Wonderfully Horrible Netflix Instant Films: Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure

There are certain films that remind you of a particular time in your life. You can't help but look back on these films with nostalgia and love. For me, when I was in 7th grade, a movie took over my mind for at least a year. I can't explain to you why this movie had such an impact on me. Maybe it's because I've always had a great love of history or perhaps it's my love of late 80's early 90's butt rock. But when I saw Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, it was a defining moment in my love of film and later my choice of career in the film industry. But you know what? It's not a good movie. It's an AWESOME movie, but good? No, sir.

Bill and Ted, (Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves), are a couple of idiotic metalheads living in San Dimas California who dream of making their band Wyld Stallyns the biggest group on Earth. Unfortunately, they don't know how to play. When their history final could mean them flunking out of school, it could mean the end of the band. That's when Rufus, played by the great George Carlin, shows up in a time machine that looks like a phone booth. He tells them that they can travel to anytime in history and do research for their final project. They accidentally kidnap Napoleon and leave him stranded in modern day San Dimas with Ted's little brother Deacon. They decide to go and kidnap other historical figures to talk at their presentation. They bring Genghis Khan, Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, Beethoven, Freud, Billy The Kid, and of course Socrates. They also meet a couple of princesses in medieval Europe and almost get killed. They leave the historical figures in the mall to absorb modern day San Dimas while they go to get Napoleon from a water park called Waterloo. The historical peeps get arrested by Ted's cop father. Bill and Ted then have to rescue them to get to their presentation. They just make it and have these historical figures save their asses by making a most excellent presentation. Bill and Ted get A's and stay together. It is then that Rufus returns with the princesses and explains to them why it was so imperative that they not separate. Their crappy band will one day unite the universe and lead to world peace. Excellent!

The film led to a sequel in which the boys go on a most bogus journey in the afterlife, a short lived Saturday morning cartoon, an impossible Super NES game, and there is talk of a third installment with a middle-aged Bill and Ted. The movie pretty much launched the career of Keanu and Alex...well...not so much. Look, the movie is stupid and fun but a little bit educational as well. If the world did live by the tenets of Wyld Stallyns it would be a much better place. Remember, friends, be excellent to each other and party on, dudes!