I'm not really a fan of slacker movies and I absolutely despise the two WAYNE'S WORLD movies that came later, but something about the two BILL & TED movies is inherently likable. It may be the dumb characters, so relentlessly dumb but chirpy with it that they're impossible to dislike. Or it may be the fact that the humour, although dumb, is never mean-spirited or unpleasant; there's something delightfully old-fashioned about it which harks back to the slapstick comedy of years gone by.
BOGUS JOURNEY is a slightly inferior film when compared to EXCELLENT ADVENTURE, which was fresher and more funny with all of the historical figures. The central joke about the dumbness of the characters is beginning to wear a bit thin, although Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves certainly do their best and bring plenty of energy to the material. At some points BOGUS JOURNEY feels like a near plot less adventure, taking the characters through various points in the afterlife. The varied special effects are dated but fun, and the set design is excellent. I love wacky stuff so a lot of this film appealed.
The best thing in the film is William Sadler, playing the Grim Reaper in a delightful homage to THE SEVENTH SEAL. Sadler, one of cinema's most underrated stars, is excellent when given the chance to do something other than play the stock villain in an action movie - although he's very good at doing that too, as anyone who has seen DIE HARD 2 will be sure to admit. I loved him to bits here and his deadpan, naive humour is great stuff. The challenge scene is a highlight, inevitably, but Sadler remains strong throughout. The music-infused climax is well-handled too, and those homemade robot clones are brilliantly designed.
BOGUS JOURNEY is a slightly inferior film when compared to EXCELLENT ADVENTURE, which was fresher and more funny with all of the historical figures. The central joke about the dumbness of the characters is beginning to wear a bit thin, although Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves certainly do their best and bring plenty of energy to the material. At some points BOGUS JOURNEY feels like a near plot less adventure, taking the characters through various points in the afterlife. The varied special effects are dated but fun, and the set design is excellent. I love wacky stuff so a lot of this film appealed.
The best thing in the film is William Sadler, playing the Grim Reaper in a delightful homage to THE SEVENTH SEAL. Sadler, one of cinema's most underrated stars, is excellent when given the chance to do something other than play the stock villain in an action movie - although he's very good at doing that too, as anyone who has seen DIE HARD 2 will be sure to admit. I loved him to bits here and his deadpan, naive humour is great stuff. The challenge scene is a highlight, inevitably, but Sadler remains strong throughout. The music-infused climax is well-handled too, and those homemade robot clones are brilliantly designed.