Bill and Ted Face the Music

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, Kristen Schaal, Samara Weaving, Brigette Lundy-Paine, William Sadler, Anthony Carrigan, Erinn Hayes, Jayma Mays, Beck Bennett, Kid Cudi

Director: Dean Parisot

Twenty years after The Wyld Stallyns failed to unite the world with a song, Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are still trying to write their world changing song. This has put their marriages to Elizabeth (Erinn Hayes) and Joanna (Jayma Mays) on the rocks and led everyone in their families to believe they are crazy. When their old friend Rufus' daughter Kelly (Kristen Schaal) unexpectedly shows up, the boys learn they must perform their world changing song in San Dimas by 7:17 pm or reality as they know it will end. Trouble is, they haven't written it yet and now have a little over an hour to make their deadline. After commandeering their trusty phone booth, they travel into the future to find when they wrote it and steal it from themselves and save humanity. Oh and they are being followed by a robot (Anthony Carrigan) from the future who wants to kill them. Meanwhile, their daughters Thea (Samara Weaving) and Billie (Brigette Lundy-Paine) travel through time to help their fathers and put together the best band the world has seen.

It's hard to believe it's been thirty years since Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter last graced our screens as the lovable burnouts Bill and Ted. Luckily, they were given a very silly and ultimately fitting curtain call! *Does a gnarly air guitar riff*

Let me repeat, this movie is very silly but the fact that it knows it is part of its charm. The plot, which passes by at breakneck pace, mostly revolves around Bill and Ted time traveling and meeting continuously older and more bitter versions of themselves until they find their song. Reeves and Winter are clearly having fun with this premise as well as their prosthetics, upping the ante with each time jump until they are eventually playing the 95 year old versions of themselves.

Reeves and Winter are excellent (see what I did there?) and despite the gap in playing the characters, they haven't missed a beat. Joining them this time around are their daughters and I have to say, Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine steal the show. Not only are they having a blast, they have Reeves and Winter's mannerisms down to a scary degree of accuracy. It took me a while to realize who Anthony Carrigan was playing but once I did, he brings the same scene stealing humor as he does playing Noho Hank on Barry. Despite everyone being great in this, he had my favorite lines.

This is nostalgia bait done right. There is no real reason for this movie to exist but the cast and short running time keep the movie from overstaying its welcome. It's not going to change the world but it is disposable entertainment at its finest.

Grade: B+

Bill and Ted Face the Music is available on VOD