Review of Blues Brothers 2000 (1998) by Steve J — 10 Dec 2007

I'll admit that I wasn't expecting much from Blues Brothers 2000. Sequels are a bad idea in the first place, and when 1/2 of your original team is dead, things look pretty dismal. Aside from that, I loved the original too much to believe that the sequel could even come close. While the first movie most people my age remember seeing is Star Wars, for me it's the Blues Brothers, so I had the same apprehension about BB2K that a lot of my friends had about Episode 1.

Despite my apprehension, I had to see the movie--partially because I had to know the truth, partially out of a sense of duty to the original, and partially because I knew I could at least expect some good musical numbers. I didn't really think BB2K would try to pass off Goodman as Jake--Ackroyd was too close to Belushi to think that he could simply be replaced. And I'm a fan of John Goodman, so that didn't really worry me. It was the kid that I was really worried about--a cute little tyke can often ruin an otherwise good movie.

I was pleasantly surprised with how the movie turned out. The movie was dedicated to those who have left us since the original--John Belushi, John Candy, and Cab Calloway--and it's obvious that Ackroyd and Landis worked hard to make sure the tribute was worthy. The plot was essentially the same as the original movie, with the Russian mob and a group of Kentucky "militiamen" replacing Illinois Nazis and Carrie Fischer, but he gist is the same. Many jokes from the original are recycled in one form or another for the new movie.

The acting was as good as the original, with Kathleen Freeman, Frank Oz , and a few others reprising and updating their roles (Freeman is now Mother Superior, Oz a prison warden) and several entertaining new additions. Daryl Hammond (now appearing on SNL) is incredibly funny as the leader of the Kentucky militia. And of course there were the cameos by musicians, the list of which is far to huge to detail. Just think of anyone who's ever done a blues song. There's a good chance they were in the movie somewhere. And then there was the kid, who worried me. Turns out, he did a great job. He was a little snot instead of a cute little tyke, he knew how to dance, and Ackroyd was not ashamed to be upstaged by him a time or two. All in all, I was impressed.

The music was everything you would expect. Paul Schaffer once again acts as the musical director, showing that he's much more than just Letterman's sidekick. There were two challenges in this movie that especially showcase Schaffer's skill: a new arrangement of "Respect" by Aretha Franklin (which must be akin to asking a painter to improve upon the Sistene Chapel ceiling) and his direction of the Louisiana Gator Boys. The Gator Boys, the Blues Brothers Band's competition in the final "Battle of the Bands" of the movie, consists of about 30 of the greatest musicians alive today. B.B. King and Clapton are two of the "big names," but even the lesser-known performers are people like Koko Taylor, Dr. John, and Clarence Clemmons. It's gotta be a tough job making that many talented people work together and sound good, but Schaffer makes it look easy. Just to prove the point, The Blues Brothers Band joins the Gator Boys for a final number.

The main thing that may turn some people off about BB2K is the fact that Landis decided to set the movie firmly in a fantastic world. Where in the first movie the only "magic" was the beam of light that hit Jake in the church (and maybe a few of the car stunts), BB2K has people turned into zombies, ghost riders in the sky, and people being turned into mice. Truth be told, I enjoyed these little trips into fantasy, but a lot of people would probably prefer that they were left out.

All in all, the movie is well worth renting. It isn't the original, but everyone involved in making the movie realized that it couldn't be. Instead, it manages to be a heartfelt and enjoyable tribute to one of the greatest musical road comedies ever made.