It's been 29 years since we last saw Ted “Theodore” Logan (Played by Keanu Reeves) and William S. "Bill" Preston, Esq. (Played by Alex Winter). Although, for the third and final installment of the series Bill & Ted Face the Music has been in active development since as early as 2010 by the franchise's original writers Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon. It's perhaps a blessing that they did return. Despite the newest film's implication that the end of 1991's Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey gave a fake-out resolution to the duo creating the song that unites all of existence in peaceful harmony in the future, the third film capitalizes on this to create something more important. A heartfelt and more appropriate conclusion for the rockout duo known as Wyld Stallyns. And, in the process, Matheson and Ed Solomon bring back the more fluent pacing of the original 1989 hit Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure that some felt was missing in it's immediate sequel two years after that.
What is it that defines leaving a mark on the world? That's the question that Bill & Ted struggle to find almost three decades later, still unable to crack the great song they need. Reeves and Winter are still brilliant in their roles, bouncing off each other like it was just yesterday we last saw them. And, as a result, they know how to have fun with every piece of material written for them. And once the duo is informed by Rufus' daughter Kelly (Played by Kristen Schaal) that time and space is collapsing and can only be stopped by finding that song, true chaos instills in both most excellent and bogus ways. Not only does it put the fate of their marriages with the princesses (This time played by Erinn Hayes and Jayma Mays) in dire distress, but they also have to worry about their daughters that share their love for music with a fiery passion. And while Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine truly encapsulate their roles as Theodora "Thea" Preston (Bill's daughter) and Wilhelmina "Billie" Logan (Ted's daughter) by linking their clear relation to their fathers, it's the female duos utter commitment to embodying the energy of the film that makes it. In short, the entire cast is along with a wild ride and chew up every scene with dynamics that carry the film's spontaneous narrative efforts with everything they have.
Once the set-up is made, the characters are all off on wild time traveling journeys, Bill & Ted to find the song they made in the future, running into themselves throughout the years, their daughters assembling the greatest musicians across time (Including a caveman drummer!), and the princesses finding out what awaits them in their lives with Wyld Stallyns. And throughout it all, a revelation is given about these characters and what it really takes to save the universe. Themes are presented of how we affect each other through the ages and how we influence those that come after us. In truth, Matheson and Solomon's script deserves props for creating a more internal subtext, even if it's a little more profound than fans of the first two films expected it to be. However, the writers openly said their growth since the original films shaped a lot of their decisions for this film and it shows, with a narrative that carries the same joys of the original films (Including William Sadler returning in his prima donna take of the Grim Reaper), but also asking some serious questions.
Mark Isham's score is appropriately eclectic, complimenting the scenes of every emotion with underlining, feverous energy until reaching the climax that brings it all together musically and narratively. Some fans of the original might find the conclusion rather another fake-out to bookend that of the set-up that derides the way Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey ended, but for those who love these characters, they will understand truly what it means to be "Most excellent to each other". In a moment where Bill & Ted realize how they truly make a difference in the world (And you know they do, just not in the way you expected).
This film no doubt will face 30 years of fan expectations in both a good and bad way. Some will be happy just to see a third installment and welcome them back with the same empty-headed pleasant attitude the titular characters give off. Others will feel betrayed. But if you're like this reviewer, you'll see that the movie's story and meaning is meant to say something to you. Perhaps the story is jumpy at times (The opening was without a doubt slow to start), perhaps it can be suggestive (Modern sensibilities made the ending somewhat predictable in revelation despite how clever the ending also was), but one thing it always is. It's true to it's nature. To the idea that while our titular heroes aren't always the ones getting the boulder up the hill, they are the ones always getting it rolling. And honestly, as this reviewer gets older, you realize that's just as important as being the one to finish it. But if the ending isn't what you expected it out be, honestly...you weren't paying attention to the point of the whole series.
Score:
Good:
Performances by ensemble.
Story
Themes.
Score & song choices.
Bad:
An ending that some will find to be a twist, others a betrayal.
Slow narrative start.