The Blues Brothers - I fratelli Blues

Where to begin? I WISHED the adults in my life took me to see it when it first came out! But alas, it would be years later when I'd first see it, on TV, and on VHS, then many more times on TV. READ the list of cast from start to end! You will be amazed who was in this movie! Including Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia in Star Wars), and even Steven Spielberg acted in this movie too!

Everyone should be required to see this movie, as kids, teens, and adults! Every age group will enjoy this movie. NICE family movie too! The kids and adults will 100% enjoy watching it. It is sooo sad that many of those music legends are forgotten, are not taught about in any school, and remain unknown! I never knew who Ray Charles was until I finally saw this movie! Possibly the first ever movie in which the soundtrack sold as well as the movie. There is even a tribute to Elvis at the very end. The re-watch factor is NICE - one never ever gets tired of re-watching this movie over and over! Which is unheard of with present day movies.

After John Landis had directed John Belushi in "Animal House", and after John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd had co-starred in "1941", all three collaborated on a movie with which they will forever be associated: "The Blues Brothers". The plot of course has Jake (Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Aykroyd) on "a mission from God" to save the orphanage where they grew up. This necessitates reassembling their blues band and going on tour. By going on tour, I mean making a mess of everything. Whether it's their boorish behavior in a ritzy restaurant, the demolition of a mall, or an infinite number of car crashes, these guys are the bane of orderly society.

Of course, the real star is the music. Making guest appearances are some of the twentieth century's most renowned artists. Ray Charles plays a music store owner, James Brown plays a preacher, Aretha Franklin plays The Soul Food Cafe owner, and there's many more. This movie reminds us why the blues remain an integral part of our national heritage. The big concert is probably the best example (especially with Elwood's crazy dance).

Also appearing are Carrie Fisher as a woman out to kill Jake, John Candy as the police chief chasing them, Henry Gibson as an Illinois Nazi out to get Jake and Elwood after a most unusual encounter, and Steven Spielberg as the Cook County Clerk. All in all, this is one movie that won't disappoint you. Because everybody needs some movie to love (some movie to love/some movie to love). It needs you, you, you...

A musical comedy action fantasy should not work, especially when one considers that it is the first SNL skit-to-screen adventure (which, history has shown us, is a decidedly mixed bag). But this one does. Two of the best car chases in cinematic history bookend the film, and in between there are show-stopping musical numbers, raw humor, Illinois Nazis, and a seriously disgruntled ex-fiancee. And it all makes perfect sense in the context of the universe created by Aykroyd (who co-wrote), Landis (who directed), and Belushi (his barely contained zeal provides the battery pack for this film).

Jake (Belushi) and Elwood (Aykroyd) are the former front men of a broken down blues band (actually a stunning collection of blues talent) which disbanded after Jake was arrested several years before. Upon his release, he discovers that his boyhood orphanage home is about to be foreclosed upon for non-payment of property taxes. Beaten up by a nun, sung to by James Brown, and touched by God, Jake sees the light and seeks to put the band together for one last show -- a charity benefit to save the orphanage.

Their journey takes them from James Brown to Aretha Franklin to Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker to Cab Calloway. The movie showcases the overwhelming talent of singers, musicians, and genres long out of vogue with popular musical tastes. Indeed, this movie is a vehicle for giving these performers a chance to shine -- to bring their music back to the masses and ultimately into pop-culture immortality (to go along with their more prestigious musical immortality).

This film is guaranteed to make you tap your feet, laugh out loud, gasp as both a mall and and entire fleet of Chicago police cars are destroyed, and believe in the magical powers of an old cop car. Like I said, it's a musical comedy action fantasy.

And it works.

I thought the film was thrilling after a rather slow beginning and it becomes explosive with funny jokes, crashing cars and of course, music. Aretha Franklin, John Lee Hooker, Ray Charles and Cab Calloway were tremendous and it seems that nothing can go wrong. The great turns of Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi are fine and they reform the band to raise money with a lot more crashing and gradually it goes nowhere. The last twenty minutes are rather sad with again the police and the Army and lots more crashes which are rather silly. It was great early on and had me smile almost all the time.

Just as with "Ghostbusters," the characters in this film are so likable and so in your face, you can't help but love it. It also gives us a taste of the blues and its roots. There are songs throughout, including one by Aretha Franklin that will live forever. The choreography is terrific, and, of course, there are only two Blues Brothers, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. It doesn't matter what their reason is for doing what they do. They have determined they are on "a mission from God." Belushi was such a genius, though a troubled performer. Aykroyd was not nearly so gifted but played a very nice straight man to Belushi's insanity. We are slipping away from an era that provided us with some of the most memorable comedians we will ever see. This was a vehicle to bring much of that to fruition.