It’s been thirty years since Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) thought they had created a song which would unite the world in peace. It didn’t work and now middle-aged and with grown up daughters, Bill and Ted are once again taken to the future and told they must compose a new song to unite all of space and time. Having tried and failed their whole adult lives, they instead decide to steal a time machine and take the song from themselves in the future. Meanwhile their daughters, Thea (Samara Weaving) and Billie (Brigette Lundy-Paine) also travel through time collecting great historical music figures like Louis Armstrong (Jeremiah Craft) and Jimi Hendrix (DazMann Still) to help their dads compose the song.
This is the third movie in the Bill and Ted franchise, and is clearly only meant to be for fans of the originals. The film wastes very little time explaining who any of the characters are or why the universe is this way. Without knowledge of the previous two movies a viewer would get very little enjoyment out of this film, meaning it is very inaccessible for the younger generations. However, for fans of the first two, this is a great sequel.
With its optimistic tone and presentation, Face the Music feels like a true 80’s comedy. Unlike most films these days, it is completely unpretentious and doesn’t take itself too seriously. It doesn’t try to give a unique perspective on life or go on about how awful the world is, it is simply a very fun film which you don’t need to think about too much. The film was written by the writers of the originals, Ed Solomon and Chris Matheson, and directed by Dean Parisot, who all really succeeded in giving us the sort of comedy you just don’t get anymore.
Winter and Reeves still have the same charm together as they did thirty years ago, making the characters instantly appealing. The dynamic between the two works amazingly well, creating both laugh out loud and heartfelt moments. The film also brings back many old favourites, with the highlight being the return of William Sadler’s Death, who has been demoted from his position in hell.
The plot of the movie is a bit like a mash of the first two together, and it works surprisingly well. The inclusion of Billie and Thea adds something new to the old formula, with their own adventure given almost the same amount of screen time as Bill and Ted’s. The way the four Characters work as a quartet is very enrapturing, especially towards the end.
There aren’t many bad things to say about the movie other than the fact that the production does seem a bit cheap at times, especially when it comes to things like the dreadful green screen used in the scenes set in the future.
Face the Music isn’t a film which will change your life and it doesn’t do anything jaw dropping or spectacular, but if you’re a fan of the originals, it is a brisk one and a half hours which is sure to put a smile on your face.
4 Stars
Image Credit: The MovieDB
Review: Bill & Ted Face the Music
