Blues Brothers 2000

Amazon.com

It's hard to ignore the sad and conspicuous absence of the late John Belushi, but this long-delayed sequel to 1980's The Blues Brothers still has Dan Aykroyd--as Chicago bad boy and blues rocker Elwood Blues--to keep the music alive. Once again, Elwood's trying to reunite the original Blues Brothers Band, and this time he's got a strip-joint bartender (John Goodman) and a 10-year-old orphan named Buster (J. Evan Bonifant) joining him at center stage. Believing that Elwood has kidnapped the kid, the cops are hot on his trail as the reunited band hits the road for the Battle of the Bands in Louisiana and the All-Star Blues Jam that ends the movie in a rockin' blaze of glory. It's a shameless clone of the first film, and nobody--especially not Aykroyd or director John Landis--seems to care that the story's not nearly as fun as the music that's used to stretch it out. Of course there's a seemingly endless parade of stunts, including a nonstop pileup of police cars that's hilariously absurd, but what really matters here--indeed, the movie's only saving grace--is the great lineup of legendary blues musicians. Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Junior Wells, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Jonny Lang, Eddie Floyd, and Blues Traveler are among the many special guests assembled for the film, and their stellar presence makes you wonder if the revived Blues Brothers shouldn't remain an obscure opening act. The collector's edition DVD includes production photos, the theatrical trailers, and a behind-the-scenes featurette about the making of the film including interviews with the principal cast. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

It's for the music.......2007-07-17

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.

"What kind of a man wears sunglasses in a room full of naked women?".......2007-07-12

"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.

Blues Brothers 2000.......2007-04-08

Not as good as the first movie, of course, but worth a look.

music is life.......2007-03-27

I have The Blues Brothers DVD and CD soundtrack
along with the VHS BB 2000 and CD-Gimme Some Lovin'

I prefer the sequal to the original but I wouldn't have one without the other. The original I just had to have in my inventory because of John Belushi.

At first I didn't think I'd like BB 2000 much but John Goodman's performance was tops; the best replacement for Belushi.

The music was fantastic [Cab Calloway-Minnie the Moocher/Aretha Franklin, Think and the song Sweet Home Chicago]

The stunts with the cars had me laughing [I've a quirky sense of humor] I am from Illinois and laugh at certain types of authoritarian stupidity.

If you're a blues fan musically, you just might enjoy this production. It's not the greatest story ever told but it does represent a moment in time. If all you want to do is enjoy watching without being a critic, this just might be as enjoyable to you as it is for me. I love it.

If Dan Aykroyd decides to make a 3rd movie for the Blues Brothers, I'll buy it. Some of the great artists have passed: it's a treat to see them as though they were still with us, providing the great music of their life.

not all bad.......2007-02-19

If nothing else, you gotta love the music. You just can't have the Blues Brothers without John Belushi.

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