Bill & Ted’s Most Triumphant Trilogy (4K UHD Review)

Reviewed by: Tim Salmons
Review Date: Sep 11, 2024
Format: 4K Ultra HD

Director

Stephen Herek/Pete Hewitt/Dean Parisot

Release Date(s)

1989/1991/2020 (August 6, 2024)

Studio(s)

Interscope/Orion/Endeavor Content/Hammerstone Studios (Shout! Studios)

Film/Program Grade: See Below
Video Grade: See Below
Audio Grade: See Below
Extras Grade: B
Overall Grade: B+

Review

The tales of two time-traveling teenagers turned adults whose brand of rock and roll is destined to change the world made a splash with audiences since their respective releases, mostly on home video—despite many critics labeling their adventures as nothing more than generic “stoner comedies.” However, Bill S. Preston, Esq.’s and Ted “Theodore” Logan’s laid-back charm and sincerity mixed with a dose of science fiction, fantasy, and off-kilter comedy continues to generate new fans as their Earth-saving musical escapades age rather beautifully, mostly due to Alex Winter’s and Keanu Reeves’ performances, but also because of their pure likability.

It all began with writers Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, who had been performing their Bill and Ted act on stage in college years before putting pen to paper and writing a screenplay for the two characters in 1987. Directing Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure was Stephen Herek, who had just helmed Critters the year before, and later went on to mainstream success at Disney with The Mighty Ducks and the live action 101 Dalmatians, as well as Mr. Holland’s Opus. Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves were relatively fresh faces in Hollywood. Winter had small parts in Death Wish 3 and The Lost Boys, while Reeves had been building up a small resume with films like Youngblood, River’s Edge, Babes in Toyland, and The Prince of Pennsylvania. Both he and Winter hit it off immediately with obvious chemistry, even before getting their respective roles. Bulking up the cast was the late George Carlin, Hal Landon, Jr. (Eraserhead), Amy Stoch (Dallas), and Bernie Casey (Boxcar Bertha, Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde), as well as a slew of character actors portraying all of the historical figures of importance.

Unfortunately, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure lost its initial distributor, but was picked up by Nelson Entertainment and Orion Pictures for release in 1989. It was a mild success theatrically, but like a lot of similar cult-type films, gained far more popularity on home video, spawning a soundtrack, merchandise, video games, and TV shows.

Two years later, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey saw the core creative group return for another adventure, taking a radically different direction. Bogus Journey was still a comedy at its base, but this time around, the down-on-their-luck duo destined for greatness are killed by two robots from the future, created by the evil De Nomolos (Joss Ackland). They must find a way back after making their way through Hell and Heaven, with the insecure but lovable Death (William Sadler) by their side. Under the direction of Peter Hewitt (Tom and Huck, Garfield: The Movie), Bogus Journey saw a shift in tone and style, putting the characters into a new situation without altering them. There’s also a much stronger visual style on display, at times even surreal, paying obvious homages to Ingmar Bergman and Powell and Pressburger, while also feeling almost experimental at times.

The results were not as welcomed as the previous film, making even less money at the box office, but having a far more cult-like reaction. Both Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves were also not that keen initially on returning to their roles as they had moved on to other things, especially Reeves, but the chemistry between them was still undeniably there. Fans for years debated which was the better movie, Excellent Adventure or Bogus Journey, long before a third film, which was talked about for many years before it was finally realized.

Said sequel, Bill & Ted Face the Music, was finally released in 2020 simultaneously in theaters and on Premium VOD services amid the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. It was a more than welcome return, once again reuniting the creative team of Winter, Reeves, Matheson, Solomon, and Kroopf (with Galaxy Quest’s Dean Parisot taking up directing duties). In an era when many people were forced to stay home and the future seemed bleak, Face the Music was a heartwarming and refreshing comedy that gave the kind of positive energy that only Bill and Ted can produce. And though there’s been mild talk of another sequel, Face the Music closes the book on the characters in a way that, while not 100% satisfying, still feels like decent closure.

