Movie Review: Bill & Ted Face the Music
Bill & Ted Face the Music is an instant comedy classic. It is everything it wants to be and then some. Of the three entries in the ‘Bill & Ted’ franchise, this one is my favorite.
After a nearly thirty-year gap between the last installment (Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey), it is amazing how easily stars Keanu Reeve’s and Alex Winter step back into their roles so effortlessly. And William Sadler steals the show again as ‘Death.’ All of the newcomers fit in perfectly around the old stars, particularly an insecure, love-able killer robot.
The movie is as wild and unpredictable as you might expect, but it also has a warmth that has been missing from recent movies and is much needed is these stressful times. Without giving too much away, the plot revolves around Bill and Ted traveling through space and time to write a song that will save humanity and unite the world. It is their destiny. If you’ve seen the other Bill and Ted movies, this is a pretty standard plot discretion for this series.
Effortless is the best word to describe this movie – every detail looks like it has been planned and in place for years, as if this is just the natural continuation of Bill and Ted’s ongoing life story. All of the jokes land, the story is fun and engaging throughout, and Keanu Reeves, despite his action star persona, proves that he can still play it for laughs in a fun family comedy. While he may be most known as John Wick or Neo, Ted is the one character that feels like no other actor could step into that role with the same ease and aura that Keanu brings. And while Alex Winter has not become a star like Reeves (he’s had a successful film career behind the camera), he and Reeves together on screen embodying these characters is hard to top.
This is a franchise that I didn’t realize needed another sequel, but I’m glad they made one.
Grade: A