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Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - MGM Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (7th January 2013). |
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The Film
 So, like, how awesome would it be to see a movie where two totally cool dudes travel back through time using a phone booth in order to grab some famous bros and babes to help them pass an oral history report? If you said “totally awesome!” then, dude, this is for sure the movie to watch! (OK, I promise that’s out of my system now.) I’ve always liked “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” (1989), but, truthfully, after watching it I realized that most of my formative memories regarding the surfer-slang duo actually came from their “Bogus Journey” (1991), the death-tripping sequel shot two years after this one. I realized I had very little memory of this inaugural entry outside of the fact that two should-be stoners travel around time and space, plucking famous faces from around the globe out of their respective environments, all in an attempt to pass a history test. After watching it, I realized I wasn’t forgetting much – that’s the entire film! Well, a condensed version, at least. One’s enjoyment of the film rests entirely on whether or not you can accept such an absurd premise. It’s very much a “what if?” fantasy film, with each scene building upon the outlandish ideas set forth from the beginning. This is also why the film works; it never for a second takes itself seriously. And, really, how could it? Bill S. Preston, Esq. (Alex Winter) and Ted “Theodore” Logan (Keanu Reeves) are two best buds who attend San Dimas High School and spend their days fantasizing about a future where they’re rock gods in their own band, Wyld Stallyns. Unfortunately, neither of them is any good at playing music (yet), and they’re both in danger of flunking history. This is especially bad news for Ted, whose father has threatened to send him to a military academy in Alaska if he flunks out. What none of them knows, however, is that in the future Earth is enjoying a period of tranquility and peace, as music has become a unifying force in the universe. And the band that brought about all this? Yep, Wyld Stallyns. The great leaders of the future cannot allow Ted to be exported to Alaska, thus ensuring the demise of their fledgling band, so they send an emissary, Rufus (George Carlin), to give the boys the necessary tool to pass. That “tool” is a phone booth time machine, which they are encouraged to use as a means to interact with historical figures for their report. Completely stoked by this prospect, the duo hop from one storied location to the next, collecting legendary figures like baseball cards in an effort to woo their teachers and pass the test. Writers Chris Matheson & Ed Solomon said their goal was to write a film that made them laugh at each other, and I’d have to say they nailed it in that respect. This was never intended to be anything more than a bizarre trip through history, replete with all the famous faces many of us slept through learning about in high school. The boys manage to find each figure they’re seeking out with alarming accuracy, and they all come along in the booth without much of a fuss. Napoleon (Terry Camilleri) proves he’s not such a bad guy after all by pigging out on hot fudge sundaes at the mall and having a blast at the amusingly-named “Waterloo” water park. They manage to scoop up both Billy the Kid (Dan Shor) and Socrates (Tony Steedman) - or So-crates, as they constantly refer to him. Joan of Arc (played by The Go-Gos' frontwoman, Jane Wiedlin) spends a day at the mall enthralled by the power of Jazzercise. Beethoven (Clifford David) blows away a music store employee by fiddling with an electronic keyboard. It’s puerile in many ways, but how can you not laugh at seeing such storied people placed in fish-out-of-water scenarios? The film lives or dies on the strength of its two leads, and thankfully both Winter and Reeves are perfectly suited to inhabit these dimwitted party animals. Their relationship feels legit, like these guys really have been partying together and planning a global musical takeover for a number of years. Reeves has always had a “whoa, bro” quality to his vocals anyway, so I can’t imagine this dialogue was a big stretch to pull off convincingly. Winter, who isn’t as well-known to most filmgoers, is by no means in the shadow of Reeves, as he can easily bro out with his best bud with little effort. These guys are just likeable, plain and simple. A story this outrageous requires characters commensurate with the story, and these guys are most excellent choices. George Carlin is fairly subtle as the boys’ interstellar guide. He’s kinda doing the whole casual/cool thing, speaking minimally and wearing a nice suit. He adds a little gravitas to the proceedings - and a cameo by the legendary Max von Sydow adds a lot – but I wish his part had been a little beefier. I figured someone of his stature would accompany the guys on their travels, but the film’s focus should really be on their antics, so in that regard I can see why he only makes brief appearances. Bill & Ted won’t be remembered as the smartest or the dumbest characters to ever grace the silver screen, but they sure seem to have the most fun on it. Definitely not bogus.
Video
The film’s 2.35:1 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encoded image is far from bogus, but not exactly what you’d consider excellent either. Like most MGM titles released within the last year or two, “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” appears to have been largely untouched by digital tools. That works to both its benefit and deficiencies, as the image doesn’t feature any dreaded DNR or bizarre color corrections, but that also means no real restoration work has been done. There is a healthy grain structure in place, which can border on obtrusive at times but generally just provides a good filmic appearance. Colors have a natural look, but black levels are slightly weak in some spots. The picture has very little depth to it, appearing mostly flat but not entirely lifeless. It’s very in line with how most late-80's movies look in high definition when minimal work has been done to their image. It’s a faithful representation of the picture, just a little less polished than it probably could have been.
Audio
The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound track mixed at 48kHz/24-bit seems to just… exist. I didn’t find anything particularly noteworthy about the audible experience here. Dialogue is presented clearly and with no noticeable hisses, pops, or clicks on the track. The LFE provides nice support to the low end of the track, but it never packs enough of a punch for you to take notice. The song selections are wonderfully dated, likely serving as haunting reminders of what graced your own cassette decks all those years ago. There isn’t a whole lot of rear speaker activity, just some effects here and there to fill things out. The most prominent – and frequent – sound is that of the duo proving some mean air guitar licks. Those come through loud and clear, as they should. There is also a Spanish Dolby Digital 1.0 mono track included. Subtitles are available in English for the hearing impaired, Spanish, and French.
Extras
This Blu-ray seems to bring over most (if not all) of the supplemental features found on the bonus disc included with the 2005 “Most Excellent Collection” set. They aren’t much, but it’s a nice enough assortment to tide fans over. “The Original Bill & Ted: In Conversation with Chris & Ed” (480p) featurette runs for 20 minutes and 13 seconds. This comfortable, fireside chat with the duo’s creators reveals how they came up with this insane script in the first place. We learn a lot about the characters, how they first started out, the original drafts and ideas for the film, pitching it, and much more. It’s almost as good as a full commentary track in some respects. “Air Guitar Tutorial with Bjorn Turoque & The Rockness Monster” (480p) featurette runs for 13 minutes and 14 seconds. Who doesn’t want to learn the secrets of how these two men became faux rockstars by using their hands to mime real players? Me, for one. “One Sweet & Sour Chinese Adventure To Go” (480p) is an episode of the 1990 animated series “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures” and runs for 23 minutes 25 seconds. The theme song is hilariously terrible. The main trio of Winter, Reeves, and Carlin reprised their respective roles for the first season’s 13 episodes, but a new cast was brought in for the shorter second season. It’s bad, but if you grew up on 90's cartoons (like this guy) then you’ll find yourself enjoying a stroll down animation memory lane. A series of audio-only radio spots are included, running for 2 minutes and 51 seconds. Remember the time when these mattered? The film’s theatrical trailer (480p) runs for 1 minute and 55 seconds.
Packaging
The single disc comes housed in an eco-type case with updated cover art that sorta matches the original artwork. Eh, close enough.
Overall
If you can’t enjoy a film where two guys cruise through history in a phone booth then, really, don’t even bother. It’s stupid fun, and I mean that in the best way possible.
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