Blues Brothers 2000
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Movie Reviews of Blues Brothers 2000
Movie Review: Putting the band back together one more time.
Summary: 4 Stars
So what does happen after the Blues Brothers did their time dancing to the
"Jailhouse Rock?" From the start this sequel starts off on a very mournful note as Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) finally gets out of prison after 18 years doing time. The world is now a very different place; brother Jake is gone, Curtis, their mentor has also passed on and the only place they called home, the beloved orphanage, has closed down. A "concerned" Mother Mary (Kathleen Freeman) with stick in hand gives Elwood the opportunity to mentor a young orphan named Buster (J. Evan Bonifant). Elwood also learns that he does have kind of a family: Curtis' illegitimate son, Cab, (Joe Morton) works nearby...but, of all things, he's a police officer. After Elwood "borrows" some money from him, he picks up the new "Bluesmobile" with Buster in tow and is off to once again reunite the Blues Brothers Band. Along the way there comes a new partner, Mighty Mack(John Goodman) but there also follow some angry Russians and an entire police force hot on their trail. This time, the ultimate destination is a battle-of-the-bands tournament hosted by the mysterious Queen Mousette (Erykah Badu) in a Louisiana swamp as they go up against some rather stiff competition which includes the likes of B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Bo Diddley, Lou Rawls, Koko Taylor, Dr. John among others.
Granted, the storyline is considerably weaker in contrast to the first movie, and after some time, you feel like you're watching one big music video rather than a movie. What makes this one checking out is that first of all, the number of awesome blues/soul musicians present and how they play charcters integral to the story such as B.B. King, Aretha Franklin and James Brown (who both reprise their roles), Sam Moore (of Sam & Dave), Wilson Pickett, Eddie Floyd and of course the Blues Brothers band. All of whom are non-actors yet they do more convincing jobs at acting than some of these hack actors and actresses out there now; they don't have to try too hard yet they're still fun to watch, which is what this film is supposed to convey, I suppose.
Though it started sad, the tone gradually picks up and you can't help but be absorbed by the music. With the absence of John Belushi, who brought such unbelieveable vitality to the act, of course it is not the same, just
like the saying "they sure don't make 'em like that anymore," this is proof of that: the entertainment industry saw some big downfalls especially in cinema and this one was hit pretty hard.
The other weakness of this movie is how cartoonish some of the aspects of it are, such as the 1 1/2 minute police car crash (it looks funny yet just plain silly at the same time), the Bluesmobile going underwater, etc.
Much of the musical numbers are modeled after those in the first movie: Aretha now sings "Respect", James Brown, this time with Sam Moore, with a full choir lead a tent revival congregation in another uplifting, fast gospel number, and the BB band once again briefly perform in the guise of a country/western outfit. The inclusions of them are fine, but the content is what the producers and choreographers seemed to get carried away with and borderline the point of absolute oddity. To my knowledge, the Razzie award people did not even nominate this film for anything, so
you know it can't be that bad.
If you are a true Blues Brothers fan, there's still much to enjoy and you'll at least appreciate it if not like it a lot.
Movie Review: Tight Riffs!
Summary: 4 Stars
The Plot is silly but this movie teams up the best blues & rock Musicians INTO the SAME BAND.A MUST SEE/HEAR CLIMAX CONCERT ENDING!Movie Review: Better Music Video than Movie
Summary: 4 Stars
The original is one of my favorite movies of all time. I enjoyed this one as well and was entertained. I have given this DVD as a gift ... for $10 you can't beat it. It is well worth the price just to run the music numbers of the Louisiana Gator Boys at the end of the film. The finale with the Blues Brothers Band is fun as well. The line-up for the Louisiana Gator Boys is an all star selection that makes this DVD a prized part of my DVD collection. I'll put it in and just skip to the songs I want to see / hear. Movie Review: It's for the music
Summary: 4 Stars
If you're looking for a film that Gene Siskel or Pauline Kael would approve of, then don't go near this. Just don't. The plot's been done a hundred times, including the first Blues Brothers movie.
What makes the thing worthwhile is the music. How hard do you think it was to get all these people together? The last scene alone is worth the $10 the DVD will cost you. B.B. King, Dr. John, and Clapton on the same stage? James Brown and Blues Travelers in the same movie?
Think of the film as a compilation album with lots of car crashes.
Movie Review: "What kind of a man wears sunglasses in a room full of naked women?"
Summary: 3 Stars
"Blues Brothers 2000" is a disappointing sequel, and yet for some reason I preferred it to the other disappointing sequel from the World of Aykroyd: "Ghostbusters II". Maybe it's because the greater amount of time that passed between films makes BB2K feel more nostalgic. Or maybe it's because, to the extent that BB2K is a retread of the original "Blues Brothers", the repetition feels more natural and logical than in GB2.
When Elwood is released from prison and discovers that Jake has passed on, what exactly do viewers expect him to do other than attempt to reunite the band? What else would he do to rediscover meaning and purpose in his life? Therefore it makes perfect sense that the first two-thirds of BB2K echoes plot elements from the previous film. Where BB2K falls down is in the third act -- the Battle of the Bands at Queen Mousette's -- which is a spectacular musical climax but leaves much to be desired in comedy-action terms.
I was surprised by how moved I was to see the character of Elwood in another movie, in particular when he plays his harmonica for the first time. But the most remarkable scene in BB2K is probably "Ghost Riders in the Sky", which combines American popular music, a supernatural manifestation, and the Bluesmobile doing something amazing. It's the perfect cinematic summation of Dan Aykroyd's interests and career.