Movie Name: Bill & Ted Face the Music
Producer: Scott Kroopf, Alex Lebovici, David Haring, Steve Ponce, Ed Solomon and Alex Winter
Director: Dean Parisot
Release Date: August 28th, 2020
Actors: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, Kristen Schaal, Samara Weaving, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Anthony Carrigan, Erinn Hayes, Jayma Mays, Holland Taylor, Kid Cudi, William Sadler and Jillian Bell
Budget: $25 Million
Box Office: 4.5$ Million
Introduction
I have always been a fan of the Bill & Ted movies. I did enjoy the first movie the best, but both have their cult following. It is also movies that really are a snapshot of the late 80's and early 90's. The culture and the way Bill and Ted speak.
When this movie was announced, I thought it was a money grab as that is usually the case. After watching some interviews with Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves, I saw that they seem to legit feel for this movie.
Bill & Ted 3 has been in the works for the better part of the last 10 years. However, no one really picked up the mantle to make it happen. So with the help of Alex Winter, Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, they were able to bring the movie to life.
Let us see if this movie lived up to the hype.
Bill & Ted Face the Music Trailer
Story
Before I get into the premise for this movie, let me provide some background.
The two main characters are Theodore "Ted" Logan (played by Keanu Reeves) and William S. "Bill" Preston, Esq. (played by Alex Winter). In the original, these two guys are in school. They are not great students and like to play music with their band called Wyld Stallyns. Although they are not great at it. In fact, when the original movie starts they are the only members in their band. However, a man from the future Rufus (played by the great late George Carlin) appears in a phone booth and tells them that they must pass their history class. The future depends on it. We soon learn that Wyld Stallyons would eventually create a song that will unite the whole world.
In the sequel, in the future there is a tyrant, Chuck De Nomolos (played by Joss Ackland) and he creates a fake Bill and Ted and sends them to the current time to kill them to ruin their lives.
In the third installment (Face the Music), it is 30 years later and Bill & Ted have not written the song that will unite everyone. This time around, the daughter of Rufus, Kelly (played by Kristen Schaal) comes to them and advises them that they need to write their best song by 7:17 pm or else the world will end. In this installment, they steal the original Phone Booth, they travel to their past selves in order to obtain THE song. Things are never as straight forward as they should be and they run into different iterations of themselves throughout their adventures.
Bottomline
I have been a fan of these movies for a long time and I was kind of looking to it. Was it due to the Keanu Reeves rise in popularity, pandemic lockdown or just boredom, I do not know. The best way that I can describe the movie is that it is more about the journey than the destination.
Let us start with the stars in question, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. It honestly feels like they never missed a beat after all of these years. They really just seem like older versions of themselves. It is pretty sweet to see. The chemistry did not feel forced.
The daughters played by Samara Weaving (Theadora "Thea" Preston) and Brigette Lundy-Paine (Wilhelmina "Billie" Logan) are hit and miss. Samara Weaving really captures the essence of Ted. She really does seem like she is his daughter. On the other hand, Brigitte Lundy-Paine seems like she is trying to imitate Bill Preston a little too much. May be it is just me but it does not seem genuine.
The story itself it not that great. There are some good moments throughout. I did like the shoutouts to old school fans like a hologram of Rufus in the old Phone Booth. They also brought back William Sadler as Death. That was a nice touch and I think the scenes with him are some of the best.
Even though there are some feel good moments, the story just felt a little mashed together. Although thinking back on it, so do the original movies. The historical figures barely question what is happening and just go with it.
In the end, the story just feels meh at best. Not sure if it is just me, but I thought that it could have been more. It should have felt like do or die but you never felt that they would not make it.
As for the epic song, well.... To be it was not that epic. It was ok for what it is. If you were a fan of the original and sequel, then you will probably like this one as well. If you were not fans, then this will feel just as stupid as the previous instalments.
What do you think? Let us know below.
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