Bill & Ted and Wayne & Garth, two of the most iconic fictional comedy duos of the late 80s/early 90s come from remarkably similar films: Wayne’s World (1992). While these duos' look and catchphrases were ubiquitous, how do their two original films actually compare in of the characters themselves, the music, the storylines, and their memorable quotes?
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure was directed by Stephen Herek (Rob Lowe) who wants to take over the show and exploit it.
Both movies are beloved, particularly in the comedy duo of best friends, they each use heavy metal music as an integral part of their friendships and of the films’ plots, and have each brought comedic catchphrases into the pop-culture zeitgeist.
Bill & Ted vs. Wayne & Garth
The first and most obvious component to consider when comparing the films is the comedic dynamic film arcs, while Bill and Ted are much more flat and remain basically the same throughout the film.
Bill and Ted are the burnout high school kids trying to start a band, but they have no idea how to play. They don’t do well in school, they don’t really have any other skills, but they’re just so dumb that they’re loveable. Audiences love Bill and Ted because they’re so innocently positive, but outside of their desire to start a band and failing history class, the film doesn’t really give them much more character depth. They’re funny and enjoyable, but one-note.
fourth-wall breaks and outside relationships with women and with other friends give the characters more depth and establish them as people within a world rather than just flat stereotypes.
Bill & Ted's Music vs. Wayne's World’s Music
Both movies are structured around music, specifically what would have been called heavy metal at the time, but is now usually referred to as "hair metal" or "arena rock." With both duos spending time talking about bands, trying to start a band, and the infamous music store scene in Wayne’s World, music plays an integral part in both films.
soundtrack, featuring lesser-known bands like Extreme, Power Tool, and Shark Island. Their one big-name band is Warrant, which is still a smaller name in comparison to some of the bands in Wayne’s World.
In contrast, Wayne’s World uses the movie’s music significantly more, playing Gary Wright’s “Dream Weaver” when Wayne looks at Cassandra (Tia Carrere), the infamous Alice Cooper himself even makes an appearance when Wayne and Garth travel to Chicago with backstage es to his concert. Wayne’s World seems to have been written specifically with the music in mind and thus brings bigger, better, and more music to the table. Wayne’s World takes the win by a landslide in this category.
Bill & Ted’s Story vs. Wayne's World's Story
The next aspect of the movies to consider is the plot. In Bill & Ted, the two boys save the world with their music. There’s a pretty creative storyline there and some high stakes, at least as far as high school kids are concerned.
In contrast, Wayne’s World follows Wayne and Garth as a producer tries to steal and exploit their cable access show and steal Wayne’s girlfriend. This is a pretty basic plot in of complexity and not all that creative; it’s clearly intended as a vehicle for the comedy and the characters rather than the focus of the film, and while that’s fine for what it is, it does make for a less interesting story.
This is the category where Bill & Ted unquestionably sures Wayne’s World. With significantly more creativity and interest in the storyline, Bill & Ted is a better story, while Wayne’s World is clearly just a platform designed to deliver comedy to the audience. The plot is less important than the characters, skits, and set pieces, while in Bill & Ted the story is everything.
Bill & Ted's Quotes vs. Wayne's World's Quotes
“Wayne’s World, Wayne’s World, party time, excellent,” goes the refrain that serves as the intro theme for “Bill & Ted has the better quote in, “Be excellent to each other,” which is a life mantra that everyone should live by, plus the famous, “69, dude!” They also have the slightly longer and more obscure, yet still amazingly repeatable, “Strange things are afoot at the Circle K.”
But Wayne’s World definitely has more quotes: “party on,” “schwing,” “No stairway? Denied,” and their response to meeting Alice Cooper for the first time, “We’re not worthy, we’re not worthy!” Bill & Ted also has “excellent” and “triumphant,” but these are somewhat more generic and not as exclusive to the franchise, while “party on” and “schwing” are unique to Wayne’s World.
Conclusion: Wayne’s World is Better Than Bill & Ted
While SNL and gone on to create comedy gold in TV and film; their chemistry on screen is amazing, and the writing of both characters makes them endearing and long-lasting for movie audiences.
