Sunday, September 12, 2010

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) (PG)

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) (PG)
Directed by Stephen Herek
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin, Bernie Casey

Daddy Says:

Funny how a movie about time travel should seem like the film itself is stuck inside a time capsule. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure screams "the 80's" with almost every frame of its ninety minute running time. From the soundtrack to the clothes to the dialogue, this film is a testament to everything that made the 80's the decade that it was.

Somebody in this family likes Keanu Reeves quite a bit, but it's not me. I'm not going to mention any names, but her review is posted right below mine and I'll bet includes the words "totally in love with him" in it. I'm watching it again to see if it holds up over twenty years later.

For the most part it does. Obviously, the film has dated a lot since it was made. But if you look at it as I mentioned above, as a time capsule of a decade, it's pretty easy to overlook the more glaringly dated parts. It's nice to see George Carlin in the film. He's nowhere near as funny as he is when he's doing his stand-up material, but he's still a likeable presence in this film. Keanu Reeves is playing the part of, well, Keanu Reeves. I'm not sure he's really capable of playing another role, but he plays himself well. I can't recall seeing Alex Winter, who plays Bill to Reeves' Ted, in another role, but he and Reeves have a good chemistry together.

As for the plot there's not a lot to say. I could gripe about the time travel inconsistencies and other problems which would have cropped up in a more serious film, but this isn't a serious film to begin with. When the future of civilization hinges on two less-than-intelligent rock-star-wannabes, the audience is obviously supposed to simply sit back, turn off their brains and enjoy the show. That's what I tried to do. And I enjoyed the show.

Rating for Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure: ****.

Daughter Says:

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure is a fun movie to watch. It’s something that you can’t really take seriously. I just enjoyed watching Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter run around kidnapping historical figureheads.

There really is no other way to describe this movie other than to say that it’s one of the best train wrecks ever since Back to the Future. Unlike the past movies we have reviewed, this is a movie where you can turn off your brain and just enjoy staring at the screen.

The effects were really cheesy. The acting was rather lame, but Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure will bring a smile to your face. It has funny jokes and hilarious situations, but nothing is ever taken seriously. Even when Bill and Ted are about to get their heads chopped off they still are messing around.

Not only did it have funny situations, but it also had “bogus” dialogue. Bill and Ted kept talking like they were high all the time. Which that makes sense, because it was around that time, but it was weird to listen to. It was like listening to old English in a movie about when America became a free country.

But if you are one of those types that love to watch a fun, cheesy movie this movie is for you. There really is no danger. The problems they face, in the movie, are solved really easily, and they also end up happily ever after. Exactly what everyone wants in train wreck, I guess.

Oh and by the way, Keanu Reeves in it. To be honest Alex Winter isn’t as funny or sweet as Keanu. He was also the only reason why I wanted to see this movie, and even he couldn’t save Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. I couldn’t take any of it seriously enough. This movie was seriously just a major train wreck that I probably won’t watch for a really long time.

Rating for Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure: ***.

1 comment:

  1. Here is a movie that is a "formula" you can take ANY teenage boy movie and be watching this film. It is the same lame jokes and stupidity. If pre-teen girls would really watch these films, they would NOT date until they were in their 50's. Boys find humor in things that aren't funny and they act like they don't have a brain in their heads. I realize my husband doesn't really watch a lot of these films (he likes the artsy stuff), but he will watch them with no complaints and after will not degrade all movies in that catagory or the people who like them. However, after watching a romantic comedy, he will gone a 30 minute tirade putting down ALL romantic comedies and the people who like them. I would just like to say: "Say Anything". So there!!

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