STREAM OF THE WEEK: Bill and Ted Face the Music (Netflix)

 

For Face the Music, nostalgia is key, and it sure is great to see Keanu Reeves back to his old stoner self after becoming one of the biggest action stars in the world off the success of The Matrixtrilogy and the seemingly infinite (yet still entertaining) parade of John Wickmovies. Reeves is re-united with Alex Winters, who has gone on to do... well not as much. Although William Sadler is also back as Death, sadly, the late great George Carlin’s presence is sorely missed. Kristen Schaal instead picks up the slack as Rufus’s daughter Kelly (which is the name of Carlin’s real-life daughter, who briefly appears in a cameo). 

The duos’ daughters, portrayed by Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine, seem to be having a ton of fun and steal many of the scenes they are in. While the first two films featured the affable stoners on a quest through history in order to pass their exams, this time the stakes are even higher. The end of the world is nigh unless the pair can write a magical piece that will unite the world in song. Instead of Genghis Khan and Albert Einstein, this time we get musical legends like Jimi Hendrix, Louis Armstrong, Mozart and… Kid Cudi?? Naturally, Cudi is the only one alive to represent himself while the others are portrayed by upcoming musicians and actors. Being so heavily focused on music, another highlight of the film is the music as Bill & Ted’s fictional band Wyld Stallyns finally write their big hit. Weezer, Cold War Kids, Lamb of God and Fidlar also appear on the soundtrack. 

The film is hilarious and heartwarming but relies heavily on nostalgia. You will definitely need to see the first two films which, luckily, are in themselves very entertaining. 

Bill and Ted Face the Music is available to stream on Netflix.