The Written Podcast: I Have a Soft Spot for The Blues Brothers 2000

The first Blues Brothers has become a classic. Filled to the brim with quality music, extremely talented musicians who are still considered as legends in their chosen instruments, and of course, one of the greatest car chases in cinema history where they actually filmed the Blues Mobile going at 120MPH down the streets of Chicago. It’s an epic feel-good film that’ll get your toes tapping whilst sitting on the edge. And of course, how can you forget the insanity that was the final few moments, when huge numbers of Police Officers, army officers, SAS officers, helicopters, boats, and even tanks swarm around one building as the Blues Brothers rush to pay the churches taxes. It’s only when they complete their mission from God do they get caught. In short, it’s an iconic masterpiece.

Which is why when The Blues Brothers 2000 came out, it was widely regarded as a huge leap from the original. The sequel was panned by critics and members of the public alike who saw it as an insult to the original. It was made in memory of those who sadly passed away between films: John Belushi, Cab Calloway and John Candy. The opening shot saw the release of Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd) from prison accompanied by a simple rendition of John the Revelator. A promising start to what could only be another iconic masterpiece. What we got instead was three new singers of the band – including a ten-year-old kid who actually doesn’t do much during the film, and the inclusion of a witch capable of changing people into rats. That must have been extremely confusing for devoted fans of The Blues Brothers, especially if they’ve been following them since their first introduction on Saturday Night Live.

For most people, The Blues Brothers 2000 is not a Blues Brothers film; the only Blues Brothers film is the first, and no amount of defence will change their minds. Fair enough, whilst the title of this article is referring to my attempt to changing their minds, I’m not going to do that. What I want to do is explain why the sequel isn’t so bad in my eyes.

The reason why I have a soft spot for The Blues Brothers 2000 is because, when I was younger, it was the first of the two I watched. Let me explain. The film is rated 15 here in the UK, but now and again when I was younger – before fifteen years old to be precise – my mum and dad would allow me to watch a film that’s rated higher than my age if it was considered tame for that particular certificate – a fairly reasonable and justifiable reason. My younger-self saw The Blues Brothers 2000 and enjoyed every minute of it, on the basis that it had staggering car chases, upbeat music, and magic – all three elements needed to keep a young boy entertained regardless of what film it is. I mean, it included a monumental car crash scene where Police Cars just kept piling on top of one another for literal minutes – that blew my mind with the amount of awesome that scene contained.

There is another moment before the massive car crash scene when the band is playing at a festival and playing the Bluegrass song, Riders in the Sky. As they start playing, a horrendous storm formed and pelted it down with rain – and emerged from the clouds were actual ghost riders in the sky. Skeletal knights wielding swords riding skeletal horses blowing fire from their noses. A world away from the original Blue Brothers film, but for a young mind like mine back then, that was utterly incredible and epic.

A little later I did watch the first, and I will admit, at the time I enjoyed the sequel more than the first back then simply because it was the first one of the two I saw and the first didn’t include imagery anywhere near as epic as the sequel did. I didn’t find it boring in anyway – I certainly did enjoy it throughout because of the epic car chases and good music throughout, but the sequel was better in my child’s mind. Not only that, but the thrill of watching a film that’s rated above my actual age, it was a privilege, and seeing imagery as epic as skeletons riding in the sky and witches using magic, it was much better than the films I was supposed to be watching at the time. If this is what is included in films rated 15, then I’m missing out on so much epic.

I have already acknowledged the greatness that is the first film, The Blues Brothers, and I want to acknowledge further and say, as I grew up and looked at both films differently, I admitted the first was the best on the basis it was more grounded and less over the top. I did believe the first would be somewhat similar to that of the sequel, because I just didn’t understand how anything worked back then, and so yes, I was a little disappointed with the lack there of anything remotely close to what was in the sequel, except for the car chases – especially the first one when they go smashing through an entire shopping centre, that brought an entertaining grin on my face.

In conclusion, I now see the first being the better film, but the sequel has place in my child’s heart for being so epic back then. Now I’ve grown up and can see the massive difference between the two and why the first is greater than the second, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying the sequel. I still do watch it in the evenings, and appreciate it for what it is. I do understand why people don’t like it, or complete disregard it was an actual Blues Brothers film, and their reasons do make sense, but I don’t watch it because I’m considering a superior film over the first, I watch it because it’s entertaining for my reasons only.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)