Eighteen years. That is a long time to wait for a sequel, especially when one half of the original duo is literally dead. When Blues Brothers 2000 shuffled into theaters in February 1998, it wasn't just facing the ghost of John Belushi; it was trying to justify its own existence in a cinematic landscape that had moved on from the gritty, R-rated chaos of 1980s Chicago. Most people remember the first movie as a cult masterpiece of soul music and car crashes. They remember the second one as... well, they usually don't. Or if they do, it’s with a sort of confused grimace.
Honestly, it’s a weird movie.
The plot picks up with Elwood Blues getting out of Joliet Prison only to find out his brother Jake is gone and their surrogate father figure, Curtis, has also passed away. It’s a heavy start for a musical comedy. Dan Aykroyd, who co-wrote the script with director John Landis, clearly wanted to honor the musical roots of the franchise, but the execution felt sanitized. Instead of the "mission from God" that felt urgent and dangerous, we got a road trip featuring a stripper-turned-nun, a silent kid named Buster, and John Goodman.
What Went Wrong With Blues Brothers 2000?
You can't talk about this film without addressing the elephant in the room: the absence of Joliet Jake. John Belushi was the chaotic engine of the original. Without him, the dynamic shifted from a brotherhood to a recruitment drive. John Goodman is a legend—let's be clear about that—but his character, Mighty Mack McTeer, felt like he was just happy to be there. He didn't have that simmering, unpredictable edge that Belushi brought to every frame.
Then there’s the kid.
Adding a precocious child to an established franchise is a classic "Jump the Shark" move. Buster Blues, played by J. Evan Bonifant, was presumably added to make the movie more family-friendly, which is exactly what fans of the original didn't want. The 1980 film was gritty. It had swearing, Nazis, and a sense of genuine urban decay. Blues Brothers 2000 felt like a live-action cartoon. It was rated PG, which tells you almost everything you need to know about the shift in tone.
The script also leaned way too hard into the supernatural. While the first movie had the "light from God" in the church, the sequel gives us Queen Moussette, played by Erykah Badu, who turns the protagonists into zombies and statues. It’s a jarring departure from the somewhat grounded (albeit exaggerated) world of the first film. Landis and Aykroyd seemed to be chasing a whimsical energy that just didn't mesh with the R&B grit of the brand.
The Music Still Slaps (Mostly)
If there is one hill I will die on, it's that the soundtrack for Blues Brothers 2000 is actually technically superior to the original in terms of sheer star power. I mean, look at the lineup for the "Louisiana Gator Boys" during the final battle of the bands. You've got:
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- B.B. King
- Eric Clapton
- Bo Diddley
- Isaac Hayes
- Dr. John
- Koko Taylor
- Steve Winwood
- Travis Tritt
It’s an insane collection of talent. Seeing Aretha Franklin return to sing "Respect" (or a variation of it) is a highlight, even if the setting—a Mercedes dealership—is significantly less cool than the soul food cafe from the first flick. Joe Morton’s performance of "Funky Nassau" is genuinely great, showing off a vocal range that most people didn't know the Terminator 2 actor possessed.
The problem is the context. In the first movie, the music felt like it was happening in the world. In the sequel, it often feels like a series of high-budget music videos stitched together by a very thin narrative thread. The Blues Brothers Band themselves—Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn, and the rest—are as tight as ever, but they feel like background characters in their own story.
The Record-Breaking Car Crashes
One thing John Landis was determined to do was outdo himself. The 1980 film held the world record for the most cars destroyed in a single production (103 cars). For the sequel, they went for the throat and wrecked 104.
The "pile-up" scene in Blues Brothers 2000 is a masterpiece of practical effects. It’s a massive, tangled mess of police cruisers that just keeps growing. In an era where CGI was starting to take over—think Jurassic Park or Independence Day—there’s something deeply satisfying about seeing real metal crunching on a real highway. However, even this feels a bit like a retread. It’s bigger, sure, but it lacks the comedic timing of the original mall chase.
Why It Still Matters (Sort Of)
Despite its flaws, the film serves as a massive time capsule for the late-90s blues and soul scene. It was a period where the "Old Guard" was still around and performing at a high level. For a younger generation in 1998, this was an introduction to James Brown and Wilson Pickett. That’s not nothing.
Aykroyd’s devotion to the blues is sincere. You can feel his love for the genre in every frame, even when the jokes land with a thud. He wasn't just trying to cash in; he was trying to keep a specific type of American music alive in the public consciousness. Unfortunately, the "mission" felt more like a museum tour than a revolution.
Critically, the movie was panned. It holds a lukewarm rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with most critics pointing out that it lacks the "soul" of its predecessor. Audiences stayed away too. It grossed only about $32 million against a $28 million budget. When you factor in marketing costs, that’s a big loss for Universal.
How to Approach a Rewatch
If you’re going to sit down and watch Blues Brothers 2000 today, don't think of it as a direct sequel to the 1980 classic. Think of it as a big-budget blues variety show.
Skip the plot.
Fast forward to the musical numbers.
The performance of "634-5789" with Wilson Pickett and Eddie Floyd is pure joy. The final battle of the bands is a once-in-a-lifetime gathering of legends that we will never see again, especially since many of those performers have since passed away. It’s a tribute concert disguised as a movie.
Practical Steps for Fans of the Franchise
If the sequel left a bad taste in your mouth, or if you're curious about the deeper history of the band, here is how you should actually engage with the Blues Brothers legacy:
- Listen to 'Briefcase Full of Blues': This is the 1978 live album recorded at the Universal Amphitheatre. It is raw, energetic, and features the band at their absolute peak before the Hollywood gloss took over.
- Watch the 'Saturday Night Live' Sketches: Go back to the roots. See the characters when they were just a musical act with a weird gimmick. The minimalist nature of the SNL performances highlights the chemistry between Belushi and Aykroyd.
- Read 'Belushi' by Judith Belushi Pisano: To understand why the sequel felt so empty, you have to understand what was lost. This biography gives a candid look at the life and chaos of the man who made Jake Blues iconic.
- Explore the Louisiana Gator Boys Discography: Since the supergroup in the movie wasn't a real "touring" band, go find the individual albums by Koko Taylor or Dr. John. The movie is a gateway drug; the real stuff is in the solo careers of those legends.
The reality is that Blues Brothers 2000 was an impossible task. You can't replace a cultural icon, and you can't recreate the lightning-in-a-bottle energy of the 1980s Chicago punk-blues crossover scene. It’s a colorful, loud, and occasionally fun mess that serves as a reminder that sometimes, the "mission" should probably end when the credits roll the first time.