Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Bill & Ted Face the Music Blu-ray Movie Review

Child Stallyns.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III November 7, 2020

The long-gestating Bill & Ted Face the Music finally reunites our dynamic duo after their first two movies, 1989's Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and 1991's Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, scored with audiences a generation ago. This new chapter brings Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) into modern times and middle age, with daughters who enthusiastically support their musical ambitions. Perhaps its closest cinematic cousin is 2016's Pee-wee's Big Holiday, which similarly tried to resurrect a beloved 1980s property after nearly three long decades. Both of these belated third chapters work well enough from a base-level perspective and neither are offensively bad at any point, but there's a distinct aftertaste that prevents either one from being anything more than a fitfully satisfying reunion.

But hey, it sure has its moments and, if nothing else, Bill & Ted Face the Music clearly has its heart in the right place. After a quick catch-up detailing the duo's short-lived success in the music industry, Bill S. Preston and Ted "Theodore" Logan have ultimately failed in their quest to unite the world in song. Their respective wives Joanna (Jayma Mays) and Elizabeth (Erinn Hayes) can't handle the constant disappointment, but daughters Thea (Samara Weaving) and Billie (Brigette Lundy-Paine) are more empathetic... even if their collective knowledge of music far outshines any actual ability or ambition. Soon enough, things change drastically with the sudden arrival of Kelly (Kristen Schaal), daughter of Rufus (George Carlin, kind of), who delivers a dire warning to Bill and Ted from the far-flung future of 2720 AD: if their epic, world-uniting song is not written and performed in a matter of hours, reality will collapse.

More resourceful than their younger selves, Bill and Ted hatch a plan to travel forward a few years and "borrow" the song from their future selves, which becomes less likely the further ahead they go. Meanwhile, Thea and Billie take their own trip through history to assemble a backing band that eventually includes Jimi Hendrix (DazMann Still), Louis Armstrong (Jeremiah Craft), Mozart (Daniel Dorr), and others. Not content with two parallel stories, Face the Music also adds in a killer robot (Anthony Carrigan) who pursues Bill and Ted on their journey, which also includes a quick trip through Hell and a reunion with former bandmate Death (William Sadler). All the while, time ticks away...

Face the Music's fusion of story elements from Excellent Adventure and Bogus Journey will appeal to long-time fans, while the integration of their daughters is done in a pretty seamless and accessible manner. (Yes, there's an obvious difference in gender, which has already been explained by returning writers Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon.) It also breezes by quickly enough and maintains a comfortably familiar tone, and the more-or-less "real time" events raise the stakes to a reasonably high level. But I'll be honest in that Face the Music never matches or surpasses either of the first two films for more than a few fleeting moments: the initial thrill of seeing Bill and Ted together, the sorta-returning Rufus, meeting their (much) older selves, and the trip through Hell.... which is easily the highlight, as William Sadler steals just about every scene he's in. Most other elements seem either by-the-book or uninspired, from several lackluster supporting performances (which could arguably extend to Keanu Reeves as well, who just seems kind of worn out here) to the climactic universe-saving song, which... well, barely even got my head nodding.

But the heart of Bill and Ted -- both the characters and the two earlier movies they starred in -- is mostly intact here, and it's actually a minor miracle that the creative team was able to deliver a reasonably enjoyable conclusion for two goofballs whose last pairing pre-dates the Clinton administration. I can't pretend it's as good as Excellent Adventure and or even the underrated Bogus Journey... but it is entertaining and earnest, which earns Face the Music a few points to make up for some of its fundamental shortcomings. Of course, its triumphant return to theaters earlier this year was dampened by you-know-what, but the film plays well enough on home video thanks to Warner Bros.' new Blu-ray (no 4K, sadly), which serves up a solid A/V presentation but comes up a little short in the extras department.

Bill & Ted Face the Music Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Although no 4K option is available (despite the source material boasting a 4K digital intermediate), Bill & Ted Face the Music gets by fine enough with a solid 1080p transfer from Warner Bros. Image detail is great in close-ups and wide shots alike with plenty of room for depth, even if the film's ventures into fantastic territory -- most prominently, Hell and future San Dimas -- render some of those backgrounds noticeably flat with a very processed and occasionally flat appearance. (The same holds true for other special effects, which again is more a source material issue than anything else.) Luckily, the majority of Face the Music looks terrific and much more down-to-earth with the telltale "smooth, but not waxy" appearance typical of an all-digital production shot at this resolution, as well as terrific color reproduction that supports the film's varied palette. Although the dual benefits of true 4K resolution and HDR enhancement are certainly missed at times, it's still pretty tough to complain about what's ultimately delivered here: a rock-solid image with strong black levels, no obvious compression artifacts or other defects, and one that runs at a consistently high bit rate from start to finish. As usual, this is quality work from Warner Bros. that won't disappoint.

Bill & Ted Face the Music Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This music-minded production also might have benefitted from Atmos as opposed to a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix, but again there's a lot to appreciate about what we get here. Dialogue is very well-placed with excellent clarity and no sync issues, while more cavernous exteriors -- Hell, of course, not to mention other distant environments -- open things up considerably with good use of surrounds. Other events like phone booth arrivals and departures offer strong channel placement (though again, Atmos' overhead channels would have been even more ideal), as do the stray music cues including, of course, a climactic concert by the whole gang. It's fine work that plays great from start to finish, and will probably sound even more powerful and enveloping if you've just watched the first two.

Optional subtitles, including English (SDH), are included during the main feature and select extras.

Bill & Ted Face the Music Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This single-disc release arrives in an eco-friendly keepcase with poster-themed cover artwork and a Digital Copy redemption code. The bonus features are surprisingly slim but at least worth a once-over.

• The Official Bill & Ted Face The Music Panel at Comic-Con@Home (43:14) - This virtual roundtable, moderated by Kevin Smith, features key members of the cast and crew (all seen above) who collectively provide a pretty thorough account of the film's inception, production, and other aspects of carefully reviving a beloved franchise... which are spoiler-free, since this was recorded before the film's release. Although its unavoidable format dampens the overall energy and entertainment value a bit, this is still an enjoyable session that die-hard fans will love sitting through. (It's also the only substantial extra on here, so enjoy it while it lasts.)

• Be Excellent to Each Other (1:22) - Alex Winter, Keanu Reeves, William Sadler, and other cast members serve up a quick promotional overview of their characters and the on-set experience.

• A Most Triumphant Duo (1:17) - Producer Scott Kropf, director Dean Parisot, co-writer Ed Solomon, and others talk about Bill and Ted's enduring charm, reunions, and passing the torch.

• Social Piece (Excellence) (0:49) - A "glass half full" reminder of the franchise's unyielding optimism.

• Death's Crib (1:13) - The Grim Reaper offers a whirlwind tour of his underworld abode.

Bill & Ted Face the Music Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dean Parisot's Bill & Ted Face the Music might not be as good as most people hoped it would be, but it's still a pretty enjoyable outing that neatly wraps up the story of two characters many of us grew up with. It's certainly worth at least a once-over for established fans, although anyone new to the franchise should obviously start from the beginning. Warner Bros.' Blu-ray package pretty much mirrors the movie: it's good but not great, with its solid A/V presentation -- even with no 4K option -- easily outrunning the mostly promotional bonus features.