Excellent.
92 Mins. Starring: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, Kristen Schaal, Samara Weaving, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Anthony Carrigan, Erinn Hayes, Jayma Mays, Holland Taylor, Kid Cudi, William Sadler & Jillian Bell. Director: Dean Parisot.
Let's face the music and play air guitar. Excellent! In a most heinous year, straight outta San Dimas, the Wyld Stallyns are back...and this time they really are saving the world as we now know it in 2020. Party on dudes...oh wait, wrong movie. Dude where's my researcher? Because this nostalgic classic as 80's as Axel Foley and Slash's Guns N Roses influenced all the dazed and confused Mike Myers and Dana Carvey 'Wayne's World's' and Ashton Kutcher and Sean William Scott 'Dude Where's My Car's' that "AND THEEEEN" came next. And stepping back into the iconic phone booth, with no tie needed to loosen up, these super man-children are here to save the day and reality as we know it yet again with one last swan song. Tune up! It's been almost 30 years since Bill & Ted's 'Bogus Journey', that came just two years after the 'Excellent Adventure' of Bill S. Preston Esq and Ted 'Theodore' Logan that taps into offbeat science fiction rock operatics like spinal. Three decades? A lot has changed since that last inspired installment. iPods had replaced Walkmen, streaming has replaced all that. But hopefully Beethoven's favourite compositions still include Bon Jovi's 'Slippery When Wet'. One thing that hasn't changed though is that these boys to men have refused to grow up too. Keanu Reeves (at his trademark best here with Wick shaved scruff) has even had a "Keanuassiance" over the last few years like a fellow easy going Hollywood stoning McConassiance. Now a cult industry icon like heroes Bill Murray and Jeff Goldblum, Reeves is bringing it all back at 50 like his vampire, forever young good looks. Before the COVID-19 pandemic Reeves even has the fourth chapters of both his new action hero 'John Wick' and his futuristic classic 'The Matrix' on deck for the same release date next year. If that wasn't enough the man who can dodge bullets like you can't pencils gave us classic cameos in his year last year with his Canadian daredevil Duke Caboom in 'Toy Story 4' and a meta version of playing himself up in the Netflix comedy, 'Always Be My Maybe'. He even played a bit of tumbleweed (who else?) in the 'Spongebob' movie sequel. And did you see how breathtaking he was in the 'Cyberpunk' video game? Whoa!
Dude, but what of Winter's tale? One most intriguing. Well, the actor has been away directing. Documentaries mostly that deal with the dark side of messing with the future, from downloading to Bitcoin. But how about this work freaks co-write and Co-directed, 'Freaked' starring movie? This 'Lost Boys' actor is far from Peter Pan. Here his chemistry with Reeves remains as compelling and beautiful, no bogus as the first time they hand over heart saw each other and extended their arms in introduction. They both get the best lines, jokes and quotes as one doesn't work without the other. And just wait until their tatt and jacked prison break before they get old and make-up grey, their hairlines looking like mine. The Carvey to his Myers, its no Robin sidekick, but a Kareem and Magic partnership that is exactly that for this Californian rolling dynamic duo. We love them, just like they love their princesses, played perfectly by 'Glee's' Jayma Mays and 'The Watch' star Erinn Hayes wanting an upgrade from those plastic engagement rings. Because Bill and Ted need to face not only the music, but the fact that they are fathers too in this trilogy conclusion generations in the making. 'Ready Or Not' and 'Three Billboards' star Samara Weaving playing Theadora "Thea" Preston, Bill's daughter. Even though the Margot Robbie lookalike from 'Home and Away' actually in what would be a meta moment if she was Teddy's daughter is Hugo Weaving's niece (NOW you see it). Whilst thee honour of Logan's daughter like an X-23 actually goes to a scene stealing Brigette Lundy-Paine of 'Atypical' fame as Wilhelmina 'Billie' Logan with the best Keanu impression since you looked up that one on YouTube and tried to do the same in the mirror. These two named their daughters after each other and their excellent selves. Of course they did. And we wouldn't have it any other way. Even if their theremin and throat wedding singing crashing leaves more to be desired than Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn's 'Internship' movie. Google it.
Pyramids plonked down in the middle of the suburbs. SWAT vans falling through hell itself. Jesus himself appearing on stage...CHRIST! What is happening to the world in the apocalypse of 2020 as this roaring world and time bends and folds in on itself. And is that saturn above the interstate? This really is a highway to hell. Looks like we're going to need one hell of a band for this run. How's Hendrix jamming with Mozart sound (EXCELLENT) after Louis Armstrong lures him away from London with his horn like a Chinese flute or native drums. And how about Kid Cudi. Sure he's not a piece of musical history...yet. Did you not believe in 'Man On The Moon' like 'Kids See Ghosts'? His cameo is a classic (to hear Keanu say, "I mean this with no disrespect Kidi, but we only have four and a half minutes" may be the line of the movie) even if the other big names aren't played by the real people, but some inspired impressionists. I hear Mozart was busy with some symphony. But it's the return of the grudge and nuts nursing Death reprised by 'The Shawshank Redmeption's' William Sadler warmed up that really makes a killing like half an hour bass solos. It's just a shame the late, comic great George Carlin isn't back as Rufus...although a hallmark hologram in a touching tribute that is not overdone is. As is his daughter played by 'Bobs Burger', 'BoJack Horseman' and 'The Daily Show's' own Kristen Schaal with honour. But for all the big names here like the hilarious Jillian Bell of '22 Jump Street' having a rough night as a marriage counsellor doing couples therapy by the double and 'Two and a Half Men' mother Holland Taylor so good as The Great Leader herself. It's 'Gotham's' own 'Barry' star assassin Anthony Cardigan who steals the show as another hit man. This time in android form as a robot with a conscience, as this bullet with butterfly wings, bald and baby powdered up looks like the Smashing Pumpkin of Billy Corgan, despite all his rage. This all rocks like 1979...or make that 1989 for something from 'Galaxy Quest' director Dean Parisot that is really out this world. And in the closing credits of real footage of real people rocking around the world we wish was free again, in the locked down worst year of our lives at a socially isolated distance. Bill and Ted show us that music like movies can bring us all back together at troubling times like these. And 'Face the Music' dudes, nothing about that is bogus. Yes Bill. Yes Ted. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure', 'Wayne's World', 'Dude Where's My Car'.
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