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The Blues Brothers (1980)

Rate: 2
Viewed: 6/25

BluesBros
6/25: The Blues Brothers isn't a movie; it's a music video...a very long one at that.

Having put off watching it for years because of the unbelievable running length (148 minutes), I asked myself, "Is this supposed to be a comedy?" They usually are an hour shorter. Anyway, it starts off well with John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd at the Joliet Penitentiary. Then, they receive instructions to begin their "mission from God." After that is when the movie began to fall apart completely with zero rooting interest for the Blues Brothers who happen to be common criminals.

Sure, there are nice musical numbers involving James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Ray Charles, among others, but I have to ask this simple question: why not use any of them and stay put to raise $5,000? Mission accomplished. The movie is over. Or...why not the orphanage go to a bank and ask for a loan by putting up the building for collateral?

Instead, I'm forced to watch lots and lots of car chases as if it's another bad sequel to Smokey and the Bandit. They might as well call it The Blues Brothers and the Bandit. The last thirty minutes is patently overdone with all these cops, national guardsmen, tanks, helicopters, and so on. How about the destruction inside the mall? Gee whiz.

What's with Carrie Fisher? It makes absolutely no fucking sense. At one point, she blew up a building, and it looked like everybody but the Blues Brothers died. She shoots off missiles and whatnot throughout the film and misses her primary targets constantly. Maybe work on the aim more first, so the movie can end sooner?

This is supposed to be funny? I didn't laugh once. In fact, I fell asleep. That's what I mean about the running length that's made possible by the deliberate slow pace which is a huge liability. Maybe it's John Landis who's one of the worst directors ever. I've known for decades that John Belushi was overrated. There's nothing special about him. When he died of drug overdose, I didn't care.

All in all, The Blues Brothers is a dinosaur.