Be Excellent to Each Other: Bill & Ted Face the Music Review

Bill & Ted Face the Music is receiving praise from both critics and fans. The third installment of the sci-fi comedy franchise is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with 81% critic score and 83% audience score.

Many fans and moviegoers will undoubtedly enjoy this new movie starring Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves. Winter plays Bill while Reeves plays Ted, a total opposite of the actor's recent successful role as badass assassin John Wick and rock legend Johnny Silverhand in upcoming game Cyberpunk 2077.

Despite the 29-year gap from the second film Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, the time travel film remains enjoyable and fresh as it does not rely on repetition with its gags or plot. On top of that, the third installment did not feel like a lazy "remake" of the first film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.

Bill & Ted Face the Music fits the category of movies where fans see their nostalgic heroes mature into men, just like Wolverine in Logan or Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. What makes the new Bill & Ted different, though, is that the duo protagonists did not grow up to be grumpy versions of themselves.

Instead, they currently have happy lives with the princesses they rescued from the 15^th century. Bill married Princess Joana while Ted tied the knot with Princess Elizabeth, played by Jayma Mays and Errin Hayes, respectively. On top of that, the two heroes are close to their daughters Billie and Thea - portrayed by Brigette Lundy-Paine and Samara Weaving, respectively.

Though they may have grown older, they still did not unite the world as the prophecy from the future foretold. At the current state, they are still pursuing their musical dreams. They are not miserable, but they still have to save the future with their one song that will unite the world.

This is when Kristen Schaal's character comes in. She plays the daughter of Rufus, played by late comedian George Carlin, and brings the heroes to where they should be and inspire the world with their music. It may look like Bill & Ted are going to do this on their own, but someone close to them is going to help out in the adventure.

Of course, there are plenty of Easter eggs for long-time fans, but that does not mean newcomers will not enjoy the film. Some parts may offer old fans a few laughs or nostalgia nudge if they recognize some characters. An example is William Sadler playing the Grim Reaper from the second installment. However, the scenes and characters are entertaining enough that newbies will still get a good laugh out of them despite not recognizing them before.

Some critics go as far as to say that it is their favorite among the three. Others mentioned that the third film felt "unstuck in time." It remained faithful to the spirit of the previous films even after almost 30 years. Some also mentioned that this film was something they did not need but still enjoyed, especially this time due to pandemic blues.

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Keanu Reeves