The Movie
As you might have heard, The Blues Brothers are on a mission from God. Jake (John Belushi) has just been released from state prison and pays a visit with his brother Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) to the church orphanage where they grew up. Turns out that, in eleven short days, $5,000 in taxes are due and with no way to pay, the kids, nuns, and everyone that Jake and Elwood care about will be kicked out.
They agree to raise the money, legitimately, which means that they must get the old band back together. Nothing goes quite as planned however, and with their abrasive style and wanton disregard for authority, the boys are soon pursued by the police, a well-armed ex-girlfriend, Illinois Nazis and more. It is a sprawling musical adventure like nothing before it and unmatched since.
This new Blu-ray contains the R-rated theatrical cut plus an unrated extended version that reincorporates little snippets and entire sequences, such as the one that explains where Elwood gets the epoxy he handily totes around in his briefcase. Both are recommended for fans.
The Picture
This 1.85:1 movie has always looked somewhat dirty and "real," traits carried over in this new HD remaster. The image is frequently prone to noise and grain, with the restored scenes looking perceptibly inferior. Darks are sometimes murky, with little delineation in the shadows, but thankfully the ubiquitous blacks of the Brothers' attire have an organic appearance. Colors have been pleasingly refreshed.
The Sound
Quite surprisingly, the soundtrack for both the theatrical and extended cut is standard-issue DTS 5.1 at 48kHz/768kbps, not high-resolution Master Audio. The music in this movie is so good, I would have liked the extra headroom for the brass and guitars, but oh well. The speakers really come alive during the songs, which are mixed and mastered for a pleasing boost versus the rest of the movie.
The action scenes are over the top, further sold by the remarkably solid bass. The 1980 mix has been aggressively but not obnoxiously updated, with the many effects now distributed throughout the home theater. The newfound directionality works well in the car chases and elsewhere.
The Extras
The three video bonuses here carry over from "Collector's" and "Anniversary" edition DVDs and are in standard definition. The 14-part "The Stories Behind the Making of The Blues Brothers" (56 minutes) combine behind-the-scenes footage with interesting anecdotes from what must have been a riotous production. "Transposing the Music" (15 minutes) boasts an impressive array of talent, giving us a brief history of the band's evolution. "Remembering John" collects about ten minutes of fond reminiscence from Belushi's friends and family. Some previously released extras are missing here.
The disc also offers BD-Live online connectivity and support for the pocket BLU application.
Final Thoughts
Don't expect to see the likes of The Blues Brothers again, a musical-action-comedy on an epic scale, without so much as a frame of digital enhancement. The mix is terrific albeit in low-res and the new video master is a fine step forward, even if the extras seem like little more than an afterthought.
Product Details
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