
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
By Heather Boerner,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Silly time-capsule comedy ideal for older tweens.

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Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
Community Reviews
Based on 19 parent reviews
Sex, swearing, but still very fun.
A Positive Comedy that All Ages Can Enjoy, in Different Ways
What's the Story?
In BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE, slacker teens Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are more intent on landing Eddie Van Halen for their band Wyld Stallions than making it through high school. But if the boys don't get an A+ on their history report, they'll flunk out of school, and Ted will be on his way to military school in Alaska. Knowing only that Napoleon is "a short, dead dude" and guessing that Joan of Arc is "Noah's wife," the boys seem to be lost -- until a visitor from the future, Rufus (the perfectly cool George Carlin), appears in a magical phone booth to allow them to experience history first hand. They hatch a plan: Bring historical figures back and let them experience San Dimas -- and then take them to class. The plan goes perfectly, including a run-in at the mall, arrests, and other ensuing silliness.
Is It Any Good?
Some movies are irresistible junk food for the brain -- short, sweet, and so entertaining you want to watch them over and over again; this is one of those. It's a bonbon of a film, full of good looking, sweet scenes that make you feel giddy.
The great thing about Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is that it's perfectly paced and perfectly acted. Say what you will about Reeves' wooden-feeling delivery -- it takes a certain level of brilliance to come up with a character who's both maddeningly dumb and completely lovable. And there are other great scenes. Released on a modern mall, the historical characters act out. Joan of Arc rallies the troupes of an aerobics class. Billy the Kid turns out to be a bad flirt. And with one tilt of his corndog, Sigmund Freud is proven to be a perv. It's delightfully silly and eminently watchable.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the "slacker" stereotype. What does that mean to you? Do you consider Bill and Ted to be slackers? Are they role models?
The "dudes" shred on guitar, and the "babes" are treated like prizes. Are those stereotypes? If so, what message does that send to viewers?
If you had a time machine, what time periods would you visit? Who would you want to visit, and why? Do you think the historical figures in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure really would have reacted the way they did? Would Joan of Arc, for instance, become an aerobics instructor?
Movie Details
- In theaters: February 17, 1989
- On DVD or streaming: December 4, 2001
- Cast: Alex Winter , George Carlin , Keanu Reeves
- Director: Stephen Herek
- Inclusion Information: Asian actors, Polynesian/Pacific Islander actors
- Studio: MGM/UA
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Adventures , Friendship , High School , History
- Run time: 90 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- Last updated: September 26, 2023
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