Bill & Ted Face the Music Blu Ray Review (Warner Bros)
Bill & Ted Face the Music (aKa Bill & Ted 3) is a 2020 science fiction comedy film directed by Dean Parisot (Home Fries, RED 2, Galaxy Quest, & Fun with Dick and Jane). It’s the sequel to both 1989’s Excellent Adventure & 1991’s Bogus Journey. It was written/produced by creators Ed Solomon (Now You See Me franchise, Super Mario Bros., Men in Black, & Charlie’s Angels) & Chris Matheson (A Goofy Movie, Mr. Wrong, Imagine That, & Rapture-Palooza). It was originally developed in 2010. The budget was $25 million & it grossed $38.1 million during it’s release which included video on demand rentals.
In 2020, Bill Preston (played by: Alex Winter from Bill & Ted franchise, The Lost Boys, Freaked, & Death Wish 3) & Ted Logan (played by: Keanu Reeves from the John Wick franchise, Speed, The Matrix franchise, & Siberia) have failed to write a prophesied song to unite the world. So time & space are beginning to collapse. Their wives (played by: Erinn Hayes from Childrens Hospital & Jayma Mays from Glee) are unhappy & Ted confides in Bill that he does not believe they will ever write the song. Kelly (played by: Kristen Schaal from Bob’s Burgers, Toy Story franchise, BoJack Horseman, & 30 Rock), the daughter of Rufus, arrives to take them to the future. They meet Kelly’s mother the Great Leader, who tells them that they have until 7:17 p.m. that night to write the song or reality will collapse. Realizing they will not be able to write the song in time, Bill & Ted use Rufus’s time-traveling phone booth to steal the song from their future selves. However, their future selves are unsuccessful & their wives have left them. They all blame their past selves for their failures. When they go missing, the Great Leader (played by: Holland Taylor from Two and a Half Men, Hollywood, Mr. Mercedes, & Legally Blonde) sends a time-traveling robot named Dennis (played by: Anthony Carrigan from Barry, Gotham, The Flash, & The Forgotten) to kill them. Kelly travels back to the present to warn them but instead meets their daughters Billie (played by: Brigette Lundy-Paine from Atypical, Bombshell, Action Point, & Downsizing) & Thea (played by: Samara Weaving from Ready or Not, Guns Akimbo, The Babysitter 1/2, & Mayhem), they must help their fathers create the song.
Using Kelly’s time machine, Billie & Thea recruit musicians. They add legends like Jimi Hendrix, Louis Armstrong, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ling Lun, & Grom to the band. Billie &Thea with their new super band return to the present to meet up with Kelly & Kid Cudi but Dennis inadvertently kills them which sends them to Hell. Bill & Ted travel to 2067 to get a USB drive containing the song that they need to save the world. Dennis regretfully informs them that he killed their daughters. In an attempt to goad Dennis into killing them so they can rescue their daughters in Hell, Bill destroys the USB drive. This backfires as a distraught Dennis turns his weapon on himself but Bill & Ted throw themselves in the way of the beam. All three are sent to Hell, where Bill & Ted locate their daughters with the band. They settle their differences with their old band mate Death (played by: William Sadler from Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, The Grudge, VFW, & Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight) & recruit hm to join Wyld Stallyns again. They are running out of time, can they save everyone from destruction with their music before it’s too late????
Bill & Ted Face the Music kinda plays out like an updated remake of the original Excellent Adventure with a dash of Bogus Journey thrown in for good measure. You guys are going to love this if you are fan of the franchise. Newcomers might not appreciate this one as much because it does rely on the past films for it’s entertainment value. Alex Winter & Keanu Reeves return to their iconic roles like they never left them. They still have amazing chemistry & it’s awesome to see an updated version of this duo after 29 years. This follow up features a few familiar faces & characters from the past. William Sadler, Amy Stoch, & Hal Landon Jr. all return here plus it has an hologram of the legendary George Carlin for a quick cameo. Speaking of George Carlin, Kristen Schaal was a disappointing replacement for the iconic comedian.
I wish they would have brought back either the original princesses or at least the ones from Bogus Journey but the new ones were still decent here. One of the greatest things about the cast was the daughters for Bill & Ted. I still think it’s hilarious they went from being boys to girls in this sequel, they even make jokes about it in this. Samara Weaving & Brigette Lundy-Paine were great as the Preston Logan off-springs. Both actresses had their counterparts down perfect for their roles. Anthony Carrigan was the scene stealer as the murderous robot Dennis & his performance was hilarious in Face the Music. The special & visual fx were top notch here. It was very impressive to see all the different versions of Bill & Ted. Face the Music makes you feel good & you are cheesing during it. It’s a fun & very entertaining experience. This comedy had so much heart to it & it kept the same vibe as the other films. It’s exactly what I expected it to be & it’s one of my favorites of the year. RECOMMENDED!!!!
Let’s talk about the high definition presentation from Warner Bros! This 1080p (2.39:1) looks stunning on blu ray, I am surprised this one didn’t get a 4K release. Face the Music covers all kinds of different times & locations. The English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is very impressive especially when it comes to the music in this. Obviously with it’s title & concept, it’s very important to this movie. All of the dialogue is crystal clear & chaos is elevated here. It has English SDH, German, & Spanish subtitles.
Let’s discuss the special features from Warner Bros! “The Official Bill & Ted Face The Music Panel at Comic-Con@Home” is a little over 43 minutes. It features director Dean Parisot, writers/creators Ed Solomon, Chris Matheson. actors, Alex Winter, Keanu Reeves, William Sadler, Samara Weaving, & Brigette Lundy-Paine moderated by Kevin Smith. This is a virtual chat & reunion for the feature to promote the sequel. Kevin Smith shows his appreciation for the franchise & gives his thoughts on this sequel. They chat about how they came up with the concept & the origins of the project. They talk about the castings & getting the job for these films. They bring up the original title for Bonus Journey was Bill & Ted Go to Hell. They go over the chemistry of the actors. Lots of great stories & information are featured in this convo. “Be Excellent to Each Other” is a little over a minute. It has interviews with actors Alex Winter, Keanu Reeves, William Sadler, Samara Weaving, Brigette Lundy-Paine, several other cast members, & others from the crew. They chat about the films & the legendary duo. They tell stories about how stuff happened the same way here as the original. “A Most Triumphant Duo” is a little over a minute. It has interviews with director Dean Parisot, writers/creators Ed Solomon, Chris Matheson. actors, Alex Winter, Keanu Reeves, William Sadler, Samara Weaving, Brigette Lundy-Paine, & others. It goes them returning to their cinematic universe & the concept here. “Social Piece (Excellence)” is almost a minute. It has interviews with director Dean Parisot, writers/creators Ed Solomon, Chris Matheson. actors, Alex Winter, Keanu Reeves, William Sadler, Samara Weaving, Brigette Lundy-Paine, & others. Just a quick promotional piece & they show their appreciation for the series. “Death’s Crib” is a little over a minute. William Sadler in character as Death gives you a hilarious tour of his place. He shows some memories from the past & stuff that keeps him entertained in hell. It also includes a slipcover & a digital code. A triple pack with all three films is also available. It’s available everywhere right now, CHECK IT OUT!!!!
