Bill & Ted Face the Music

It took twenty-nine years for us to catch up with the doings of William Preston and Theodore Logan, better known as Bill and Ted.  Remember them, those slacker rockers who learned they were destined to compose a song that would unite the world and lead to a future utopia? Their story seemed to have concluded with 1991's BILL & TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY, a sequel that was OK but a bit heavier handed than its wonderful progenitor. Was the world really clamoring for a trilogy? Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves loved the characters and knew their fans wanted more, so here we are with 2020's BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC. 

Time has not been kind to our heroes.  Sure, once upon a time they got married to those 15th century princesses, had daughters, and scored a bit of success with Wyld Stallions, but duplicating success wouldn't prove to be easy, and their music only became more unlistenable, as demonstrated hilariously at the wedding of Ted's brother Deacon (Beck Bennett) and Missy (Amy Storch), former step-mother of both Bill and Ted.    Their marriages to Princesses Joanna (Jayma Mays) and Elizabeth (Erinn Hayes) are falling apart.  Now the guys learn, after a trip to that distant future where their old time traveling guru Rufus' daughter Kelly (Kristen Schaal) and her mother The Great Leader (Holland Taylor) reside, that they have a very short amount of time to finally write that song or time and space will collapse.  

Winter and Reeves are still fun to watch, though they fare better as their future selves.  See, the boys keep trying to go a few years ahead to see when they actually write the song (and to fix their broken relationships), but rather find themselves as miserable failures reduced to stealing songs by Dave Grohl (who appears briefly) and ending up in prison.   As the "present" Bill and Ted, the actors are a little stiff, maybe even tired.  Reeves especially looks his age; who would've thought someone would look older by shaving? But when they put on the makeup, they are as funny as ever.    

B & T prove inept on their mission, so the Great Leader sends a scary looking but awesomely insecure robot named Dennis (Anthony Carrigan) to kill them.   Through this we get a bit of a rehash of BOGUS JOURNEY.  No complaints,  and as with the rest of the movie it's fun stuff.   I did enjoy FACE THE MUSIC, and having low expectations was helpful.  Director Dean Parisot, working from returning scribes Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon's screenplay, tries hard, and does land a great gag now and again.  Many more are worth at least a smile.  

Of the long delayed sequels, this one isn't too bad, and almost stolen by Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine as Thea and Billie, Bill and Ted's respective daughters.  They get to take up their own quest, rounding up historical figures that include Mozart and Jimi Hendrix.  Maybe these ladies will get their own franchise.