Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey is ample proof that not all sequels suck. Sometimes they're even better than the original. It is the future. Society has at last solved all its major problems, thanks to amiable lunkheads Bill and Ted and the inspiring music of their band, Wyld Stallyns. Only one man is dissatisfied with the way things have turned out, the evil De Nomolos (Joss Ackland). In an effort to change the future, De Nomolos sends evil Bill and Ted robots back in time to prevent the real Bill and Ted from winning a pivotal Battle of the Bands. What follows is a spirited journey through the afterlife as Bill and Ted try to rescue their girlfriends, save the future, and, oh, yeah, learn how to play the guitar.

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey swings easily between childish and clever humour, and is good at both: a Bergman reference is quickly followed by an equally funny bit about Death's stinky feet. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter seem happy to be reprising their roles and even manage to add funny spins on Evil Robot Bill and Ted. William Sadler very nearly steals the movie as Death, playing both his wounded dignity and budding desire to be funky to a T. As if that weren't enough, George Carlin returns as Rufus and Pam Grier does a cameo just for the hell of it. --Ali Davis, Amazon.com

Time travel in the movies is at an all time high in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Bill S Preston Esquire (Alex Winter) and Ted Theodore Logan (Keanu Reeves) are in danger of flunking History class. They're rescued by Rufus (George Carlin), a resident of San Dimas 700 years in the future--a future in which their band Wyld Stallyns has brought about world peace and the best water slides in the universe. Entrusted with a phone booth time machine, they pick up various historical personages to give a colourful stage show for their final exam. The hip 80s rock sensibility paved the way for many comedies that followed Wayne's World, with air guitar and phrases like "bogus" and "dude" entrenching themselves way beyond the film's cult following. The film spawned a number of spin-offs including a bodacious cartoon and comic book series.

On the DVD: a trailer and a gallery of 20 behind-the-scenes photos will disappoint fans, even though it's interesting to see director Stephen Herek at work before he moved onto more serious films such as Mr Holland's Opus. However, the film has never looked better than in this transfer, and the effects still look terrific (especially the channels of Time). A Dolby sound mix also does wonders for Beethoven's keyboard improvs. --Paul Tonks