Journey through Time: Reviews of Two Bill and Ted Films
Alexis Schuster ‘21 Staff Writer
I decided to watch “Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure” on Amazon Prime with my mother, as we were bored and looking around for something intriguing. We ended up watching the trailer for “Bill and Ted: Face the Music,” and my mother had the idea of watching the original and the sequel. Thus, we began our two nights of viewing. The first Bill and Ted was generally a fun ride. Not thought-provoking or revolutionary in terms of cinema, but in terms of comedy and practical effects, it does well. I like how it does not take itself seriously. Directed by Stephen Herek and written by Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, the movie portrays two airheaded high school seniors named “Bill S.
|
Preston, Esquire” and “Ted Theodore Logan” (played by Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves, respectively) who travel through time to complete a history report on key historical events and figures. Ted will be sent to an Alaskan military school if he fails the class, separating the two boys. Their time-travelling mentor, Rufus (played by the late George Carlin), arrives to save the friendship, which is the basis for world peace in the future. The pair travels through history, picking up notable faces like Beeathoven and Socrates along the way. The two even meet their future selves at one point. The general idea of time travel itself is treated as a comedic plot point rather than a concept with dire effects, and for someone who has seen this exact concept done time and time again, I like the simplicity of it. While some of the raunchy humor may be a bit much for younger viewers, anyone can watch the film. I give this film a 8/10: It is enjoyable, but there is nothing that actively challenges the viewer or brings in something new and original.
I was quite surprised upon viewing Bill and Ted: Face the Music. I had a sinking feeling that this movie would be nothing but some cheap cash-in sequel that solely milked the nostalgia of the first film, but I am happy to report that is not the case. Directed by Dean Parisot and written by the writers of the first film, it takes on a new plot that revolves around the first movie’s ending regarding a song that will unite all worlds. Bill and Ted (roles reprised by Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves) are trying to find the song to unite all worlds, as the future told them in the first film that they would. The pair initially succeed, but fall into public disfavor when the music they produce is not particularly
|
spectacular. Even as middle aged fathers who have loving wives named Elizabeth and Johanna (played by Erinn Hayes and Jayma Mays) and daughters, Billie and Thea (played by Brigette Lundy-Paine and Samara Weaving), Bill’s father, Chief Logan (played by Hal Landon, Jr.) has to urge them to get actual jobs and to be good role models for their kids. Rufus’ granddaughter Kelly (played by Kristen Schaal) takes them to the future where they try to steal their own song, while Billie and Thea find various historic music figures to form a band to help Bill and Ted. Add in a killer robot named Dennis Caleb McCoy (played by Anthony Carrigan) and having to play the song by specifically 7:17 PM to prevent total destruction of all worlds, and you have a nice thrill to keep you in your seat.
Like the first film, this one was a fun ride. I felt that it had a more structured plot than the first, with raised stakes that kept me engaged. Focus shifts between Bill and Ted and their daughters, and I felt myself more intrigued by the daughters’ trip through time than Bill and Ted’s adventures and hijinks. The trip to Hell is hilarious. While the plot has been made more complicated compared to the relative aimlessness of the first film, I think the core of the first film was entirely lost on the sequel. The point of the first film was the aimless fun in watching various historical figures walk around a mall and interact with modern ideas and inventions. The one side plot that stuck closer to the original idea was Billie and Thea’s adventures in assembling a team of historic music figures. Aside from these factors, I would still give the film a 7/10. The film kept some of the core of the original and was a surprising watch since it was a sequel to a nostalgic film, but I don’t think it lived up to the fun of the first.
Like the first film, this one was a fun ride. I felt that it had a more structured plot than the first, with raised stakes that kept me engaged. Focus shifts between Bill and Ted and their daughters, and I felt myself more intrigued by the daughters’ trip through time than Bill and Ted’s adventures and hijinks. The trip to Hell is hilarious. While the plot has been made more complicated compared to the relative aimlessness of the first film, I think the core of the first film was entirely lost on the sequel. The point of the first film was the aimless fun in watching various historical figures walk around a mall and interact with modern ideas and inventions. The one side plot that stuck closer to the original idea was Billie and Thea’s adventures in assembling a team of historic music figures. Aside from these factors, I would still give the film a 7/10. The film kept some of the core of the original and was a surprising watch since it was a sequel to a nostalgic film, but I don’t think it lived up to the fun of the first.