Fresh
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.
Tom Huddlestone, Time Out
The Blues Brothers
They'll never get caught. They're on a mission from God.
1980 · 2h 13m · R
Action, Adventure, Comedy, Music
Directed by
John Landis
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The Blues Brothers
Overview
Just released from prison, Jake Blues puts his old band back together with his brother Elwood to save the Catholic home where they were raised.
Director and cast
- John Landis Director
- John Belushi as 'Joliet' Jake Blues
- Dan Aykroyd as Elwood Blues
- James Brown as Cleophus James
- Cab Calloway as Curtis
- Ray Charles as Ray
- Aretha Franklin as Mrs. Murphy
- Steve Cropper as Steve 'The Colonel' Cropper
- Donald 'Duck' Dunn as Donald 'Duck' Dunn
- Murphy Dunne as Murphy 'Murph' Dunne
- Willie Hall as Willie 'Too Big' Hall
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
72%
Tomatometer
Rotten
A demolition symphony that works with the cold efficiency of a Moog synthesizer gone sadistic.
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine
Fresh
Given all the chaos, director and, with Aykroyd, cowriter, John Landis manages to keep things reasonably controlled and in a straight line.
Variety Staff, Variety
Rotten
The humor is predicated on underplaying in overscaled situations, which is sporadically funny in a Keaton-esque way but soon sputters out through sheer, uninspired repetition.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Fresh
There's even room, in the midst of the carnage and mayhem, for a surprising amount of grace, humor, and whimsy.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
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