8.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.3 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.3 |
Jake and Elwood Blues endeavor to raise $5,000 for their childhood parrish by putting their old band back together and taking their show on the road. While touring, they manage to wreak havoc on the entire city of Chicago and much of the Midwest.
Starring: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, James Brown (I), Cab Calloway, Ray CharlesMusic | 100% |
Musical | 58% |
Comedy | 53% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS 5.1 (768 kbps)
French: DTS 2.0
French dub for Theatrical Version only; English: DTS 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) for both cuts
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
D-Box
Mobile features
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Saturday Night Live has given birth to more than ten feature films -- among them Wayne's World, Coneheads, It's Pat, Stuart Saves His Family, A Night at the Roxbury, Superstar, The Ladies Man and, most recently, MacGruber -- but none of them hold a candle to the first SNL spinoff: writer/director John Landis' The Blues Brothers. Light on plot and heavy on deadpan comedy, rip-roarious car chases, unforgettable cameos and, of course, the sweet, sweet nectar of the blues, it captures the magic of Dan Aykroyd and the late John Belushi's SNL musical sketch and celebrates an entire genre of music with unapologetic exuberance, unrepentant adoration and near-religious reverence. It's also one of the funniest comedies of all time; at least in this humble writer's opinion. Over the years, it's been criticized for its minimalistic story, non-existent character development and one-note antagonists, and truth be told, classic or no, I'd be hard pressed to defend it on any of those charges. But few films and even fewer comedies lure me back year after year; much less two or three times a year, as The Blues Brothers has since I got my hands on a dusty old VHS copy at the ripe young age of fifteen. My gut tells me it's as hilarious in 2011 as it ever was -- that newcomers will enjoy it just as much as I first did in 1993, or as much as my father and so many others have since 1980 -- and Universal's excellent new Blu-ray release makes it easy to put that notion to the test.
"We gotta make that move towards redemption. We gotta go to church..."
Now this is more like it. Having reviewed Universal's Blu-ray releases of American Graffiti and Animal House, both of which are plagued by egregious edge enhancement and underlying digital noise reduction, I was worried about my beloved Blues Brothers. But I'm ecstatic to report its 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer -- minted by way of a new, Landis-approved remaster -- is everything it should be: faithful, filmic and true to its source. In fact, it's easier to quickly rattle off the few minor issues that do crop up than to thoroughly convey exactly what kind of treat fans are in store for. A slight hint of ringing appears in several scenes, some unwieldy noise hinders a handful of shots (Belushi's bathhouse closeup being the worst), and the brothers' black suits sometimes merge with the shadows. Yep, that's it. And none of it is terribly distracting. Colors are bold and beautiful, skintones are exceedingly lifelike, black levels are rich and inky, contrast is pleasing and delineation is far more revealing than I anticipated. And detail? Anyone pleased with American Graffiti or Animal House would do well to spend just five minutes watching The Blues Brothers. The differences are that apparent. A fine veneer of handsome grain rests naturally overtop the image, edge definition is crisp and clean, closeups and mid-range shots are authentic and refined, and textures are delicate, convincing and remarkable. No smeared cheeks. No waxy complexions. No plastic-molded hair pieces. It almost makes me want to revisit Graffiti and House's reviews and dock their video scores another half-point. Don't misunderstand: softness still persists on occasion. But it's filmic softness; there is a crucial distinction. Problematic shots are present and accounted for (the additional scenes in the extended cut sometimes look quite different, actually). But these issues trace back to Stephen M. Katz's original photography (and, in the case of the extended cut, discrepancies in the film materials themselves); not a poor remaster, a deficient transfer, egregious DNR, overzealous EE or needless tinkering.
Sorry... almost went off the rails there. The disc's encoding is exceptional as well. Macroblocking, banding, aliasing and, really, digital anomalies of any kind are scarce, and aberrant crush and other eyesores never become a factor. Again, that's not to suggest that every shot is immaculate or that every scene looks as if it were filmed yesterday. (Every time a title card or cast member's name appears on screen, a small number of faint, static white dots appear as well. Don't fret, though. Notice each nick and imperfection is a part of the title card overlays used to place words on the image.) But for a thirty-one-year-old comedy, they simply don't come much better than this. If you have any love for The Blues Brothers, you'll be ecstatic when you see the degree of TLC it's been afforded.
Note: visually, some of the extended cut scenes and shots do not match the surrounding scenes. However, seeing as these discrepancies are attributable to differences in the extended cut materials themselves, not to deficiencies in the remaster and transfer, I decided to base my video review and subsequent score on the quality and consistency of the theatrical cut presentation.
