Big Picture Big Sound

The Film

"It seems to me the only thing you've learned is that Caesar is a 'salad dressing dude.'"

Stoner buddies have been a staple of comedies since Cheech and Chong. However, before Wayne and Garth and Harold and Kumar, there was Bill and Ted -- and it was most excellent.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure was a modest late ‘80s hit that spawned one sequel, various TV shows and a few theme park attractions. Not too shabby for a pair of slackers, right? It also branded star Keanu Reeves with a reputation for being a little too much like his character, "Ted" Theodore Logan. In other words, he was known as Hollywood's most authentic dope.

Back in the day, that would have been worth it. See, Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Reeves) were most righteous. Today, however, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure seems a little dated -- which is not helped by the film's crappy soundtrack. (Sorry Wyld Stallyns fans.)

Still, Bill & Ted is pretty entertaining. The duo isn't as stupid as they appear, as they attempt to pass history class by passing through actual history, via a time-traveling phone booth and the help of the future-iffic Rufus (George Carlin). During their travels, the two encounter the likes of Napoleon, Billy the Kid, Socrates, Sigmund Freud, Beethoven, Joan of Arc, Genghis Kahn and Lincoln. Of course, time travel has yet to be perfected, so there's some hilarity along the way.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure went from phenomenon to cult classic and still has its fans today. There are still plenty of laughs to be had here, but just know that the duo hasn't held up as well as some of its slacker peers.

The Picture

Despite becoming a cultural phenomenon, you have to remember that Bill & Ted was originally a low-budget film. That's pretty evident in this 2.35:1 transfer. There are plenty of soft moments here and the film has a dated look (especially with some of those special effects). However, it also has nice colors and it's a pretty clean image overall. For a low-budget comedy that's over 20 years old, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure looks damn good.

The Sound

This DTS-HD Master Audio track is heavy all right, but it's not heavy metal. It's more like front-heavy. This track spends most of its time belting out of the front speakers, but there are a few surprises for the surrounds, mostly during those time traveling moments.

The Extras

Fox ported over a few of Bill & Ted's special features from the DVD -- but not all of them. Bogus! That said, you'll get the trailer and a few promo spots, a piece that highlights writers Chris and Ted, an episode of the Bill & Ted cartoon, and a little instructional air guitar.

Final Thoughts

Everything is different, but the same... at least with this Blu-ray release. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure on Blu-ray isn't too much of a boost over the DVD, but it is an improvement. Also, it's decent enough and has just enough laughs to make it an excellent addition to any very ‘80s Blu-ray collection.

Product Details

• Actors: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin
• Director: Stephen Herek
• Audio/Languages: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English), Dolby Digital 1.0 (Spanish)
• Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Rating: PG
• Studio: Fox
• Blu-ray Disc Release Date: November 13, 2012
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• List Price: $19.99
• Extras:
  • The Original Bill & Ted: In Conversation with Chris & Ted
  • Air Guitar Tutorial with Bjorn Turoque & The Rockness Monster
  • One Sweet and Sour Chinese Adventure to Go
  • Radio Spots
  • Theatrical Trailer