BLUES BROTHERS 2000 (1998) *** There ain't nothin' wrong with keepin' it simple, nothin' wrong with keepin' it simple, nothin' wrong...there are works of art, crass efforts at commercialism, and works of love. This film clearly falls in the third category. Dan Aykroyd has already written the story once, it's a relatively simple one and there's no point in writing it again, he just needs another ride. The fresh sight gags, overstated police car pileups and everything, the obvious good time that the actors are having keeps it from feeling anything like a formula. There was obviously never any question of replacing John Belushi, but there is a dedication and the emergence of a strong new brother John Goodman. The supporting actors play their parts well, and Darrell Hammond damn near steals the entire movie with a few big ass lines and eyebrows in white supremacist redneck that is hardly distinguishable from his SNL Bill Clinton. This is likely the single greatest collection of musicians in the history of Hollywood: James Brown, Dr. John, Koko Taylor, B. B. King, Billy Preston, Bo Diddley, Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, Skunk Baxter, Travis Tritt....though with a few well delivered lines and riffs Jonny Lang turns it into his own coronation. I'm lookin' for the fox, and yes I agree with everything Aykroyd said in his glorious empty tank of gas speech.