6 Bad Comedy Sequels In Honor of ‘The Hangover Part III’

Movie #6 – Blues Brothers 2000

Year – 1998

By this point, John Belushi had been dead for almost 20-years.  This made dancing on his grave all the easier.  The Blues Brothers is a legendary comedy.  But if you know anything about the making of the film then you know that it was a happy accident.  The production was pure chaos.  Belushi spent the bulk of the production on a coke-fueled bender.  The film went drastically over budget and became one of the most expensive comedies ever produced.  So perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to try and recreate what was essentially (and I say this affectionately) kind of a fluke.  Especially given that one half of the film’s driving force was dead.

The film follows the same structure as its predecessor.  Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) is released from prison and attempts to get the band back together.  Since Belushi is gone John Goodman is added to the band.  And if you thought they at least had the presence of mind to not give the role that to Jim Belushi don’t pat them on the back too quickly.  He was contractually attached to another product which prevented him from participating.  That being said, Goodman is ok.  We like him.  And someone needed to be up there singing, I suppose.

On the other hand, adding 10-year old Blues Brother (J. Evan Bonifant).  Dude, seriously?

And much of the original’s charm (outside of the music) was its usage of Chicago.  As with Sex and the City, the “city” was a character of sorts.  But in an effort reduce costs (as many films do) they shot the picture in Toronto and just used occasional Chicago-skyline stock-footage hoping nobody would notice.  But I’m pretty sure that Chicago bars aren’t “licenced”.

But at least the music is good.  They should have just made a concert film since that seems like what they were most interested in.