Straight Up Reviews: Bill and Ted Face The Music

It took me a while and I finally got to see this movie. A movie that was nearly 30 years in the making and at this time of crisis, one we didn't know we needed. Yet we were glad to have it. Since my main focus has been making and selling music, I figured it'd be most appropriate to do a review based off one of my many influences.  But before we get into it, a little history.

 

In 1989, the world was introduced to two dimwitted yet kindhearted individuals. Bill S. Preston Esquire (Alex Winter) and Ted Theodore Logan (Keanu Reeves).  What started out as a cheesy cash in for duo comedies like Cheech and Chong as well as the sci-fi craze brought on by Doctor Who and Back to the future, grew into a cult phenom that transcends the farthest reaches of space and time.  History teacher and Rock and Roll Enthusiast, Rufus played by the late great comedy legend George Carlin, hails from San Dimas California in the year 2688. At that point, Bill and Ted's band The Wyld Stallyns has become not just a great rock band, but also a way of life for people to live by.  World Peace was achieved, contact with other life forms was established and the universe couldn't be happier. There was just one problem. That legacy was on the verge of failure. While they are in high spirits, Bill and Ted cannot play and are faced with the threat of separation. Why? Because they are failing history. And should they fail for the final time, Ted will be sent to Military School, separating them and the band for good.  In an attempt to steer the future in the right course, Rufus assigned by the most important people, went back to San Dimas in 1988 to help them pass. Their assignment? What would historical figures think of San Dimas of today.  Inspired by Rufus and their future selves, Bill and Ted travel through time using a machine disguised as an ordinary phone booth. Where they collect as many figures they could fit and have them tour San Dimas before presenting them to their high school through their history report.  Along the way they meet the loves of their lives, Princess Elizabeth and Joanna of Medieval England. As well as the likes of Napoleon Bonaparte, William "Billy The Kid" Bonney, Socrates, Sigmund Freud, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Joan of Arc, Genghis Khan and Abraham Lincoln.  Although they can travel anywhere at any time, their version of time travel runs on real running time. Meaning they have hours to complete their mission. After many close calls, the duo succeeds and even reunite with the princesses and get to work on kick starting the Wyld Stallyns. The movie itself on top of being a creative comedy, has themes of music, love, peace and friendship. As well as the rarely used ability known as the Time Game. In which they vow to go back in time and help their past selves out of a few jams. The movie itself has also helped kickstart both Reeves and Winter into stardom before they branched out on their own. With Reeves being a powerhouse of an A-List actor, while Winter makes a killing as a director. 

3 years later, a sequel was released. Reuniting the duo whilst Reeves was fresh off Point Break. Most sequels at the time would often retread on the original and while there have been call backs, this one is among the great sequels to have a unique premise.  Bill and Ted are still down on their luck and unable to play, however they managed to land a gig in the battle of the bands. Which if successful would put their foot in the door as the future rock stars they are destined to be. Despite that they live a somewhat happy life and have even proposed to Joanna and Elizabeth. However it takes a dark turn when Da Nomolos, Rufus' former Gym Teacher and head of a terrorist group against the way of life Bill and Ted inspired; decides to change history. By sending two evil robotic duplicates of Bill and Ted back in time and killing them before they could play.  As a result, Bill and Ted end up ghosts and try everything in their spiritual power to warn their friends and loved ones. Unfortunately as a result of said warning, they are both banished to Hell in which they confront their personal fears and sins.  To get out, they challenge the Grim Reaper (William Sadler) to a series of board games in an effort to regain their mortal lives. They win and even recruit Death for help in defeating their robot counterparts before they ruin their lives and the world. They go to Heaven where they meet Station, a duo of Martian Scientists who help them construct good robot versions of them.  Upon defeating their evil counterparts and besting De Nomolos in the Time Game, they use the booth to finally learn how to play before establishing themselves in the world of Rock and Roll. 

While this movie was not as well received as the first, it did get loved enough that the fans demanded more.  While Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter were all for it, they couldn't make the movie due to an entanglement of rights issues. One that took 29 years to correct. Needless to say it was well worth the wait and we were lucky to even get it whether it was good or sucked. 

Filming was already finished in 2019 and they meant to release the movie was meant to be released in theatres August 21 2020. However due to the Covid-19 Pandemic said release was moved to August 28 and limted to select theatres and digital download.  

