Bill & Ted Face the Music

Bill & Ted Face the Music
Starring Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, Samara Weaving, Brigette Lundy-Paine
Directed by Dean Parisot

There's hardly anyone - if they're honest - who'll admit in their later years that'll say they lived a perfect life, accomplishing everything they ever set out to do, and most of the time that's met with regret and sadness.  It could be even worse when something you wanted to accomplish but never did was create the song that would bring the world together, but that's the failure that Bill and Ted faced, something that's haunted the duo for over twenty years.  Yet instead of moping around and being depressed about it, the lifelong friends continue to look on the bright side of things, showing that even though we might not accomplish everything we've set out to do, we can still appreciate the other victories we've achieved along the way - and find out that sometimes our adventure isn't quite over.

Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) used to be superstars, but their fame has waned and now they're resorted to singing at open mic nights and small gigs, unable to create the song that'd bring the world together.  Yet they haven't given up hope, and along with the support of their grown daughters Thea (Samara Weaving) and Billie (Brigette Lundy-Paine), they continue to rock on and be excellent.

One day they're visited by Rufus's daughter Kelly (Kristen Schaal), who requires their assistance - just as their marriages to the princesses are on the rocks.  They're taken to the future where they're told they have a short amount of time to write the song that will not just unite the world, but all realities as well, as there's been a rift that's been transporting people and things from different timelines all over the place.  As they travel forward in time to find the song that they hope their future selves have already written, Thea and Billie travel back in time to find history's greatest musicians to play the song that'll save all reality before it's all destroyed.

Most of the time sequels that've come out decades after the last ends up being nothing more than a soul-less cash grab in hopes of making a quick buck, but "Bill & Ted Face the Music" sets itself apart from that dreaded curse.  It's a film that's continually been in production, but finally got to see the light of day, and shows that sometimes films like this were done as true labors of love, a film that doesn't quite live up to the original, but still maintains a strong following and provides another fantastic addition to the long-gestating franchise. 

"Face the Music" travels at a nonstop pace, never allowing a moment of dull time to interrupt its already short 90-minute runtime.  You're thrown into the story right away, and continually provides the laughter and heart that the franchise is best known for.  Bill and Ted are still as slackers as ever, and are still the best of friends, two men who never do anything apart from one another, including couples therapy.  They love their daughters and they idolize their fathers, and the entire film is as wholesome as can be, providing a surprising family-friendly comedy in a world where there's more raunchy comedy than anything, proving that this can still happen.

Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter act like it hasn't been over twenty years since "Bogus Journey," and like Keanu hasn't become a worldwide sweetheart and action superstar.  To them - and us - it's as if no time has passed between the last two films, and both of them give their all in the film.  Both men aren't afraid to make fun of themselves (or their future selves) as they continually travel forward in time to find if their future selves wrote the song to save reality, because again they're too inept to do it themselves.  Their hearts bleed pure passion throughout, and again it's obvious that this isn't just another cash grab.

The addition of Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine as their daughters is the real throwback to the classic, as they ooze the traditional Bill and Ted slacker sense with a big heart to do the right thing.  They want to help their fathers with the song, and travel back in time to get history's greatest musicians to play in the band.  Their mannerisms and even their voices mimic the classic Bill and Ted, and it's like they really are their fathers' daughters.  Kristen Schaal also shines as the new Rufus, Kelly (since George Carlin passed away, the role was recast and in honor of the comedian, was named Kelly after his real-life daughter), who is an absolute scene-stealer in her own right.

The only real downside to the film is the subplot about their marriages, as their wives also take a time-traveling adventure to look for their perfect lives apart from Bill and Ted, which doesn't really pan out and doesn't really go anywhere in the grand scheme of it all, but that's only a small detraction from the humor and surprising emotion that the film delivers - a timeless tale of hope and togetherness that the world is desperately looking for now more than ever.

Reunited and making it feel so good, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter bring "Bill & Ted Face the Music" to the big screen after almost twenty years, and manage to not lose their charm and magic after all these years, giving a timeless message: be excellent to each other.

The Score: A