The Blues Brothers is an undisputed classic of the 1980s — but Blues Brothers 2000, its last sequel from 1998? Well, that’s a whole different story.
Released 25 years ago, some 18 years after original series star, co-creator and co-writer Dan Aykroyd threw everything at the wall in an attempt to continue the legacy, both cinematic and musical, of his first big screen outing with his John Belushi’s Saturday Night Live partner.
Read more: Sets the most scandalous films in the history of Hollywood
However, the end result left the audience wishing it would leave well enough alone. Instead of the slick-cool vibe of director John Landis’ first film, the silly comedy of Blues Brothers 2000 left viewers with a terrible case of the blues.
So what went wrong?
In retrospect, perhaps he was a victim of an abundance of expectations after a film that set the bar pretty high. Co-written by Landis and Aykroyd, The Blues Brothers found Jake (Elwood) reunited with his brother Elwood (Aykroyd) after a stint in a Joliet prison.
After receiving a vision from the afterlife, Jake’s purpose in life is revealed, to send these musical siblings on a mission from God to reform their band and raise enough money to save the orphanage where they lived as bluesy children . What follows is a crazy road trip where Jake and Elwood reunite their former colleagues as they wreak havoc on Illinois Nazis, avoid Jake’s bazooka-wielding old man, crush a bluegrass band and attract the attention of all the police. in America, almost.
Read more: Ghostbusters cast enjoys online reunion
Then its cultural influence is scarce. Despite being fronted by two white men performing music created by black musicians, a factor that later led to accusations of cultural appropriation, Akyroyd, Belushi and Landis ensured that everything they did was driven by love and respect on the blues — and its promoters.
“The theaters in the South didn’t want to show the film because of the African American artists,” Aykroyd revealed during an interview in 2020 at the 40th anniversary of The Blues Brothers, “but when it was a great success, d ‘they opened and people got to see it. It serves as cultural preservation.”
He continued, adding: “We ensured that the writers of the content retained their publishing rights. Seán and I took the rights of performers only. All of the songs we’ve recorded have remunerated the original artists 100% through album sales. It was an ethical decision and the singers today and their estates have benefited from it.”
Read more: John Belushi leads biopic
Landis echoed the sentiment: “The Blues Brothers is a testament to John and Dan’s passion for the blues. They used their fame to bring attention to soul music. I’m proud of it.”
Meanwhile, fans had nearly two decades to feel it; years spent learning Jake and Elwood’s dialogue word for word, rewatching key scenes and composing the accompanying soundtrack. By the time a sequel came out in 1998, there was a very high chance that nothing he could do would match what he had already achieved.
Read more: Why The Goonies 2 will never happen
For the most part, these expectations were spot on. Looking back at Blues Brothers 2000 at 25 years old and its legacy is not only seen as a sub-par follow-up but one that regularly appears on lists of the worst sequels of all time.
If we’re being kind, it’s not all bad.
Landis returns to find Elwood’s story 18 years after the events of the first film, just as he has been released from his time in Joilett – a sentence that, unfortunately, was not carried out by Jake. Inevitably, he begins to reunite the old band, this time with some new members including John Goodman as new singer “Mighty” Mack McTeer and kid Buster Blues (J. Evan Bonifant).
Together, they waste no time in recreating the first film’s fancy, warm vibes, with plenty of musical cameos popping up throughout. It is in this area that the film succeeds for the most part, with enjoyable encore performances from Aretha Franklin and James Brown, and new musicians from the likes of Eddie Floyd and Wilson Pickett occupying the same vibe as the original.
However, when it comes to the comedy of the film, things are not so good. While part one flirted with the goofy (can the Bluesmobile really jump that bridge?), Blues Brothers 2000 fully embraced the goofy, ending with some sequences that are hard to forgive.
Would Elwood really be so worried about being seen without his sunglasses that he would resort to covering his eyes when they are removed? Is plastering your entire head with shaving foam and claiming you’re having a bad reaction to medication enough to help you fight the police?
Read more: Classic movies with forgotten sequels
The cartoonish nature of this late sequence is heightened to such an extent that at one point Elwood and his newly reformed band are magically transformed into statues by an ancient voodoo witch and we’re expected to go along for the ride. It was at this point that most of the audience probably hung up their hats and shades for good.
In retrospect, the true legacy of Blues Brothers 2000 may be a stark warning to our current legacy-hungry moviegoers to be careful what they wish for.
A fan’s love for pop culture properties or a particular set of characters can be strong enough to last the ages – but sometimes some of the classics are best left undisturbed in the past.
Blues Brothers 2000 is available to rent or buy on PVOD.
Watch: Dan Aykroyd looks back on The Blues Brothers