The Blues Brothers (1980)

The Blues Brothers (1980) – Two career bluesmen and criminals get their band back together to raise money for the only organization they ever loved.

Directed by John Landis                                                            Starring Dan Ackroyd, John Belushi

Let’s get this out of the way first.  “The Blues Brothers” is not a great movie.  Not in the classic sense.  If you are looking for brilliant directing of a nuanced script with great character development, deep emotion or profound intellectual ideas, you are in the wrong theater.  That’s not why you watch this movie.

You watch “The Blue Brothers” for the music.

Ackroyd and Belushi created the characters of Joliet Jake and Ellwood Blues for a sketch on “Saturday Night Live” in 1978.  It grew out of the actors’ love of blues music.  The blues had been a musical genre that was little appreciated beyond enthusiasts.  Groups like the Rolling Stones drew strongly from the tradition but it was not widely followed by the mainstream audience.  With the “Briefcase Full of Blues” album, the two comedians, backed up by a top quality group of musicians, pushed the blues into popular hit status.  Both “Rubber Biscuit” (#37) and “Soul Man” (#14) were popular hits.  Two years later, they took their act to the big screen.

And it’s the music that is the star.  That’s not surprising when you look at the cast.  Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Booker T and the MGs, James Brown, Sam and Dave, John Lee Hooker, Fats Domino, and others.  Most of what happens between the music isn’t memorable.  There are several iconic lines (We’re on a mission from God!), and a helluva lot of fun.

Oh, and 103 car crashes.

Is it a “great” movie?  No.  But it is a movie you will want to watch over and over.

Why You Will Like It – The movie is a blast from beginning to end.  Filled with great musical performances by great musicians.

Rating – *****