Customer Reviews

Blues Brothers 2000

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(34)

 

 

Love it or hate it, it doesn't matter, this is still a great blues film. Sure this sequel has a silly plot, but so was the original....it's a joke, get it? I found myself laughing repeatedly as the plot continued to satirize the entire concept of a sequel.....if it was too subtle for you, watch it again....it's right there, brazen as can be.

But who on earth would watch this film for the plot? True to the original, 2000 is a great blues MUSIC sequel. You've got to admire the script writing that has Elwood earnestly trying to convince his band they can compete in a battle of the bands against Clapton backing B.B. with Clarence on sax, or Aretha actually delivering a better take on Respect than on the original film, or John Goodman doing James Browns' cape.....this is great stuff.....and what really matters is that the musicians are having a ball.....and it comes through loud and clear, with soul to spare.

Buy this one for the music, the charisma that jumps off the screen and realize that Belushi would have loved it no matter what.....after all, it still celebrates the blues!

Boy, it took guts to not submit this review anonymously, though I feel less ashamed of myself for liking it after seeing other reviews here. Well, it's not the original-nothing is, and no-one can replace Belushi. (you can't help thinking of that joke while watching this, the one that goes 'what's blue and sings alone? Dan Ackroyd') Thank GOD they used John Goodman instead of Belushi's brother. I didn't like the scene where they all turned into zombies, that was embarrassing--and what the heck did it have to do with the plot? Speaking of the plot, it was pretty much non-existent, mainly an excuse to rehash scenes from the original. But as for the good stuff...Ackroyd did as good of a job as he could. He obviously took off weight for the role, though he is far from the slim, fast-dancing, sexy Elwood he used to be. His dancing has slowed down, but is still solid. He's actually still pretty charming in parts. The kid didn't annoy me anywhere as near as much as I thought he would (mostly because he didn't have many lines) and could really dance, though I winced when he sang. The scene I replayed over and over, that I will probably buy the movie just to own, was when they did "Ghost Riders in the Sky" and there are these killer visuals of storm clouds and then the actual ghost riders themselves--I practically levitated, that part looked so damn cool. Of course, the best thing by far was the sound-track. "John the Revelator" gave me goose bumps. "Lovelight" and even the corny "Lookin for a Fox" caused me to go out and buy the sound-track almost immediately, though I couldn't meet the clerk's eye when I bought it, I was so embarrassed. I love listening to that tape! Worth seeing just for the music-fast forward through everything else if you have to, and stick around after the credits for a treat.

How could any fan of "blues," not like this? I mean, look at all the great performers in this film and how much better does it get to have all of them join in for a couple of jam sessions at the end? The movie sports a "Who's Who" of modern-day blues musicians and singers and also is directed by John Landis, who has directed some of the most entertaining films of the last 25 years.

Yes, it's a dumb story......very dumb......but it's about the music.

The leading actors were amusing: Dan Akyroyd and John Goodman - and a really neat-looking little kid in J. Evan Bonifant who really makes me laugh. Just looking at this 10-year-old dancing is his Blues Brothers outfit alone is worth a number of laughs. Some of the characters in here are so outrageous they would be tough to describe. The car chases, the dances and clothing were all over-the-top story. No, this isn't Shakespeare and it wasn't meant to be. It's probably closer to Dukes Of Hazzard. It's a much nicer-edged movie than the first Blues Brothers but too many people want "edgy" material all the time.

Not only are the characters colorful, so is the cinematography, making it both a visual and audio treat. So....just look at it as a blue concert with a few laughs, and, hopefully, you'll enjoy it.

This is a must see if you enjoyed The Blues Brothers. It follows on in the same madcap way with more excellent music, You will not be disappointed,

Leave the movie alone! All the reviews I've read so far are beating a dead horse, repeating the same thing over and over! I haven't seen this much repetition since all the reality shows! Believe it or not, despite how everyone thinks this movie is a piece of crap, this is the movie that got me into R&B. I've seen both movies and can honestly say they were both excellently done. The amount of musical talent; Aretha Franklin, Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, Sam Moore, B.B. King and the rest of the musical guests are at their best. Never again in history will this talent be brought together again. And the whole sequel "curse" or whatever you want to call it, is also a bunch of crap. Quite a few movies don't deserve sequels because the first movie was already bad enough and the plot so thinly transparent (Pirates of the Carribean, horror/slasher films, Elvis, etc. so on and so forth) So for the last time, leave the movie alone and go find some real crap that deserves being trashed!

After 18 years, Elwood is finally getting released from prison (though 18 years from 1980 is 1998, so why on earth was this called 2000? I know Blues Brothers 1998 just sounds stupid but they could've always had gone with Blues Brothers 2). There really is no semblance of plot, though there is an objective and that's to get to Queen Moussette's Battle of the Bands. What plot there is, well, its pretty much the first film all over again. What song opened the first film? A song by Taj Mahal. What opens this film? A song sung by Taj Mahal. Does Aretha Franklin sing to get her husband to stay in the first? Yes. Does she sing again in this to get him to stay? Yes. Do cast members sing snippets of the end credits song in both? Yes (more so in this than the last). I'll stop the list there as I'd hope you get the point. One thing they harp (3 characters give their condolences) on in the beginning is the absence of John Belushi, and knowing that trying to get a new actor to play Jake would be like spitting in the face of the Brothers' fans, the character is also conveniently "gone", as no one in this movie actually says the word dead. Even when The Penguin tells Elwood about Curtis, she doesn't say dead. It sounds like I'm rambling about this but it just bugs me. Just say the guy's dead! John Goodman is a decent replacement for Belushi and can sing well but its a shame that once Cab is in the picture he's pushed to the sidelines in terms of singing (but he pretty much does that to Elwood when he's introduced). Joe Morton is also pretty good but I think his inclusion into the band only happened because the director wanted to recreate the church scene again. And then there's J. Evan Bonifant as Buster. I just don't like him, he adds nothing to the story and with that, makes four leads in the band which, I think is too much. There are too many WTF moments in this compared to the previous one like Elwood being able to hide in the car. Literally. The car going underwater (that's a little more extreme than all the fantastical stunts from the first) and all the magic elements in the last thirty minutes of the film. They don't belong in there. And whereas the first film had great car chases, the one's featured here are not as memorable. I think the only thing they accomplished was beating the record they set from the first. The music on the other hand is the only standout in this. So many great singers and musicians together in one film that you'll probably never see that happen ever again in cinema. All in all, this isn't a terrible sequel but it isn't good as the first. It's just OK.

I love this movie, it's funny, the music is great & it has a great cast. The musical talent in this movie is amazing.
This is a real band playing real music, no lip syncing here. If you like The Blues give it a try it's really a good movie.

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.

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.

if you have seen the 1st blues brothers, then you will kno that you can never replace it, but blues brothers 2000 is a pretty decent sequel. a lot of the same big musicians came back, and john goodman took over where john belushi left off. it is still a great movie, but will never beat the 1st.