Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)

Directed by John Landis. Starring Dan Aykroyd, John Goodman, Joe Morton, J. Evan Bonifant, The Blues Brothers Band, Nia Peeples, Kathleen Freeman, Darrell Hammond, Erykah Badu, Shann Johnson, Aretha Franklin. [PG-13]

Dismal, cartoonish Blues Brothers update (without one of the two brothers) essentially follows the same let’s-get-the-band-back-together roadshow musical-comedy storyline, but generates far fewer laughs along the way (zero, to be precise). The writing is even lazier than Landis’ slick but flat visual style, and don’t look for any of the Chicago atmosphere from its predecessor—this sequel was shot almost entirely in and around Toronto. Aykroyd’s Elwood Blues hardly resembles the Elwood we know and love, and Goodman may be a fine actor, but he’s a poor replacement for the late John Belushi (and gets very little to do, anyway); the “brothers” aspect is filled out by Morton, sort of an honorary family member because he’s the illegitimate son of their old friend, Curtis (previously played by the late Cab Calloway). There’s also an orphan kid (Bonifant) involved in the low-rent adventure, but he hardly even warrants mentioning, and rarely steps out of the background except when he’s supposed to be “cute” wearing a little suit and dancing. The only entertainment value is provided by a few of the musical performances from the likes of B.B. King and Aretha, but even then, none of them are in the same league as any of the earlier picture’s song numbers, and they’re also poorly distributed—too few in the first half, too many in the second. A long list of musicians make appearances: James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Eric Clapton, Eddie Floyd, Sam Moore, John Popper, and many more.

25/100