Review of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) by Ethan B — 20 Feb 2015

Anyone who knows me is well aware that Bill & Ted is my favorite movie. I've been quoting it since I was 10. It's a film whose sole purpose is to bring joy to the world. It's a comedy-adventure of the best variety--and that's my favorite genre. Throw in some time travel and it's perfect. It's created to make us laugh and to buy into the normally-ridiculous scenario that one band can bring harmony to the world through the power of their music alone. And the script is so well-written that you believe it, too.

Sure, it has a couple of minor time travel paradoxes, but you just don't care because it's such an awesome ride that you won't want it to end! It snubs it's nose at overcomplicated time travel movies by making itself one that is very matter-of-factly presented, and it has some fun with causality loops while winking at the audience. It calls attention to the notion that when you have a time machine you can literally go back and fix anything you want--or even PLAN to go back and do it later so that you can help yourself out in the present (it makes sense if you watch it).

But this movie is so self-aware and so silly and innocuous that you can't help but love it. Everyone has that film in their life that they feel like it was made for them. Mine is Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.

Twizard Rating: 98.