Movie Review: Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996)

The animated movie uses voices from Mike Judge, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, Cloris Leachman and Robert Stack.

I came across this film on one of our movie channels last night and, mostly because my wife and I needed to unwind a bit after a day of work and parent teacher conferences, I decided to put it on.

I'm not a big fan of the comedy genre and, because of that, this would normally be a film you would think I wouldn't enjoy. However, it is actually one of my favorite movies from the 1990s and, after watching it again last night, that opinion hasn't changed.

The thing I find I like about this movie isn't Beavis and Butt-Head (both voiced by Judge) themselves. It's all the supporting characters. The two stars really don't do a whole lot throughout the movie other than board the wrong bus, push a few buttons at the Hoover Dam and just be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But, because of the actions and assumptions of other characters, such as Agent Flemming (Stack) they end up being hunted down as terrorists.

Adding to all of that is they way they remain (predictably) clueless as to what is going on around them. The fact they are completely oblivious to the fact they are wanted fugitives makes this movie considerably funnier than it would have been had they known there was a manhunt.

I especially loved the ending of this movie, which features everything from Beavis' transforming into his infamous Cornholio character (drawing a wide range of different reactions from various supporting characters) to interactions with President Clinton (Dale Reeves) and his family and even a funny (albeit a little predictable) twist that winds up with their television neighbor Tom Anderson (Judge) on the wrong side of the law. It's one of those movies that simply keep me entertained from start to finish.

I'm still a bit undecided if I would let my own teenager watch this movie, but this film, which features characters from my own high school years, is one I do enjoy watching and I would recommend it as a result of that.

My Grade: A