The planets aligned when Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure premiered. It was the end of the 1980s. California’s “Valley” pop-culture was at its height with style, language, music and Mall Culture. Bill and Ted were yet another couple of characters portraying the youth of that culture. And this movie could have easily come and gone, like so many other teen films trying to capture that unique moment in a bottle, were it not for some happy choices. One of those was hiring George Carlin to play Rufus. His respectability as a comedian added credence to the humorous story. While there is some sexual humor, it plays a side note. The real magic of the movie is in the characters Bill and Ted, played by Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves. While they are shown as airheads, they are first and foremost gentlemen. They are kind, considerate, and are polite without affectation. Even though their love is for Heavy Metal, they never aggressive except when defending honor. Their attitudes permeate Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure because they embrace life as an excellent adventure. The audience gets caught up in their optimistic joy. With a superb song selection, a most bodacious script, and some well-timed comedy, you will have a most excellent time watching Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
