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View the trailer above.
New year, new decade and new review section to the board. May as well start with a film from a decade I have never reviewed before - the 80’s. BILL AND TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE is a film I have a deep personal history with, so I am looking at it from a very different perspective than any other film I’ve reviewed, which up until this point, all pre date me. This film came out in 1989 when I was ten years old. Upon theatrical release, I saw this movie three times and since then have seen it dozens of more times on television, VHS and DVD. I think it’s safe to say this is one of my most viewed films ever. Very much a film of its time, 1989 still felt like the 80’s, a few years away from the mainstream acceptance of grunge, flannel, irony, alternative music and the beginnings of political correctness, the latter point I think is relevant to this film, which I will get to later. Girls were babes, guys liked rock, guitar solos were cool, colorful clothing was in and this film was very much a reflection of this culture. I do remember those times, though as a very young kid. References to Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne, Van Halen and Led Zeppelin are sprinkled throughout, so this is very much a Metaldams film.
The basic premise of BILL AND TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE is there are two likable high school simpletons named Bill S. Preston, Esquire (Alex Winter) and Ted “Theodore” Logan (a just about to be famous Keanu Reeves) about to flunk their history class. Doing so would split the two apart because Ted’s police chief Dad would send his son to Oats Military Academy. If they stay together, they would go on to form the band Wyld Stallyns (misspelling in the Led Zeppelin and Def Leppard tradition), a band who would make music that would align the planets and bring universal peace and harmony! This is where Rufus (George Carlin) from hundreds of years in the future comes in. His job is to bring a time machine to Bill and Ted and have them collect multiple historical figures to use so they can pass the exam and Ted can avoid military school, thus allowing for the formation of Wyld Stallyns and the universal harmony that band brings. Make sense, dudes and dudettes? Well, whatever realism the plot lacks is more than made up for how much fun this film is.
There are no extended comic gags or clever Who’s on First like dialogue to be found here like we are used to discussing, this is a completely different era. There are plenty of funny situations, one liners that I can quote verbatim and likable lead characters to be followed. As air headed as Bill and Ted are, there’s nothing dark or sinister about these guys. They are just a bunch of teenagers who like to have fun and the writers never look down upon them, something I’m not sure would happen if characters like this were made in say, the mid 90’s. It’s enjoyable following these guys for 90 minutes. Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves do a phenomenal job playing these characters to the point where even though the latter has since gone on to do bigger things, I still at times have trouble thinking of him as anything but Ted.
As far as one liners, lines like “most non-triumphant,” “heinous” and “bogus” have entered my personal vocabulary. Immortal lines like Joan of Arc being Noah’s wife, Caesar being a “salad dressing dude,” Socrates forever being known to me as “So-crates” and Beethoven being “Beeth-hoven,” and thinking “strange things are afoot at the Circle K” are etched into my brain. A very memorable movie, but then again, I was so impressionable when I initially saw it. It even led me to ask my embarrassed father what the significance of the number “69” was. Innocent days.
Some very funny situations in this film involving a bunch of historical figures. First, let’s list them off. There’s Napoleon, Bill the Kid, Socrates, Beethoven, Joan of Arc, Sigmund Freud, Genghis Khan and Abraham Lincoln. They all end up in late 80’s San Dimas, California and we witness Napoleon at a bowling alley, making a pig of himself with ice cream and being caught in a water slide park, cleverly named “Water Lube.” Freud, Billy the Kid and Socrates make dorks out of themselves innocently flirting with the California girls at the mall, Joan of Arc takes it upon herself to push aside an aerobic instructor and lead the class, Beethoven plays modern keyboard equipment and takes over a music store, Abe Lincoln gets his photo taken at a Civil War store and is unable to return the hat and beard and best of all, Genghis Khan takes an aluminum baseball bat and skateboard and goes Kung fu ape shit on some dummies and security guards. It’s all in good fun and back to the politically correct statement of the first paragraph, not one political statement is made at all with any of these people! Not one historical figure is being put down, not one of them is being overly praised and I don’t get the feeling some left or right wing agenda is being fed to me. They are there for pure comedy and entertainment and I wish modern filmmakers would take note of this.
Another fun situation in the film is Bill’s step mom, a total cutie who was a senior when Bill and Ted were freshmen! Of course Bill and Ted have the hots for her, to the point where Bill tells Sigmund Freud he’s fine other than a “minor Oedipal complex.” Beethoven’s charming kiss to her hand and Napoleon trying to make a move on her in the car before Bill and Ted’s presence thwart it are subtle highlights. The presentation of all the historical figures in front of the school is another highlight if you don’t question the logistics of the music and lighting and how all that was planned, but then again, who cares? It’s all in good fun. George Carlin I can see being a disappointment if you go in expecting his edgy and thought provoking comedy (speaking of anti political correctness, Carlin was king), but if you accept him as Rufus, which I do, he does a fine job.
So yes, this movie is most excellent, and I didn’t even mention the historical babes until now. Lyrics, dude! But yeah, I have no idea how I’d view this movie if I wasn’t born when I was. I am interested in hearing opinions from all who have seen this, but especially those of older and younger generations than me. But as for myself, a movie that will be a part of me for as long as I live. Be excellent to each other and party on, dudes.