The biggest hurdle that many longtime fans had to initially get past was how the ending of Bogus Journey was retconned slightly, revealing that the musical duo have yet to unite the world through song, and that their children are young women instead of young men. Not only that, but they’re also not the end-all, be-all saviors of the world as once thought... well, they are and they aren’t. They’re certainly a part of the engine that leads their daughters Theodora (Samara Weaving) and Wilhelmina (Brigette Lundy-Paine) into creating the song that unifies the universe, but they also participate in it at the end. William Sadler returns as Death, and since George Carlin is no longer with us, a new time-traveling guide (Kristen Schaal) appears to help them, lovingly named after George’s real-life daughter, Kelly. New additions include Kelly’s mother and “Great Leader” in the future (Holland Taylor), and Dennis Caleb McCoy (Anthony Carrigan), a time-traveling robot who fulfills some of the same story function as Death in the previous film.

Above all, Face the Music is like a slice of chocolate cake and a cold glass of milk. Not totally nourishing, but satisfying. In truth, the entirety of the Bill & Ted franchise feels that way. They’re all impossible to take seriously, but at the same time, they’re made well enough with plenty of heart and soul behind them that they continue to age well, despite the myriad of dated things about them. The overall fan favorite by far is Bogus Journey, but you can’t really go wrong with any of them.

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure was shot by director of photography Timothy Suhrstedt on 35mm film using Panavision Panaflex Gold II cameras and Panavision C- and E-Series lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 2.39:1. Shout! Studios brings the film to Ultra HD for a third time with the same disc as their previous 2022 release, graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and presented on a triple-layered BD-100 disc. As Bill noted in his review, this is an inconsistent, though still quite pleasant presentation. The StudioCanal UHD maintained a tighter bitrate that mostly stuck close to 80Mbps, whereas the Shout! Studios disc hovers primarily between 80 and 100Mbps, taking more advantage of the amount of detail on screen. A light sheen of grain is fairly solid throughout, though the optically-processed shots stand out, lacking the obvious depth and color present in the camera negative, especially scenes with subtitles. Some of this is baked in, but there are apparent discrepancies, often from shot to shot. The film’s color palette offers a nice variety, but the HDR doesn’t do it justice. Blacks can range from mostly deep to occasionally flat, while some scenes can appear unnaturally washed out. In his review, Bill gave the video portion of the StudioCanal disc a C+, whereas I’m more inclined to give the Shout! disc a solid but imperfect B, despite having only minor differences. It’s a clean and stable presentation with excellent levels of fine detail from end to end, but it needs much more work when it comes to the color grading.

Audio is included in English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. The film was released in Dolby Stereo, which is represented well with the 2.0 option, but most will opt for the 5.1. As Bill observed, it’s a very nice mix with a modest low end push, but gives the various elements plenty of room to breathe. I personally like the stereo mix a bit more, but both are fine options that represent the film’s intended sound design dutifully.

BILL & TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): B+/B/A

Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey was shot by director of photography Oliver Wood on 35mm film using Panavision Panaflex Gold II and Panaflex Platinum cameras and Panavision Primo lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Shout! Studios brings the film to Ultra HD for the first time with a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and presented on a triple-layered BD-100 disc. It’s a beautifully organic presentation of the film with a tightly-knitted sheen of grain and a bitrate that primarily hovers between 80 and 100Mbps. Opticals, of which there are many throughout the film, have an obvious, baked-in softness to them, but everything appears organic to its source. The color palette offers a vast range of hues, which are further enhanced by the HDR grades, allowing for impressive depth with deep blacks and rich detail in the colors. Minor speckling can be seen along the way, but otherwise, it’s a clean and stable image—and the finest home video presentation of the film available.

Audio is included in English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. Released theatrically in Dolby SR, the intended sound design is represented well with crisp and clear mixes. There’s a surprising amount of low end activity to be had, but just enough to make certain moments effective without being overly boisterous. Dialogue exchanges are precise and the varying elements are given careful placement in the surrounding speakers.

BILL & TED’S BOGUS JOURNEY (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): B+/A/A

Bill & Ted Face the Music was captured digitally by director of photography Shelly Johnson in the ARRIRAW (2.8K & 3.4K) codec using Arri Alexa Mini and Arri Alexa XT Plus cameras and Panavision Primo lenses, finished as a 4K Digital Intermediate, and presented in the aspect ratio of 2.39:1. Shout! Studios brings the film to Ultra HD for the first time in the US with what is purported to be a “new 4K remaster from the Digital Intermediate,” graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and presented on a triple-layered BD-100 disc. It’s a solid presentation with excellent clarity and sharpness, despite being from an upscaled source. In fact, one would be hard-pressed to tell much of a difference had it been captured in native 4K. As with the previous films, the bitrate sits mostly between 80 and 100Mbps. The HDR grades boost the palette and balance out contrast with deep blacks, solid whites, and the gradations in between. Some of the CGI effects are obviously softer by comparison, but the image is stable and natural.

