Review of The Blues Brothers (1980) by Jeff M — 28 Jun 2010

I don't know, I felt kinda let down by this movie. I remember liking the Blues Brothers on SNL, but I only halfway-enjoyed this.

Writing/Plot: Everything that happens is so arbitrary. There's only a very thin thread holding everything together. I know it's a comedy, but give me something here. Forgive me. 0 stars.

Acting/Characters: I absolutely love Dan Aykroyd. He's the best part of this. I feel almost the opposite about John Belushi. The other members of the band were interesting, and I liked the real musicians sprinkled into the cast. I would probably give this section half a star if Dan Aykroyd weren't the man. 1 star.

Visuals/Cinematography: Clearly not what this movie was going for, but there were still some pretty nice shots. Especially if you're impressed by car crashes. 1/2 star.

Emotional Resonance: It's genuinely funny in some parts, and that goes a long way with me. And there's a little tension near the end. But you never really feel anything for any of the characters. 1/2 star.

Music/Sound: Obviously. 1 star.

The music is great, so if you're looking for that rather than a movie, you're in good shape. Otherwise, you'll probably only want to see this because of the Blues Brothers' cultural influence. 3 stars.