One of the things I love about movies is the ability to share them. My daughter was in the mood for a comedy and I thought Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure was the way to go. I’m not really sure that she liked it, but she laughed enough that this film made its mark. I still enjoy this goofy film earning Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure the Decent Watch rating.
It’s definitely good enough to say it’s an Excellent Adventure
Bill S. Preston (Alex Winter) and Ted ‘Theodore’ Logan (Keanu Reeves) are the members of a would-be band Wyld Stallyns that is if they can pass their history exam. The passing of their exam is crucial enough that Rufus (George Carlin) is sent from the future to provide them with the means to pass. Bill and Ted must use the telephone booth time machine to get enough information to pass their history exam to keep the band together and the fate of the world Rufus knows and loves.
The film that embedded into my brain the word “Dude” and “Excellent” is one that I’ve always enjoyed. Keanu Reeves shows more emotion in this film than most others, but manages to keep his trademarked monotone throughout. It’s funny knowing that ten years later he will star in the Matrix and change film in a big way. Alex Winter is great as Bill S. Preston and the two together are easily some of my favorite characters from late 80’s films. George Carlin, Dan Shor as Billy the Kid, Tony Steedman as Socrates, and a cast of other historical figures really make the film memorable.
Learning to pay attention to directors and writers
I honestly didn’t know who directed this film until I looked it up for this review. Stephen Herek directed a few other movies that I enjoy or at least enjoyed including Mighty Ducks, Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, Mr. Holland’s Opus, and Rock Star. He seems to be doing a lot of TV directing now, but he definitely impacted my early 90’s film experience. My favorite sequence in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure has to be the montage at the mall. Seeing the historical figures find their interests in a modern location like a mall is just funny. Billy the Kid and Socrates hitting on girls in the food court being probably my favorite element of it.
Some movies from our childhood don’t really hold up, and I’m not sure that this one does. In a way, this time travel movie is a nice time capsule for a period I’d rather soon forget. The fashion alone is bad, especially in Bill’s low cut shirt. There is a moment where the two guys hug. They then quickly call each other “fags” which definitely doesn’t fit well in today’s world. Yet, the core of the film of “Be excellent to each other,” is a mantra that many people need to adopt.
Berkreviews.com 