First of all...I really liked it! I am sure everyone is sitting back wondering if you can make a successful sequel to the pop cultural classic, "Blues Brothers" without the presence of John Belushi...well, wonder no more...Dan Aykroyd has done it. Blues Brothers 2000 is just as funny as the original. John Goodman is Aykroyd's new partner, but they have also added on J. Evan Bonifant, who plays a ten-year old kid who clones himself to be like Aykroyd. Goodman and Bonifant are tremendous assets to the film, their characters are entertaining and they interact in a very natural sense. You will see just as many car chases, car crashes and buildings blow up as in the first, but they are able to do it quite creatively. This sequel reminds me of the James Bond sequels, if you like Bond films, then the film can do no wrong. The same approach applies here, if you liked the original Blues Brothers, you will like this one. And if you are an Aykroyd or Goodman fan, then add some bonus points. Probably one of the more enjoyable scenes of this movie was the band competition, in which you play the name and recognition game with the 60's and 70's music stars that guest appear. Have a few things changed, sure have....the characters have all seemed to get bigger with time....maybe not in stature, but definitely in size....you won't see them doing any Slim Fast commercials in the near future. Bottom line...the Blues Brothers may have changed, but don't be blue....for you'll enjoy the new.

For those who are fans of the original, don't go to see this movie expecting a worthy sequel, as I did. This movie was so bad, that I had to leave before the ending. This is only the second movie in my life I had to walk out on (the first was To Die For). The movie was pretty much a musical, as far as I could tell. It was a forum for old blues and jazz musicians to sing one last time, and for a captive audience.

My recommendation to those fans of the original movie: DO NOT go see this movie. It may taint your taste of BB1 it is so bad. I cannot believe Dan Aykroyd did this movie. Run, don't walk away!

I'm going to say one thing first: this movie isn't the Godfather. Don't expect the best acting, or plot, for that matter. But It is extremely entertaining. Typically, I give a movie a good review if it entertained. This one did. It might seem strange that they decided to make a sequel to the Blues Brothers, which I felt was just fine alone. But still, the music in the move was fantastic, the car chase scenes were good, and so was everything else. It was funny, and pretty novel. I plan on buying the soundtrack because the music was so good. The story goes like this: Elwood gets out of a now privatized prison, and finds out his brother Jake is dead. He goes to his former drummer's strip bar to work as a singer, picks up John Goodman, the bartender as his new lead singer. They decide to put the band back together, and it goes on from there. The movie has a lot of outlandish humor, but it is very funny. The cameo performances are outstanding, with everyone from B.B. King to James Brown, to Eric Clapton to Steve Winwood. You'll like it.

Do not waste your time on this one. I know sequels aren't great but this one takes the cake. Buy the soundtrack. The ledgendary artists that on this make at least this worth while. I am still a die-hard Blues Brothers fan but I would not pay to see the movie again. Dan, Dan, Dan....what were you thinking!!!!

The original "Blues Brothers" is a masterpiece, and I am two days away from being a proud owner of the new THX widescreen video, which is being released to promote the new film "Blues Brothers 2000", a mess of a movie that doesn't have any semblance of a plot, it is simply a bunch of good music and one fantasiccar crash that doesn't amount to anything.

The film opens with Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd), who has just been released from jail. He waits for his brother Jake, but doesn't show. A day passes. He is still waiting. Then the news is broken to him by the warden that Jake is dead. So, after being picked up by some unknown woman (who looks like The Lady Chablis)and he tries to put the band back together again, by recruiting some people: a deputy sheriff (Joe Morton), a bartender (John Goodman), and many others. There's also a foster kid (J. Evan Bonifant), who tags along and becomes one of the band.

Even though there is no plot, the movie still drags on even when the music numbers are playing, I mean, the movie is 123 minutes long and there isn't even a car chase? What is up with that? The whole reason I went to this sequel was to be treated to another masterpiece chase that went on forever, just like the original did. Instead, all it is is songs. All songs. In fact, the last hour (I think) is just a battle of the bands with some of the world's greatest musicians (B.B. King, Eric Clapton, etc.) against the tiresome Blues Brothers.

Still, there is that pileup scene, where the Blues Brothers escape the cops and one by one, cars crash and crash, until 50 or so cars have piled up. That is one huge laugh. Still, there was no actual chase through a city, which made the original such a classic.

Forget about this movie. Do yourself a favor and go out and get the original video like I am about to do.

Grade: D+

Tech Review:

Picture: 5 A fantasic looking picture with fascinating colors, rich blacks, and top notch contrast. Every frame looks great.

