On a Mission from God! (The Blues Brothers (DVD))

Member Name: huggy2009

Product:	The Blues Brothers (DVD)
Date:	21/06/09 (12 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fantastic Soundtrack, fun story

Disadvantages: None

This film is based on the Saturday night live sketches which were created by John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd. Directed by John Landis, the film follows Jake and Elwood Blues, who following Jake's release from prison go to visit the old church in which they were brought up by nun's. Finding out that funding has been cut and that the home will be sold to the local authority unless $5000 in back taxes is paid in 11 days, the guys set out to raise the money and keep home their old school. The guys stumble upon the idea of getting their old band back together and having a big concert to raise the funds, the story then follows them attempting to find the old gang and have the gig.

Cast:

John Belushi ... 'Joliet' Jake Blues (as Jake)
Dan Aykroyd ... Elwood Blues (as Elwood)
James Brown ... Reverend Cleophus James
Cab Calloway ... Curtis
Ray Charles ... Ray
Aretha Franklin Mrs. Murphy
Steve Cropper ... Steve 'The Colonel' Cropper
Donald Dunn ... Donald 'Duck' Dunn
Murphy Dunne ... Murphy 'Murph' Dunne
Willie Hall ... Willie 'Too Big' Hall
Tom Malone ... Tom 'Bones' Malone
Lou Marini ... 'Blue Lou' Marini
Matt Murphy ... Matt 'Guitar' Murphy
Alan Rubin ... Alan 'Mr. Fabulous' Rubin
Carrie Fisher ... Mystery Woman

As you can see from the cast, this film has got some musical quality, all the singers on display are chosen for their singing rather than acting, James Brown is on bone shaking form as a Reverend who makes a breakdancing Jake see the light, Aretha Franklin is a waitress with the most soulful voice in the world, John Lee Hooker, Ray Charles and Cab Calloway are in the film too and are brilliant, songs range from Think to Shake your moneymaker, Ackroyd is good as Elwood, all cool and quietly spoken, Belushi is manic as Jake in his greatest screen role, his pent up energy is incredible to watch.

The film has a number of back stories involving nazi's, romances and the like, they all come together and the story is great fun, the cast do a great job, matching the energy of the music to great dancing and acting, this is a cult classic and brilliant for Saturday nights with beer and mates, I love Belushi in this film, he is the epitome of manic silliness and while the film thinks its cooler than it is, it is still very, very cool.

The DVD is available on Amazon for £3.98, if your buying it for the music, definitely look out for the CD soundtrack too which is one of the greatest movie soundtracks of all time.

Summary: On a Mission from God!