By The Riff Report – Where time travel’s optional, but air guitars are mandatory
🕶️ From Excellent to Bogus… and Still Brilliant?
If Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure was like chugging SunnyD while cramming for history class, then Bogus Journey is its goth cousin who discovered death metal and philosophy.
Gone are the historical hijinks and phone booth tours. This time, our favourite Wyld Stallyns are fighting evil robot versions of themselves, getting murdered, playing Twister with the Grim Reaper, and literally going to Hell. Yep. 🤘🔥
And somehow… it STILL rocks.
🎭 The Plot: BOGUS with a capital B
The year is… well, who cares. Bill and Ted are just trying to get their band off the ground, win the Battle of the Bands, and not screw up their destiny to unite the world through music. Casual.
But Evil Bill and Evil Ted, robot doppelgängers sent from the future, show up and absolutely ruin their day by throwing them off a cliff and stealing their lives. As you do.
Now dead, our heroes have to:
- Beat Death at board games (best scene ever),
- Escape both Hell and Heaven (while causing mayhem in both),
- Build robot good-guy versions of themselves (with help from a Martian genius called Station – don’t ask),
- And rock the Battle of the Bands to save the world.
It’s like Wayne’s World if it was directed by Tim Burton after eating dodgy mushrooms. 🍄
💀 MVP: Death (No, Really)
Let’s just say it – William Sadler’s Grim Reaper absolutely steals the film. He’s creepy. He’s clingy. He’s petty. And he’s downright hilarious.
“You might be a king or a little street sweeper,
But sooner or later, you dance with the Reaper.” ☠️
He goes from cosmic stalker to full-blown bandmate, playing bongos and throwing hissy fits. A proper scene-stealer and the spiritual goth dad of the movie.
🤘 Rock ‘n’ Roll Chaos Checklist:
- 🎸 Evil Robot Us-es that act like drunk Roombas with knives
- 🎤 A Battle of the Bands hosted by Primus (yes, really)
- 🧠 Existential crises, ghost possessions, and heaven-sent Martian twins
- 🎮 Death being absolutely rubbish at Clue, Battleship, and Twister
- 🪦 Satan, seances, and some truly trippy production design
This film is less time-travel, more acid trip – and that’s not a complaint.
🧠 Is It Deep? Nah. Is It Fun? HELL YES.
Bogus Journey doesn’t try to be clever. It tries to be mad. And it succeeds. It’s the cinematic equivalent of dropping your amp in the bathtub – shocking, stupid, and somehow… electrifying.
You can feel the filmmakers going, “What if we KILL the main characters 20 minutes in?” and just running with it. That kind of boldness? Respect, butt.
🎤 Final Riff
It shouldn’t work. It makes less sense than a Slayer song played backwards. But Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey is underrated, unpredictable, and undeniably fun. It’s a sequel that ditches the safe route, cranks the weird up to 11, and still leaves you shouting “STATION!!” in the middle of Tesco for no reason.
🤘 Riff Report Rating:
4.5/5 Melodic Martians 🛸🛸🛸🛸🌓
+1 bonus point if you’ve ever challenged someone to Twister and said, “I grow tired of this game…”
So remember, rockers:
You can’t cheat death… unless you bring board games.
And above all…
Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes.
#BogusJourney #BillAndTed #RiffReportReviews #Station #GrimReaperForTheWin #MetalMartianMadness
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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