Bill & Ted Face the Music - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Picking up thirty years after a most triumphant adventure through history, time and the afterlife, Bill S. Preston, Esq. (Alex Winter) and Ted "Theodore" Logan (Keanu Reeves) now brave an even more bodacious journey in Bill & Ted Face the Music: suburbia, parenthood and an unexpected midlife crisis. Decades and several music albums later, the two are still joined at the hip and do everything together, including couples therapy with princesses Joanna (Jayma Mays) and Elizabeth (Erinn Hayes). They even named their daughters after one another: Billie (Brigette Lundy-Paine) and Thea (Samara Weaving), both of whom obviously take after their fathers. Sadly, not everything is stellar in slacker paradise after the Wyld Stallyns failed to produce the music that would unite the world into a resplendent utopia. Nevertheless, they live without regrets until the sudden realization their universe is on the brink of collapse.

From Galaxy Quest director Dean Parisot, the third and possibly final installment to the sci-fi buddy comedy series opens with a rocky start, feeling rushed and somewhat disjointed with several jokes barely registering a giggle. Nevertheless, Parisot manages to keep things entertaining and moving forward at an upbeat pace while Winter and Reeves immediately charm audiences with their winningly familiar optimism and idealistic outlook. The script by franchise creators Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon also steers clear of any cynical and pessimistic pitfalls with a surprisingly thoughtful plot that smoothly navigates through the laughs and silliness to finally land with genuine sincerity on the simple theme of it never being too late. In a brilliant stroke of genius, the real dilemma standing in their way is their future selves, bitter and angry with remorse while a startling sense of self-awareness feels genuinely amusing and witty. It all comes together in the most triumphantly satisfying way that reminds us to be excellent to each other. (Movie Rating: 3.5/5) 

Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray
Shout! Factory brings Bill & Ted Face the Music to 4K Ultra HD as a two-disc combo pack. A Region Free, triple-layered UHD100 disc and a Region A locked, BD50 disc comfortably sit on opposing panels inside a black, eco-elite vortex case. At startup, the disc goes to a static screen with the usual selection along the bottom and music playing in the background.

The third adventure through space and time lands on Ultra HD with a most excellent and totally bodacious HEVC H.265 encode although it's not a significant night-and-day difference over the previous Blu-ray release. Coming directly from a digital source, the native 4K transfer arrives with a welcomed uptick in overall definition, showing slightly sharper, cleaner details in the clothing, various props and around various buildings. A more notable improvement is a contrast and brightness balance supplying intensely radiant whites and inkier black levels with better gradational differences and visibility within the darkest shadows. Specular highlights are also tighter and more luminous without washing out the finer details, giving the movie a brighter, more energetic pop. However, the bigger and more noteworthy upgrade is thanks to the Dolby Vision HDR yielding a richer, fuller color palette, from the animated reds and dynamic blues to the lively, sumptuous secondary hues. With healthy, highly-revealing facial complexions in the cast, the 2.39:1 image overall feels more energetic and upbeat on 4K UHD. (Dolby Vision HDR Video Rating: 90/100)

The lovable doofuses crash into home theaters with the same most outstanding and highly entertaining DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, sure to make those who rock scream for an encore. Although much of the attention is placed on the jokes and dialogue, the screen is actually vibrant and full of life as a variety of background activity smoothly bounces between the three front channels. Imaging continuously feels broad and spacious with distinct separation in the mid-range, displaying exceptional clarity and acoustical detailing even during the loudest rocking segments. A surprisingly powerful and robust low-end nicely complements the visuals with room-energizing oomph and some hard-hitting weight while the vocals remain crystal clear and precise amid the chaos and toe-tapping music. Also surprising are the various atmospheric effects flawlessly panning between the fronts and surrounds, like a flying vehicle gliding through the air, demons soaring across Hell or the music reverberating all around the listening area. Such moments are satisfyingly immersive and make this second sequel a truly triumphant listening experience at home. (Audio Rating: 90/100)

For this UHD edition, Shout ports over the same collection of bonus material as the previous Blu-ray release, and they are all housed in the accompanying BD disc. 

• The Official Bill & Ted Face The Music Panel at Comic-Con@Home (HD, 43 min)
• Be Excellent to Each Other (HD, 1 min)
• A Most Triumphant Duo (HD, 1 min)
• Death's Crib (HD, 1 min)
• Social Piece (Excellence) (HD, 1 min)

Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves make a most triumphant return as the time-traveling best buds in Bill & Ted Face the Music, the third installment in the beloved sci-fi buddy comedy franchise. Although it hits a few snags at the start, director Dean Parisot's sequel eventually manages to come together and strike the perfect harmony for these uncertain times, giving audiences exactly the right tune and rhythm needed for combating contemporary cynical outlooks. The lovable doofuses crash into 4K Ultra HD with a totally bodacious Dolby Vision HDR presentation and a most triumphant DTS-HD MA soundtrack. The assortment of special features is sadly small but nonetheless enjoyable and a breeze to get through. In the end, the overall UHD package is Recommended for Wyld Stallyns fans around the world and throughout space and time.

All disc reviews at High-Def Digest are completed using the best consumer HD home theater products currently on the market. More about the gear used for this review.