Movie Poster

It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark... and we're wearing sunglasses.

Hit it

Previous John Landis review:

• Beverly Hills Cop III

# Review

This is the last film I watched on my flight from SF to Toronto. Based on a series of Saturday Night Live sketches, the story follows two petty criminal siblings Jake (John Belushi) and Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) who try to raise money to save the orphanage that brought them up. The domineering nun that leads the orphanage (Kathleen Freeman) forbids the brothers from committing crimes to raise the funds, so the two try to revive their blues band to go on tour.

I first watched this film when I was very young and found it really dry. Rewatching it now, it's still a hit or miss. The film lays heavily into slapstick physical humour, which isn't my type of humour The absurd jokes is also a hit or miss; some bits, such as Carrie Fisher's ex-girlfriend is not really funny at all, while others, such as the "hut hut hut" from the cops, I found hilarious. Humour aside, what I now appreciate much more is the sheer amount of musical legends in the film, such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and James Brown. This is much watch for fans of blues, soul, or jazz.

# Conclusion

An iconic comedy with a star-studded musical cast.

# Overall rating: 7.5

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