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The Blues Brothers (1980)

Director: John Landis

Time Out rating

Average user rating

4 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Soul-stirring celebration or crass cultural exploitation? Truth is, ‘The Blues Brothers’ is a bit of both, lending exposure to rhythm and blues legends who might otherwise have faded into silence while at the same time treating black culture as a colourful pantomime backdrop for the antics of two white comedians. That Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi adore this music is not in question – it’s lovingly chosen and brilliantly performed – but the film sometimes feels like a work of cultural tourism, particularly in scenes set in a gospel church and a Chicago street market. These lively musical sequences also sit awkwardly with director John Landis’s bizarre predilection for wholesale destruction: sure, smashing up cop cars can be fun, but Landis takes things to a tiresome extreme. Still, the film retains a huge nostalgic kick, thanks in large part to Aykroyd and Belushi’s easy rapport, a smattering of daft, shaggy humour and some truly iconic musical sequences.

Author: Tom Huddleston

Time Out London issue 2031, July 23-29, 2009

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User reviews of this film

HeidBummer said...

Posted on Aug 30 2009 09:18 Interesting that our easily offended critic chooses to get huffy about the portrayal of black culture and not the portrayal of nuns. This is one of the most positive, upbeat, funny films ever

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Jessica said...

Posted on Jul 27 2009 13:15 Yeah, this really is a poor review - the film has the most iconic musicians of all time, as well as great acting, wonderful one-liners and a storyline that is far-fetched yet imaginative enough to make anyone applaud at the end. The review has no soul - literally, no soul!

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csfulham said...

Posted on Jul 23 2009 17:38 Clearly someone got out of the wrong side of bed this morning. This is one of the most iconic and genre-defining films of its era, with a stellar cast and an awesome pace, putting smiles on the faces of millions.
Do you really think James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles et al felt like they were providing a pantomime backdrop as they took centre stage for their cameos?

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Jon said...

Posted on Jan 20 2008 16:51 My favourite film of all time. I can't believe the Time Out review was talking about the same movie. It has great music, lots of quotable lines, the best car chase ever, and a slightly surreal whimsical plot. Surely *everoyone* cheers when the Illinois Nazis are forced to jump in the river by the Bluesmobile...?

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