Title: “Bill & Ted Face the Music”

Release date: In theaters and video on demand Aug. 28, 2020

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, Samara Weaving, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi, Kristen Schaal, Anthony Carrigan, Erinn Hayes, Jayma Mays, Jillian Bell, Holland Taylor, Beck Bennett, William Sadler, Hal Landon Jr., Amy Stoch, DazMann Still, Jeremiah Craft, Daniel Dorr, Sharon Gee, Patty Anne Miller

Directed by: Dean Parisot

Written by: Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon

Genres: Comedy/science fiction/fantasy

Run time: 1 hour, 31 minutes

Rated: PG-13

What it’s about: In a long-awaited sequel to 1989’s “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” and the 1991 follow-up “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey,” slow-witted slackers Theodore “Ted” Logan (Reeves) and William S. “Bill” Preston, Esq. (Winter), now in their 50s, travel back and forth in time as they are tasked with writing a song that will unite humanity before time and space are destroyed. Meanwhile, their daughters (Weaving as Theadora “Thea” Preston and Lundy-Paine as Wilhelmina “Billie” Logan) also time travel as they round up some of the greatest musicians in history to perform the song.

What I liked about it: Though uneven, “Bill & Ted Face the Music” is a fun, upbeat movie in a time when the world needs such a film. It is genuinely funny and clever in parts, and it’s a nice nostalgia trip for fans of the first two films. This film was written about 10 years ago, but a distributor could not be found. Reeves’ renewed popularity after the “John Wick” films likely helped get the ball rolling. … Its message that the world can be united and saved through music, though maybe quaint, is a nice idea worth being reminded of. If you like a happy ending (and you’ll certainly be expecting one here), you won’t be disappointed. … Reeves, who has gone on to superstardom since the franchise began, and Winter, whose recent filmmaking career has involved documentaries, still have great chemistry, and it is fun to watch them reprise and update their roles. They don’t re-invent Bill and Ted, and they’re still mostly clueless, but now they are thrust into adult situations, including marriage counseling, while projecting the energy of their youth though they now are at the back end of middle age. … I laughed hardest when Carrigan (as insecure robot Dennis Caleb McCoy) and Sadler (reprising his role as the Grim Reaper) were on screen. The funniest scene is when Bill and Ted, and then their daughters, kiss up to Death, who played bass in their band, the Wyld Stallyns, until a lawsuit caused a rift. Carrigan’s McCoy is sent through time to destroy Bill and Ted but ends up tagging along on their adventure.

What I didn’t like about it: The movie feels like it is bogging down after a nice start, about the time it gets to the nuts and bolts part (plot development and working the story toward a resolution), though it rebounds nicely toward the end. … While no one would expect the graphics to be on par with a Marvel Cinematic Universe film, the greenscreen scenes are distractingly bad. … The late George Carlin is missed in his role as Rufus. … Lundy-Paine’s imitation of Reeves as her father Ted wears thin after a while.  

Who it should appeal to: Those looking for a fun distraction, music lovers, nostalgia seekers.

My score: 79 out of 100.