Bill & Ted's Most Excellent Collection - Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure & Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey

Comedy

Robert V. Barron
Terry Camilleri
George Carlin
Al Leong
Rod Loomis
Keanu Reeves
Dan Shor
Tony Steedman
Jane Wiedlin
Alex Winter
Bill & Teds Most Excellent Collection
William Sadler
Joss Ackland

Director	Stephen Herek; Peter Hewitt
Producer	Scott Kroopf; Michael S. Murphey
Writer	Chris Matheson; Ed Solomon

Like, radical, dude--but not nearly as funny as it should be, even though it was a box-office hit. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are a pair of dim Valley boys, whose life is made heinous by a school history project. Enter George Carlin as a futuristic dude with a time-traveling phone booth. So Bill and Ted go back in time to round up a gang of historical figures (Socrates, Joan of Arc) to bring back for their presentation. Abe Lincoln at the mall? That's about as witty as it gets, rendering this the kind of comedy that gives teenaged audiences a bad name. --Marshall Fine

It is the future. Society has at last solved all its major problems, thanks to amiable lunkheads Bill and Ted and the inspiring music of their band, Wyld Stallyns. Only one man is dissatisfied with the way things have turned out, the evil De Nomolos. In an effort to change the future, De Nomolos sends evil Bill and Ted robots back in time to prevent the real Bill and Ted from winning a pivotal Battle of the Bands. What follows is a spirited journey through the afterlife as Bill and Ted try to rescue their girlfriends, save the future, and, oh, yeah, learn how to play the guitar. Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey swings easily between childish and clever humor, and is good at both: a Bergman reference is quickly followed by an equally funny bit about Death's stinky feet. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter seem happy to be reprising their roles and even manage to add funny spins on Evil Robot Bill and Ted. William Sadler very nearly steals the movie as Death, playing both his wounded dignity and budding desire to be funky to a T. As if that weren't enough, George Carlin returns as Rufus and Pam Grier does a cameo just for the hell of it. Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey is ample proof that not all sequels suck. Sometimes they're even better than the original. --Ali Davis