Review of The Blues Brothers (1980) by Anssi V — 29 Dec 2013

I will preface this by saying that I'm really picky about comedies. I'm more of a sarcasm and black comedy kind of guy so I rarely encounter a comedy that I really like.

That being said, this is a neat little film. Built around the personalities of John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd and their sketch characters Jake and Elwood, it's a twisting and turning journey to save an orphanage that they both grew up in. On their trip they gather allies, make enemies, play some gorgeous music and generally get into trouble.

So what works? Well, the music for one. Most of the musicians playing in Jake and Elwood's band are actual, real life jazz and blues musicians and you can believe that they can actually play. Heck, even Belushi and Aykroyd are actual musicians, so whenever a musical number starts, the movie instantly picks up in quality. Furthermore, the film has some good appreciation for physical humour, long and imaginative chase scenes and the rough Chicago style world of blues looks kind of fetching.

Unfortunately it's meant to be a comedy and I never really found it all that funny. The main joke is supposed to be that Jake and Elwood are never really bothered by anything, and it... kind of works? If straight man humour is your thing, I'm sure you'll be laughing your ass off. If it's not, the movie falls flat pretty quickly. There's some enjoyment to be found in the action-oriented jokes and in the general blight of these two bums, but you have to find Jake and Elwood funny for you to enjoy this film.

Still, it's a fine movie. The music is great, the general story is not bad, it's well acted and it looks good. Give it a chance and I'm sure you'll find something in it to enjoy.