Movie Review: The Blues Brothers (1980)

The setup is beautifully simple. After being released from prison, “Joliet” Jake Blues (John Belushi) reunites with his brother Elwood (Dan Aykroyd). They learn that the orphanage they grew up in is about to be shut down unless they can raise $5,000 in back taxes.

The brothers decide the only way to save it is to get their old band back together and play a big gig, all while being relentlessly pursued by police, Illinois Nazis, a mystery woman with heavy artillery (Carrie Fisher), and just about everyone else they manage to annoy along the way.

Belushi and Aykroyd: The Perfect Odd Couple

Belushi plays Jake with a mix of laid-back cool and manic unpredictability, while Aykroyd’s Elwood is the more deadpan, methodical one. Together, they have that rare comedic chemistry where they can both underplay and overplay a scene without stepping on each other’s punchlines.

What’s interesting is how the movie never turns them into clowns for cheap laughs; they’re ridiculous, sure, but they also carry themselves like they’re the coolest guys in the room, no matter how absurd things get.

The Music: A Soul and Blues Hall of Fame

One thing that gets overlooked in some reviews is just how much The Blues Brothers is a showcase for legendary musicians. Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Cab Calloway, and John Lee Hooker don’t just cameo; they perform, and their scenes are given room to breathe.

James Brown’s church scene is pure energy. Aretha Franklin’s “Think” isn’t just a musical number; it’s a plot beat that turns into a full-on soul explosion. And Ray Charles’ music store sequence might be one of the most joyful moments in any music film, period.

This isn’t a movie where the songs feel like interruptions; they are the movie.

The Car Chases: Absurd and Groundbreaking

The car chases in The Blues Brothers are still jaw-dropping. John Landis (and his stunt team) didn’t just go for speed; they went for spectacle. We’re talking about full police pile-ups, shopping mall destruction, and hundreds of cars flipping, crashing, and careening through the streets of Chicago.

What’s underappreciated is how well these sequences are choreographed. They’re basically slapstick routines on wheels, every crash is a punchline, and every near miss feels intentional.

Carrie Fisher’s Mystery Woman: Comedy Weapon

Fisher plays her role like a silent-film villainess dropped into an ’80s comedy; she barely speaks, but she keeps showing up with increasingly ridiculous weaponry to try to take Jake out. Rocket launchers, explosives, machine guns… and yet, she’s still oddly sympathetic. It’s one of the film’s best running gags.

Chicago as a Character

Landis didn’t just shoot in Chicago; he used Chicago. The elevated trains, the bridges, the neighborhoods, they all add a gritty authenticity that makes the absurdity pop even more. You can practically smell the city in this movie, and it’s clear the filmmakers had a deep affection for it.

Under-Discussed Element: The Deadpan Absurdity

One of the best things about The Blues Brothers is that no matter how ridiculous the situation gets, whether it’s driving through a shopping mall or being chased by a hundred cop cars, the characters play it completely straight.

Belushi and Aykroyd never wink at the audience, and that’s what sells the humor. They’re not trying to be funny; they’re just being themselves in increasingly chaotic circumstances.

The Extended Runtime: Why It Works

At over two hours, this is a long comedy, but it never drags because the pacing alternates between high-energy chaos and cool, laid-back musical performances. It’s like a concert, a chase film, and a sketch comedy show rolled into one.

Why The Blues Brothers Still Works

Movies that blend music, comedy, and action are rare, and ones that actually work are even rarer. The Blues Brothers feels timeless because it’s not just a collection of gags and songs. It’s a celebration of American blues and soul, wrapped in a road movie with some of the most elaborate stunt driving ever put on film.

It’s also a movie that doesn’t care if you think it’s too much; it leans into excess with confidence, and that’s why it’s still a cult favorite.

Final Thoughts

The Blues Brothers is chaotic, hilarious, musically rich, and endlessly rewatchable. Whether you’re in it for the cameos, the comedy, or the car carnage, it delivers in a way that no other film really has since.

If you’ve never seen it, buckle up literally. And if you have, you already know it’s one of those movies that’s just as fun on the tenth watch as it is on the first.

★★★★★

One of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen! The music is awesome, the cast is perfect, and the car chases are totally insane. Still quote it all the time.

Taylor R.

Washington