Blues Brothers (1980)

Blues Brothers (1980)

The first movie based on characters from Saturday Night Live.

Laura’s Rating: 3/5 Stars

Plot: Recently released from prison, Jake Blues and his brother Elwood attempt to reunite their band, hoping to raise enough money to save the Catholic orphanage they were raised in.

Analysis: The Blues brothers are just scraping by and are barely a step ahead of their enemies and the authorities. Despite their serious flaws, the audience can hardly help but root for them along the way. After all, they’re “on a mission from God”.

The movie features musical legends James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker. Unsurprisingly with all the music stars involved, the soundtrack slaps. The diner scene with Aretha Franklin’s song is one of my favorites, along with the band’s performance at Bob’s Country Bunker.

My main takeaway: they really just let Dan Ackroyd do anything in the 70s and 80s, huh? Blues Brothers was a fun romp that was low quality but a good time.