"Guys, your report had better be something special." (Bill and Ted's History teacher)

Rating: Null/10 (28 November 2002)

I bought the DVD, "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure", to mail to my son and daughter who were teenagers in 1989 and were fans. But I had to watch it first, and I am amazed what a fine film this is. The two boys, Bill and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are slackers on the order of Jeff Spicoli in "Fast Times", but they have a latent streak of goodness to them. Fearing they will flunk history, in which case Ted would be sent to military school in Alaska and their band "Wyld Stallions" will be broken up, the human race from 700 years in the future sends back Rufus (George Carlin) in a time machine that looks just like a phone booth. Seems that our race has learned to travel via the "circuits of history" and can go anywhere, any time, by dialing the proper number.
Why are they doing this? Seems the "Wyld Stallions" are destined to become the most popular musical group in history, and their music calms the savage beasts and brings peace all over the Earth. Their survival as a group means survival of the human race. So, they travel and retrieve such diverse historical figures as Billy the Kid, Ghengis Kahn, Joan of Arc, Sigmund Freud, Napoleon, Socrates, Ludwig von Beethoven, and Abraham Lincoln. All of which results in the final presentation at school, and which earns them an "A+" with Lincoln delivering the final speech, urging everyone to "be excellent to everyone" and "party on."
In some respects this is just a silly movie, but one done very well, with an inspired script and good acting. The overall message of redemption is very appropriate and the idea of school kids learning history by actually being there, though impossible, is admirable. The DVD picture is very good for a film of this vintage. It has Dolby 5.1 sound, but it does not actually surround you like modern films do. Overall one of the finer comedies I have seen, and I feel sorely underrated.