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Joliet Jake (John Belushi) is released from prison after a three year sentence and is met at the prison gates by his brother Elwood (Dan Aykroyd). They then visit the orphanage where they grew up, only to be told by the nun who runs the place that she needs $5000 or it will be closed down. The Blues Brothers, as they are known, decide to redeem themselves by getting their old band back together to raise the cash. It's not as simple as that, however...
When this film was released, it wasn't successful at all, and was criticised for its wastefulness in the amount of money it cost, and the amount of destruction on display. Nowadays, nobody would bat an eyelid at all those expensive set pieces where cars are destroyed, but back then it provided the critics with the excuse to denigrate the whole enterprise. Scripted by Aykroyd and the director John Landis, it's not all crash bang wallop, it's a sincere tribute to soul and blues musicians, too.
The Blues Brothers began life as an act on Saturday Night Live, where Aykroyd and Belushi would cover old soul records, dressed in black suits, black hats, white shirts and black ties. In many ways this film version, which opens out that act, is wish fulfilment for the two comedians - they get to play soul singers who receive rapturous applause, and share a film with some of the greats, like James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles, who also perform in numbers that don't fit in entirely smoothly.
But they couldn't simply have non stop music, oh no, they had to pad it out with comedy too - the comedy of smashing things up. Early on, the brothers escape a police car by driving around a shopping mall, scattering shoppers and merchandise as they go. This would be the climax to most comedies, but for this film, it's just the beginning. The actual climax has the Bluesmobile (a converted police car itself) chased by a huge amount of cops through Chicago, resulting in numerous crashes and one incredible stunt where an irate neo-Nazi (Henry Gibson) drives off an uncompleted road only to sail hundreds of feet up in the air.
All well and good, but there's a vacuum at the heart of the movie - the Blues Brothers themselves. They don't have many funny lines, or any strong personality, and neither are they particularly terrific at singing. They are only cool by association; association with the soul greats, and participation in the stunts. I could imagine the Palace Hotel Ballroom being filled by Aretha, or Cab Calloway, as we see him with the audience in the palm of his hand during his "Minnie the Moocher" number, but not Jake and Elwood (and they leave after two songs!). Aykroyd and Belushi, yeah, but not Jake and Elwood. As spectacle, and for the cast and music, The Blues Brothers is fine entertainment, but it has a hollow sound. A remake/sequel appeared in 1998.
another comments:
- Interesting that our easily offended critic chooses to get huffy about the portrayal of black culture and not the portrayal of nuns. This is one of the most positive, upbeat, funny films ever
- Yeah, this really is a poor review - the film has the most iconic musicians of all time, as well as great acting, wonderful one-liners and a storyline that is far-fetched yet imaginative enough to make anyone applaud at the end. The review has no soul - literally, no soul!
Editorial Reviews:
After building up the duo's popularity through recordings and several performances on Saturday Night Live, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd--as "legendary" Chicago blues brothers Jake and Elwood Blues--took their act to the big screen in this action-packed hit from 1980. As Jake and Elwood struggle to reunite their old band and save the Chicago orphanage where they were raised, they wreak enough good-natured havoc to attract the entire Cook County police force. The result is a big-budget stunt-fest on a scale rarely attempted before or since, including extended car chases that result in the wanton destruction of shopping malls and more police cars than you can count. Along the way there's plenty of music to punctuate the action, including performances by Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, and James Brown that are guaranteed to knock you out. As played with deadpan wit by Belushi and Aykroyd, the Blues Brothers are "on a mission from God," and that gives them a kind of reckless glee that keeps the movie from losing its comedic appeal. Otherwise this might have been just a bloated marathon of mayhem that quickly wears out its welcome (which is how some critics described this film and its 1998 sequel). Keep an eye out for Steven Spielberg as the city clerk who stamps some crucial paperwork near the end of the film.--Jeff Shannon
Product Description:
THE BLUES BROTHERS REGROUP THEIR BAND, HOPING TO RAISE MONEY TO SAVE AN ORPHANAGE, AND IN THE PROCESS, THEY RUN AMOK IN CHICAGO. CONTAINS: THE STORIES BEHIND THE MAKING OF THE BLUES BROTHERS DOCUMENTARY FEATURING INTERVIEWS WITH DIRECTOR JOHN LANDIS, DAN AYKROUD, THE BLUES BROTHERS BAND AND PRODUCER ROBERT K. WEISS.
Soundtrack List:
1. She Caught the Katy
2. Peter Gunn Theme
3. Gimme Some Lovin
4. Shake a Tail Feather
5. Everybody Needs Somebody to Love
6. The Old Landmark
7. Think
8. Theme from Rawhide
9. Minnie the Moocher
10. Sweet Home Chicago
03:56PM TH
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