Excellent, Dude!

Rating: 10/10 (10 July 2001)

I laughed harder at "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" than at any other movie I have ever seen in my life! This movie is everything a good comedy should be.
There were just so many great lines in this movie, I'm laughing as I recall them. For example, when they meet Socrates in ancient Greece, Ted says "Philosophize with him dude." At which Bill illustrates the rock lyrics "All we are is dust in the wind, dude." and illustrates by picking up and blowing away a bit of sand. From this, Socrates comes up with one of his famous philosophical lines.
The casting was so perfect. All the historical figures made good caricatures of the real ones as we picture them to have been. I especially liked Napoleon -- "the short dead dude from our History class." Joan of Arc, "Miss of Arc" as the boys refer to her in their presentation, in her few scenes conveys her youth and her fight. Even as Bill and Ted rescue her from a jail cell, she is praying and says, "Merci!" I must admit that Keanu Reeves has never impressed me in any of his subsequent roles, but he made the perfect harebrained teenager. Maybe he should stick with comedy. And of course George Carlin, so deadpan in the face of any event.
Unless you are a deathly serious person, I recommend this movie for people of all ages. In fact, if you are too serious, this might just loosen you up, dude.
Be excellent to each other. And, Party on, dudes!