After nearly 30 years since the release of the previous film in the series, the third addition to the Bill & Ted saga, Bill & Ted: Face the Music was released for online viewing formats on the 28th of August. 

The film was released under the revived Orion Pictures; it was directed by Dean Parisot, who’s known for some of his projects from the late 90’s. 

I’m not going to spoil anything from the film since it’s a long anticipated release; however, to briefly summarize: The film follows the titular characters long after their 1980’s time travelling exploits; they go on an adventure to save the world by uniting everyone in song after their band, the “Wyld Stallyns” breaks up. Along the way, as per usual, they meet up with wacky characters, some new and some old to the series, leading to a fun adventure that’s genuinely great for both fans of the first two films and for those late to the party watching the film with friends. 

Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves reprise their roles as Bill and Ted respectively, with both actors having the same charisma now being in their late 50’s as they did decades prior. This time around, however, Bill and Ted aren’t the only protagonists, as the film introduces two new characters (which fit the time gap perfectly,) being Bill and Ted’s cleverly named daughters Billie and Thea, who are portrayed by the burgeoning actresses Brigette Lundy-Paine and Samara Weaving. Unlike most movies, however, Lundy-Paine and Weaving’s characters work really well as representations for the children of the duo, and they add to the color of the story as a whole. 

The story is nice, with it being particularly wholesome for the whole family and ending on a good note. With a relatively meager budget of 25 million, the film is also pleasantly well-crafted with both quality and integrity. Poppy sequences and cinematography play well off of the style of the first two films, which is definitely a plus. 

While the film pulls off the monumental feat of not being a boring cash grab, as is the usual trend with the third film in a series, or projects released long after the first, it’s still definitely intended for fans of the iconic duo and their antics. 

You’re definitely encouraged to watch the movie with your flimsy red-and-blue 3D nostalgia glasses on. By no means is the film lacking, yet it is indeed more so intended solely for its target audience, as otherwise you’ll probably not get much out of it. The same old quotes and mannerisms return such as “be excellent to each other,” with plenty of “woah dudes” scattered throughout; it’s great but most definitely the calling of a Bill & Ted movie and a Bill & Ted movie alone. 

I recommend the film, though. It’s nothing entirely spectacular but definitely ahead of the game when it comes to the standard quality of long-awaited sequels. You should give it a watch if you have the free time. Of course, for the Bill & Ted points, it’s only fitting that I end by describing the film as generally one of the “most excellent” releases of the year. 

The film also received an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.4/10 on IMDB from a general mix of consumer and critic review. So yeah, Ebert probably would have something snarky to say about it, but oh well I’d say it’s worth an hour and a half of your time. 

PS: There’s also a cameo appearance from George Carlin reprising his role as Rufus from the first film; it’s brief but it’s also George Carlin, which is enough of a reason to watch the film as it is.