Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

The story of Bill & Ted is one of most excellence, so I feel as though since this is an older movie, some background information must be given:

Bill and Ted are two wannabe rockers living in San Dimas, California. They have spent some much time working on their band, The Wyld Stallyns, that they're both flunking history class. Bill's father doesn't seem to care much; however, Ted's father on the other hand is extremely angry by the fact. He threatens to send Ted away to military school in Alaska. He is so sure that his son will fail the term that he signed him up early.

Meanwhile, in a strange future where Bill and Ted are rulers, panic is arising. If Ted is sent to Alaska, people would not "Be excellent to each other" and "party on." Thus, Rufus goes back in time with a phone booth and gives them the phone booth in order to help them with their history project, which ultimately will decide whether or not the future will proceed as planned.

While watching the classic 80's film, I noticed that it too follows the criteria for a "Hero's Journey" as well as containing various archetypes.

Bill and Ted's journey followed the "Hero's Journey" criteria:

• The Departure is one aspect I have a little trouble understanding. I believe that the departure is more on a theoretical level. Ted, in theory, must leave the band, his best friend, and San Dimas behind. This departure is something he is reluctant to accept. The Departure could also be when Bill and Ted leave on their journey through time and space in order to stop Ted from being sent away, which connects with the previous idea

• When Rufus arrives in the phone booth, the two boys are "initiated" into working for their successful history report marks. Rufus tells them that they can use the booth however they please, as long as they pass their report in the end, implying that they must use the time machine in order to speak to historical figures.

• During the Road of Trials, Bill and Ted meet many historical figures, including Billy the Kid, Socrates, Ludwig von Beethoven, Dr. Sigmund Freud, Joan of Arc, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, and Abraham Lincoln. These historical figures give the boys a better understanding of history, as well as teaching the boys to be responsible as they cause havoc through "present day" California (1980's being the present).

• The Innermost Cave poses a problem. I personally feel as though the boys enter this state when a majority of their historical figures are in jail (thanks to Ted's chief of police father) and Napoleon was lost at the Waterloo water park (hinting to the Battle of Waterloo, if you didn't catch that). This really gets the boys in gear and forces them to act quickly as they would miss their presentation time and evidently fail the class. You could say that they were reborn mentally in a sense that they were pushed against time, making time the Innermost Cave.
• Finally, Bill and Ted, as well as their acquired friends/historical figures, present a most excellent educational show for the student body. They use wisdom learned from the figures, as well as their own in order to pass the class with flying colours. This "defeats" Ted's father's wishes of sending his son to Alaska, as well as keeps the ideal future in balance, thus saving everybody one way or another.

Various archetypes appear as well (I am doing this from memory, however):

• While in the time machine, the fabrics of time are red and blue, mostly. This symbolizes disorder as well as height and devotion.

• The lightning seen from the sky when Rufus arrives symbolizes intuition and the inspiration to act.

• Bill and Ted sit outside a convenient store, The Circle K, while thinking about their project. 'Circle' in the name can represent though and the unity of the two boys.

• The phone booth is a rectangular prism, which can be used to represent rationality and security. It does break at one point, but that is simply the antenna, rather than the secure box itself.

Once again, all characters have an archetypical role:

• Bill and Ted --> They can be classified as apocalyptic heroes. It may sound strange, given the nature of the film, however if they did not succeed, society in the future would suffer greatly and collapse.

• Rufus and the historical figures --> These are all mentors to Bill and Ted and help them stay together, saving society later on.

• Captain Logan --> Ted's father is simply the enemy of the boys who threatens them as well as the future by separating his son from his best friend.

• The Princesses --> The princesses are a stereotypical form of Damsels in Distress. Met in the Medieval Ages, they are supposed to be married off later during the day. Bill and Ted promise to come back for them, but do not have time. Rufus does bring the girls to them in the end, so all is good. They are not the main issue, however.

I have found it almost humorus that even a silly plot like Bill and Ted can be connected back to Greek Mythology and archetypes. Are there any more stupidly-funny plots that follow the criteria that you know of?