Movie Review: Blues Brothers
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What Parents Should Know
Parents should know Elwood and Jake Blues steal, destroy
property, attempt to run people over, cheat people out of
money, lie, drink, and smoke. In other words, kids --
especially teenage boys -- will find them irresistibly cool.
There's lots of profanity and violence played for laughs.
Families can talk about how Elwood and Jake's morals are -- or aren't --reflected in their behavior. For instance, they want to save the orphanage they grew up in, but they lie, cheat, and steal to raise the money. Is the damage they cause justified by their goal?
Common Sense Media Review
THE BLUES BROTHERS holds a special place in cult movie
lovers' hearts for a reason. It's surreal, it's got style, and
it has great music. Though teens may find parts of it slow and
may need to be educated about old school R&B, the film is
likely to become a favorite. Expect to hear them quoting lines
("Mom, we're on a mission from God," when you question where
they're going.) and to see them wearing their sunglasses all
the time.
After three years in the Joliet Correctional Facility for robbing a convenience store, Jake Blues (John Belushi) is released with one thing on his mind: Getting the band back together. His brother Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) has something else on his mind -- getting right with God. During a visit to The Penguin (aka the Mother Superior of St. Helen's Orphanage, where the brothers grew up), they discover that the orphanage will be sold if they can't raise $5,000 to pay the tax assessor. The Penguin is disappointed in their rock n' roll ways and orders them to "Get out and don't come back till you've redeemed yourself!"
Jake and Elwood intend to -- and to get the money together to save the orphanage. Along the way, they meet up with some of the great R&B musicians of all time: James Brown preaching in a Baptist church; Aretha Franklin threatening her boyfriend (and a Blues Brothers band member) in her soul food restaurant; Cab Calloway singing to a packed house; Ray Charles singing about doing the twist in a pawn shop. Indeed, this movie is a cross between a Saturday Night Live skit and a really great musical. Even if you hate the flimsy plot, you're likely to be humming the songs days later.
In the end, you get the sense that this movie is the teenage boy's dream inside Dan Aykroyd and John Landis, the co-writers. It's full of great music, car chases, property destruction (including a fascinating car chase through a 1970s-era mall), and repeated explosions. Jake and Elwood emerge as scamps, like Huckleberry Finn. They pay for the damage they do, and do good in the end.
If your teen is interested in other music-focused movies, check out Ray or Walk the Line . But avoid the lackluster Blues Brothers 2000.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