No, that isn't a typo at the top of the page. The Blu-ray edition of The Blues Brothers doesn't include a lossless audio mix. However, and this is a big however, Universal's 768kbps DTS 5.1 surround track is so good, so engaging, so... wait for it... righteous that I didn't even realize I had been listening to a lossy mix until I was poking around in the main menu after watching the entire film. Imagine my surprise. But before anyone complains that I've awarded a high score to a lossy mix, before anyone accuses me of turning my back on principle, let me make one thing clear: I was honestly set to dole out a 4.5, perhaps even a 5.0, based on the sonic experience alone. My 4.0 actually represents a docked score. After all, one has to assume, whether the end result is apparent or not, that a lossless audio track would have brought more to the table. Make no mistake, I am not defending the use of a lossy track, nor am I suggesting audiophiles shouldn't be disappointed by the choices that led to the exclusion of a lossless track. I am, however, saying that the mix that is included sounds surprisingly good.
But I digress. On with the show. The Blues Brothers has, quite simply, never sounded better. Dialogue is clean, clear and nicely prioritized. A few lines are buried by car chases, collapsing buildings and chanting crowds, but every mishap I noticed seemed inherent to the original audio elements, not the track itself. The LFE channel delivers the goods, which is a real treat considering the film recently celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. Likewise, the rear speakers, while relatively restrained, don't sit idly by, but lend welcome support to scenes in which rowdiness ensues. Directionality isn't entirely convincing, sure, and dynamics aren't quite as roomy as they could be. But it's important to keep in mind that the studio's remix was created using mono and 4-track stereo elements, so a certain level of frontward bias, tinny sound effects and flatter low-end oomph is to be expected. A film made in 1980 will never sound as strong as a film made in 2011. As thirty-one-year-old catalog comedies go, though, The Blues Brothers defies its age with every guitar solo, vocal riff, keyboard flurry, bass strum, upbeat and beatdown Landis showcases on screen. The music, the chases, the action, the laughs... it's all unexpectedly crisp, full and satisfying.
Yes, a lossless audio track would have been more ideal. And yes, it does strike me as a missed opportunity. But the real shame is that a few people will miss out Jake and Elwood's Blu-ray debut simply because the letters "DTS" aren't followed by "HD Master Audio." Normally, I'd be the first one to shake my head and cast a judgmental glare at the studio. Normally, I'd be up in arms, simply out of principle. But having listened to the results, I just can't seem to conjure up any real outrage or disappointment. My advice? Don't shrug off the fact that there is no lossless track, but also don't shrug off the possibility that the lossy track that is included is a very strong one. Give it a shot. Chances are, you'll be just as pleasantly surprised as I was.
In addition to both the 133-minute theatrical and 148-minute extended cuts of the film, the Blu-ray edition of The Blues Brothers offers three major special features: an hour-long production documentary, a fifteen-minute 25th Anniversary retrospective and a ten-minute look back at the life and career of the late John Belushi. The downside? None of the extras are new (the most recent being produced in 2005) and each one is presented in standard definition.
The Blues Brothers doesn't have much in the way of plot, but it doesn't need anything more. Landis' musical comedy is as much a part of the blues as the blues is a part of it; the two are as inseparable as any film and its inspiration can be. It only helps that it's as funny as it is, that it's aged as well as it has, and that it's as addicting as any early '80s musical comedy could be. Universal's Blu-ray release stands tall as well, even if it's supplemental package has merely been recycled from the 2005 25th Anniversary Edition DVD. Its video transfer is outstanding (and approved by Landis to boot) and its DTS 5.1 audio, while a lossy mix, is a 768kbps treat. And for less than twenty dollars, it's priced to sell too. The Blues Brothers has never looked or sounded better than it does here.
40th Anniversary Edition
1980
40th Anniversary Edition
1980
Universal 100th Anniversary
1980
1980s Best of the Decade
1980
40th Anniversary Limited Edition
1980
1980
Limited Edition
1980
Limited Edition | Iconic Art
1980
Universal 100th Anniversary
1980
The Beatles
1965
see notes about UPC, sticker
1964
1967
2010
1956
The Beatles
1968
40th Anniversary Edition
1978
1980
Warner Archive Collection
1967
2022
1993
2012
The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash / The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch
1978
Teatro alla Scala | Special Edition
2007
Limited Edition to 10,000
1965-1969
75th Anniversary Edition
1944
2014
2011
1930
1969-1974