relative ease and it hard not smile once we see and hear these two back on the screen.  Its fun to see them back in their roles but it’s also hard to ignore the fact that they are 50 year old men still talking like stoner teenagers.  Still they do a great job of capturing the optimistic spirit of the originals. Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine are both good fun with the latter delivering an impressive impersonation of her on screen father.  The story itself is a bit of a mixed bag since it’s more of a collection of fan service moments held together by the main conceit.  It’s an issue that’s kind of hardwired into their DNA of the franchise so it’s hard to blame this final entry too much. This film is only an hour and a half but it does drag in spots because of the thin story holding it all together.  Bill & Ted Face The Music is a fun albeit unnecessary series capper. 

C+