Sound: 3.5 There are great surrounds, but like "Spice World", the sound mix is so ear shattering you sustain an ear ache after hearing it. This is the first movie from Universal to be mixed in all three digital sound formats. I still heard it in dts, however.

Photography: 1 Matted to 1.85:1, with tripod shots used all the time. Director John Landis has to stop will all this boring framing.

Length: 247 mins, whoops, I meant, 123 minutes. jwhyte2@hotmail.com

As a Blues Brothers fan, I can say that the movie was 'interesting'. The plot was debatable, but hey, IT'S THE MUSIC THAT COUNTS! There are several obvious 'trick' scenes, which don't really have anything to do with the movie and can be removed without spoiling it. All in all, with the exception of the Aretha Franklin number, the music is the best. To quote Elwood, "No pharmaceutical product can match the feeling of a band hitting the groove." If you love music, you'll at least like, if not love, the movie.

Blues Brothers 2000 (1998) dir. John Landis Review Date: 15 FEB 1998 2200 Review Site: multiplex, Dolby surround Rating: 2/10

A movie that, in two hours, manages to destroy 18 years of respect for the Blues Brothers legend. As a sequel to the original, Chicago-filmed work, a marvel of R&B, legendary dialogue, and increasingly improbable car chases, we get this Canadian-filmed mess of a film, killed by its' lack of both plausible plot & believable characters. Will Elwood be able to get the band back together? Will he be able to replace Jake (the late Jim Belushi)? Can they win the Battle of the Bands in Louisiana?

Do we care?

This film seems thrown together as an excuse to showcase several large Motown-style numbers, including a painful rendition of "RESPECT" by an incredibly bloated Aretha Franklin. Several other groups - including Blues Traveler - arrive on the scene for no apparent reason except to sing a song; i.e., their appearance has nothing to do with the plot. But then again, it's hard to criticize that when the film really *has* no plot. Pieces are stolen from the superior original, or altered to fit. Characters in the film actually seem confused by their roles (or lack thereof). It should have died on the vine.

Admittedly, there are occasional glimpses of daylight in this morass. The Carribean number at the audition deserves merit, as does the massive pile-up of police cruisers during the sole lengthy chase scene. (Even this, though, does not compare to the multiple crash scenes of the original, including the complete devastation of the Dixie Square Mall.)

In short: listen to the soundtrack, skip the movie.

Short & sweet: If you are going for the music you'll love it. If you want a theatrical masterpiece stay home! (Unless you liked all the "Police Academy" movies)

In the first film, the boys were "on a mission from God". In the sequel, the mission isn't so clear.

The cast of people reprising roles in this sequel is a mile long...including such names as: Dan Aykroyd, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Frank Oz, Steve Lawrence, Matt Murphy, Steve Cropper, Donald 'Duck' Dunn, John Landis, and on and on....

Fresh from prison, Elwood (Aykroyd) finds out that Jake has passed away. A quick stop by to see Sister Mary Stigmata (Kathleen Freeman), sets him on the new mission, raising money for the Children's Hospital. To accomplish this Elwood decides to put the band back together and travel to New Orleans for a Battle of the Bands competition (to win the cash).

Along the way Elwood meets with resistance from the former members of the band, but one by one, they are convinced to join him.

Of course, along the way, there are problems with the law as usual. The chase scenes and crashes just didn't seem to have the same impact (no pun intended) as they did in the original. Everything seemed uninspired. There is one very large crash scene in the movie that probably ate up most of the budget. It went on forever, with what seemed like 100 cars ending up in a pile.

The Battle of the Bands competition was the highlight of the film. The music was good and it became a who's who of Blues and Rock 'n Roll.

John Goodman is fine as a "new" Blues Brother, and J. Evan Bonifant is "ok" at times as the child in need of a "big brother" that ends of tagging along.

Overall, the movie was "ok", but nothing to write home about. It was nice to see all these fine people back together in a movie, but it didn't really need to be done.

Watch it for the music, because the story-line is worse than the original.

Copyright 1998 - Ron Higgins No unauthorized publication or distribution without the consent of Ron Higgins.

Not half as good as the original. The music is just as good and some of the car chases are pretty good, but it's not worth the whole price of admission.

\"Blues Brothers 2000\" is good, not as good as the wonerfully funny 1980 version. I could say that reason given was the absent of John Belushi who died of a drug overdose in 1982. But apart from that, the music score is fine. A better ending is needed, otherwise the movie is not bad.