Audio is included in English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. Both mixes offer highly immersive experiences, with the 5.1 obviously having much more aural muscle. Panning and atmospherics are frequent with some surprising low end, while dialogue exchanges are clear and precise. Diegetic music, as well as the score, are given an ample amount of heft, as well.

BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC (FILM/VIDEO/AUDIO): B/A/A

Bill & Ted’s Most Triumphant Trilogy on 4K Ultra HD from Shout! Studios offers 3 UHD discs and 3 1080p Blu-ray discs, all sitting in three separate black Amaray cases with inserts that feature the original theatrical artwork for each film. Everything is housed in a rigid slipcase featuring new artwork by Orlando Arocena. Each disc contains the following extras:

DISC ONE: BILL & TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE (UHD)

Audio Commentary with Alex Winter and Scott Kroopf
Audio Commentary with Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon
Time Flies When You Are Having Fun! – A Look Back at A Most Excellent Adventure (HD – 61:14)
Theatrical Trailer (HD – 1:57)

DISC TWO: BILL & TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE (BD)

Audio Commentary with Alex Winter and Scott Kroopf
Audio Commentary with Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon
Time Flies When You Are Having Fun! – A Look Back at A Most Excellent Adventure (HD – 61:14)
The Original Bill & Ted: In Conversation with Chris & Ed (SD – 20:15)
The Hysterical Personages of Bill & Ted (SD – 15:27)
Theatrical Trailer (HD – 1:57)

DISC THREE: BILL & TED’S BOGUS JOURNEY (UHD)

Audio Commentary with Alex Winter and Scott Kroopf
Audio Commentary with Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon
Bill & Ted Go to Hell: Revisiting a Bogus Journey (HD – 52:04)
Theatrical Trailer (HD – 2:01)

DISC FOUR: BILL & TED’S BOGUS JOURNEY (BD)

Audio Commentary with Alex Winter and Scott Kroopf
Audio Commentary with Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon
Bill & Ted Go to Hell: Revisiting a Bogus Journey (HD – 52:04)
The Most Triumphant Making-Of Documentary (SD – 30:53)
Score! – Interview with Guitarist Steve Vai (SD – 12:46)
Air Guitar Tutorial with Champs Björn Türoque & The Rockness Monster (SD – 13:15)
Vintage EPK (SD – 6:39)
The Linguistic Stylings of Bill & Ted (3:41)
Theatrical Trailer (HD – 2:01)

DISC FIVE: BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC (UHD)

None.

DISC SIX: BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC (BD)

Bill & Ted Face the Music: Most Excellent SDCC 2020 Panel (HD – 43:14)
Be Excellent to Each Other (HD – 1:22)
A Most Triumphant Duo (HD – 1:17)
Social Piece (Excellence) (HD – :49)
Death’s Crib (HD – 1:13)

Everything appears to have been carried over from Shout’s previous Blu-ray releases of Excellent Adventure and Bogus Journey, and all of the extras that were included with Face the Music on Blu-ray are accounted for, as well. Unfortunately, nothing new has been added, but there are a couple of things missing. MGM’s DVD releases included a teaser trailer for Bogus Journey, an episode of the Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventures animated TV show, a still gallery, and 6 radio spots for Excellent Adventure. Included in the package for the Shout! Select Blu-ray release were two Bill and Ted stickers and a Wyld Stallyns guitar pick. Also missing are many of the contest ads, music videos, additional trailers, TV spots, and TV specials from the release of all three films, some of which can be found on Youtube. Rights issues and salvageable elements likely prevented their inclusion. (It goes without saying that none of the deleted scenes have been included either, but those that were trimmed from the first two films are purportedly missing in action.)

Revisiting the Bill & Ted films in such high quality further reminds of me why I fell in love with them in the first place, and why they continue to be frequent re-watches. Taken as a whole, they’re most outstanding, and while Shout! Studios’ 4K UHD release isn’t perfectly square on all sides, it’s currently the best incarnation of all three films on home video. In other words, highly recommended.

- Tim Salmons

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