release year: 1998
genre: musical comedy
viewing setting: theater, 2/6/98
what I expected: a good, but not as great, sequel
what I got: more music than comedy
synopsis: It's 18 years later, Jake is gone, but Elwood still wants to rock. To that effect, he sets out to re-form the band, with members both old and new, and lots of people who want to stop him.
impressions: Okay, we all knew that the original could NOT be topped, no way, no how. I prefer to think of this movie as an extension of the first. It was entertaining, it had funny moments...but the main reason to see it is the music! In fact, the plot (basically a re-hash of the original movie's plot) takes a backseat to the wide assortment of guest-star musicians.
acting: Dan Aykroyd did well, though not as well as in the first movie. John Goodman was okay, and the little blues kid was pretty funny (and he could dance!) Everyone else, pretty much, was a musical guest-star, co-star, or cameo.
final word: Weak in parts, but see it for the music, if nothing else.
rating: C