 There Will Be Spoilers

The movie takes place nearly 30 years after the events of Bogus Journey. The Wyld Stallyns achieved fame and fortune, but in the recent years there have been two problems. The first, like many Rock Stars before and after, they were well past their glory days and were not as popular as they were after the Battle of The Bands.  The second, they haven't written the song that was meant to unite the world into the Utopia they were destined to create.  As if things couldn't get any worse, reality was about to collapse in 78 minutes, putting tremendous pressure on them.  So they plan on using the Time Booth, to go further into the future and get the song from their future selves.  Reflecting on their lives on the way.  As all that is going on, their daughters Thea "Little Ted" Preston and Billie "Little Bill" Logan decide to go on their own time travelling adventure to gather history's greatest musicians to help their dads with the song. Just as it seems like they succeed a robot sent by the new future leaders to kill them out of disappointment of their failure.  However instead he accidentally kills their kid's, Rufus' daughter Kelly, Ted's father and the historical figures: Louise Armstrong, Jimi Hendrix, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ling Lun, Kid Cudi and a cavewoman drummer.  This forces Bill and Ted to sacrifice their song and their lives to go get them out of Hell. As a result they reunite with Death after a bitter falling out and with minutes to spare find out two important details. The first is that in order for their song to work, they need to have everyone throughout time and space playing with them. The second, their daughters were the ones who created the song and recorded it on the day of unification.  The movie ends with the Wyld Stallyns fulfilling their destiny and uniting the world through their music.  

While this movie is a critical success I have discovered a lot of people found some faults in it. So before I give my final conclusion I shall address and debunk them.

Fault #1: Daughters?

I can see why many got upset with this, but it must be pointed out. Many assumed that Little Bill and Little Ted were to be sons due to the masculine names. However with the exception of non-canon expanded material, the gender of their children was never addressed until the third movie.  Not to mention the original babies that portrayed them were girls in real life.  That being said there are a few things you should know. First off they aren't the first daughters to have masculine names. If the name Kelly can be a man and a woman's name cis and/or trans, then it's not unreasonable to name their kids Bill and Ted as well. Second off, unlike most examples of female counterparts of male characters, these ones were never considered forced or phoned in. They never went Captain Marvel or Ghostbusters Answer the call. Nor was their credit to the song some vain attempt to promote third wave characters. They were simply just the next generation going by the philosophies of what came before them. 

Fault #2: They already united the world in Bogus Journey. 

That's a common misconception.  Although they toured the world and people loved their music and the movie did make mention of that. The battle of the bands was never meant to be their world union moment. Part of which I'll explain in the next fault, but essentially as said before, that was meant to put their foot in the door and establish themselves as a band. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither would something as big as a universe uniting wouldn't be that easy. 

Fault #3: The Song Itself. 

Now this one I can understand. Many people have considered God Gave Rock and Roll To You and In Time to be their Universe Union song. And to be fair, it's easy to see why. They're very epic songs.  However there is one small problem.  The prophecy stated that it was one of "Their" songs that unite the universe. Whereas those songs, while they were known to play them, they didn't create them.  God Gave Rock and Roll To You was the brain child of KISS and Steve Vai, while In Time was created by Robbie Robb. As for why their songs were part of the band in the first place, they wouldn't be the first or last musicians to do cover songs. Comparing the song they used in the movie to two songs created by legendary rockers is grossly unfair.  As for the song itself, Face The Music. As a standalone song it is epic in it's own right. It was that song that inspired me to give this movie a chance to begin with.  But don't take my word for it. Listen for yourself.

And if you like the song, grab your phone and the loudest Bluetooth Speaker you can carry. Walk to a spot in your neighbourhood where everyone can hear it and blast it to your heart's content.  Make the fictional idea that one song can unite the world a reality. 

When I decided to watch Bill and Ted Face The Music, I expected a goofy comedy with some heart in it.  When I watched it, I got exactly what I expected and one unexpected thing. Not only was this movie the most Excellent conclusion to a Bodacious trilogy. The heart part has swollen so grand, that it made me cry with joy.  But don't take my word for it. See it for yourself.

Due to the limited release, this movie is available not just on digital download, but for rent on Youtube. When it will be available for purchase I don't know. I do know this though, it is worth the watch.

In closing, I say onto you readers the only words you need to know.

Be excellent with each other and party on dudes!!

Catch ya later.