From “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” to “Top Gun: Maverick,” 2020 seemed to be the year that film-goers, craving for their fix of 1980s nostalgia would be rewarded. However, just like many other films affected by the year’s events, these long awaited offerings have been delayed until 2021.
Fortunately, one of these nostalgia films, though slightly less needed or warranted, fell through the cracks, making its way to video-on-demand platforms and limited theaters. The film in question, “Bill & Ted Face the Music,” is the third in a series of films, following “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” and “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey,” which chronicle the various escapades of two time-traveling metalheads. Defined by their token 80s hallmarks, in addition to the inherent goofiness of its lead characters, the films have certainly held up over the past couple decades, though a sequel never seemed entirely necessary after the events of the second film. This long-awaited sequel holds its own weight, providing for an expectedly funny and bizarre outing. The movie stands as a solid installment in the franchise, and a rewarding experience for longtime fans.
Taking place 29 years after the events of “Bogus Journey,” “Bill & Ted Face the Music,” the new film, sees the eponymous duo, played by Alex Winter (“The Lost Boys”) and Keanu Reeves (“John Wick”), as they struggle to find success with their band, the Wyld Stallyns, and experience the deterioration of their marriages. With the fate of the spacetime continuum hanging in the balance, the two must write a song that will bring the universe together, saving it from its ultimate destruction.
Just like its predecessors, the film bases the majority of its comedy on the dense natures of its protagonists, as they pursue their ultimate goal. Whereas their actions and mannerisms pass for teenage naivety in the other films, their defining personality traits now allow for the two to be seen as man-children who are individually experiencing their own mid-life crises. In a way, their schtick almost becomes funnier as a result, given that Reeves, who has been cemented as a serious action icon since his early career, has shed his tough-guy persona to once again play a comedic character.
Another positive note is the film’s new characters, and more specifically, the eponymous duo’s teenage daughters, Theadora (Samara Weaving, “Ready or Not”) and Billie (Brigette Lundy-Paine, “Bombshell”). Through their implementation, the film takes the time to bank on nostalgia and pay homage to its predecessors as the girls’ mission to collect historical figures greatly reflects their fathers’ own adventure in the first film. Their personalities and comedic moments harken back to some of the best moments in the series, thus allowing for many endearing and funny moments to be peppered throughout it as we witness their own fun subplot.
As a result of ever-improving digital effects, part of what made the prior films all the more charming and campy due to their bizarre, cheesy nature of their special effects is slightly less present in this sequel. However, this does nothing to hinder its overall quality, as it still maintains the majority of the heart and humor which allowed for the first two films to become so loved by audiences over many decades. Overall, the film is an entertaining crowd-pleaser, and it is certainly a fantastic way to make up for a summer which was lacking in blockbusters.
Image from Movie Trailers via YouTube
