Review of Bill And Ted´s Bogus Journey

Introduction

It`s a year after it was first scheduled for release, but Bill And Ted`s Bogus Journey has finally hit the shop shelves, and it`s about time too. The two slackers first hit it big in Bill and Ted`s Excellent Adventure, travelling through time in an effort to pass their history test and keep history on track, so that their band, Wyld Stallyns will herald world peace. When such an unlikely premise turned out to be such a hit, I guess it was inevitable that there would be a sequel. To their credit, the filmmakers chose to go down the easy route of a remake, this time choosing to shun the time travel story for something different.

Having faced their first test by successfully completing their history presentation, Bill S. Preston Esquire and Ted "Theodore" Logan are carrying on much as before. With the aid of the princesses, their music is slightly less intolerable and they are entered in the Battle of The Bands. If they win this, their destinies as humanity`s saviour is assured. But their destiny is less assured than they realise, for in the 26th Century, the malicious Chuck De Nomolos is less than satisfied with utopia, and wishes to reshape history to his vision. To that end, he has created two robots in Bill and Ted`s image. Despite Rufus` best attempts, the two robots are sent back in time to kill Bill and Ted, destroy their personal lives and use Wyld Stallyns to create De Nomolos` future. The teenage terminators are totally successful in their mission, and Bill and Ted are soon falling to their doom from the top of a cliff. At the bottom of the cliff, the Grim Reaper himself meets our two heroes ready to convey their souls on the next leg of their journey. Bill and Ted are reluctant, and with a carefully applied Melvin, they escape. They attempt to get help by possessing Ted`s father at the police station, but when that doesn`t work they appear to Missy (I mean Mom) when she conducts a séance. Things get worse when Missy conducts an exorcism and our two heroes find themselves cast into the pit of hell. After meeting Beelzebub they find themselves facing an eternity of their own personal hells. The only way to save their souls, the princesses and the world is to play Death. Fortunately, they get to choose the game.

Video

Bill and Ted is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic ratio. The first thing I noticed was the future had changed. The costumes are particularly ridiculous this time around. Rufus was wearing some strange glow in the dark tabard that was tame compared to the lurid fluorescent clothes other future denizens wore. One of the locations is memorable, if you like Star Trek jokes. The set design is quite brilliant at times. The hell sequences are particularly sublime, with some excellent use of skewed perspective. However some of the effects haven`t stood up to the test of time, with some of the Heaven sequences looking a little tacky. The film itself has a competent transfer, with the picture sharp and colourful throughout. There are a few scratches and instances of dirt, which is understandable in a ten-year-old movie.

Audio

A Dolby Digital 5.1 track graces Bill and Ted`s Bogus Journey, a step up from the simple Surround track that came with the prequel. There is also a Spanish Stereo track, and mono tracks in German and French. The music is good, but not as memorable as the original, with only the Kiss track really staying in your mind. The surround effect is well implemented, with some subtle effects when Bill and Ted are dead bringing across the otherworldliness of their situation.

Features

Extras are limited to the trailer. There are subtitles for all the languages mentioned above, as well as Dutch, Portuguese, Polish, Greek, Hungarian and Italian. I found the menus difficult to navigate, as the highlighted options weren`t readily apparent as all the options are on lurid backgrounds.

Conclusion

Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves reprise their roles in the sequel, and seeing Bill and Ted again is like stepping into some comfortable shoes. They also have fun playing the evil robot us`s. Joss Ackland is wasted as the bad guy, De Nomolos. Apart from grimacing and gnashing his teeth, his performance seems half-hearted. The revelation of the film is William Sadler as Death, The Grim Reaper himself. He really puts himself into the role and easily steals the whole movie. The scene where Bill and Ted play Death for their souls is easily the funniest of the whole film. He even gets into the act, playing air guitar with the best of them.

Bill and Ted`s Bogus Journey is almost as funny as the original, and for a sequel it acquits itself well, having an original and entertaining story. But somehow, the innocence and charm of the original are missing. Perhaps it`s the idea that a sequel is automatically is a cynical cash in, but I believe that in giving Bill and Ted a nemesis, makes the film a little more mundane and predictable. The first film was refreshing in that it was wholly original and relatively cliché free. The idea of travelling through time to complete their homework was fresh and invigorating. By the introduction of De Nomolos in Bogus Journey, the story tends toward established Hollywood ideas of good guys versus bad guys. Nevertheless, the conclusion where Bill & Ted unite the world through rock and roll is still hopeful if a little schmaltzy. In this armpit of a world we inhabit, wouldn`t it be cool if…? I`ll be honest, I liked the ending so much I got the single of God Gave Rock and Roll To You. It`s useful as it has a little lexicon of Bill and Ted speak. Here are some highlights


Bill & Ted Speak ---------- English

Excellent ---------- Good
Most Excellent ---------- Very Good
Triumphant ---------- Excellent
Outstanding ---------- Most Excellent
Awesome ---------- Awesome
Unprecedented ---------- Really Good
How`s It Hanging? ---------- Hello
Melvined ---------- Tricked, Duped
Esteemed ---------- Famous
Personages ---------- Esteemed Dudes
Bogus ---------- Dangerously Melvinized
Egregious ---------- Most Bogus
Bodacious ---------- Unbogus
Party On! ---------- Keep It Up
Heinous ---------- Bad
Non-Heinous ---------- Good
Non-Non-Heinous ---------- Real Bad
Most Atypical ---------- Incredible, Amazing
Dudes ---------- Non-Babe Personages of the Human Species
Be Excellent To Each Other---------- Love Thy Neighbour
Full-On Robot Chubby ---------- Large Metal Erection
The Dude Downstairs ---------- Beelzebub
Joan of Arc ---------- Noah`s Wife
The Floppy-Eared, Egg-Dropping, Hippity-Hopping Behemoth ---------- The Easter Bunny

If I were to describe Bill and Ted`s Bogus Journey in one word…

Station!