Reviewer left feeling the Blues

Blues Brothers 2000 opened nationwide this weekend with the loose objective of bringing blues and soul music to people who might have missed the first movie.

However, considering that the cable networks TNT and TBS play the original Blues Brothers film (1980) 10 times a week, anyone who hasn't seen the first one must have been hiding under a rock for the past 18 years.

The original movie ended with the entire band getting thrown into jail and Blues Brothers 2000 picks up the storyline 18 years later.

The opening scene shows Elwood Blues, played by Dan Aykroyd, being released from prison only to discover that his soul brother Jake Blues, played by John Belushi in the original, has died.

And, in many ways, the movie never gets beyond that point.

Belushi's absence haunts the movie, making Aykroyd seem like a one-legged dog who is reduced to performing outrageous stunts in order to compensate. And Blues Brothers 2000 references the original film so many times, one wonders why a sequel was even made.

Even the addition of three new blues brothers in the form of John Goodman, Joe Morton and the pint-sized J. Evan Bonifant as Buster Blues, can't fill the gap left by Belushi or by the absence of a real script.

In fact, it is no exaggeration to say the storyline went something like this:

Car chase, musical number, explosion, absurd gimmick, car chase, really big car crash, musical number, end.

Even though the original was thin on plot, it far surpasses the sequel in many ways. Belushi's charisma, combined with a wonderful supporting cast, was able to make up for the script's shortcomings.

But the music, not the plot, is the real point of the Blues Brothers movies. Many of both movies' enjoyable moments resulted from the musical numbers.

In Blues Brothers 2000, the opening scene has Taj Mahal belting a moving version of the gospel standard "John The Revelator." And later in the movie Sam Prater and James Brown do a rousing electric version of the song as well, lifting it to even further heights.

And it is a joy to see members of the Blues Brothers band again, men like Matt Murphy and Donald "Duck" Dunn.

Another treat near the end of the movie comes when The Louisiana Gaterboys confront the Blues Brothers in a battle of the bands.

The Gaterboys, fronted by B.B. King, can make a legitimate claim as the best band ever assembled on one stage, with a lineup that includes Eric Clapton, Bo Diddley, Lou Rawls and Travis Tritt, just to name a few.

However, even amidst all the sweet soul music, the movie still leaves a sour taste.

The film includes healthy doses of Aykroyd's lousy and self-indulgent singing. Other unnecessary musical moments include the appearance of Blues Traveler in an unwelcome cameo.

Paying for this movie is not recommended. Instead, I recommend buying the soundtrack and staying home on a Saturday night to watch the original on TBS. They'll probably play it 20 times a week now.