Spinal Tap II: The End Continues

I wasn't old enough to catch the original 'This Is Spinal Tap' when it came out, but I discovered it in the '90s after a musician friend recommended it. He loved the film because he thought it was so true to life in the music industry. There's even a famous story that Ozzy Osbourne didn't realise it was a comedy.

I saw the sequel in a cinema today with only two other people, but that didn't stop me from laughing out loud. The fly-on-the-wall documentary format shines on the big screen, and the humour translates perfectly.

The film has plenty of funny scenes and two fantastic cameo performances from Elton John and Paul McCartney. It was great to see that the band, which genuinely became a live act in their own right after the original film, still look like they are enjoying themselves while playing.

Ultimately, the film surpassed my expectations. It captured the spirit and humour of the original, and Rob Reiner, along with the cast, succeeds at a difficult task: bringing a sequel to life decades later. The result is a follow-up that not only honours the legacy of the first film but also feels fresh and relevant.

I loved the first movie, which came out when I was 19 or 20. Some of the guys I saw the movie with didn't even realize it was a mockumentary, which was funny by itself. The first film I saw in this genre was The Rutles: All You Need is Cash, which was on TV. That was funny too. But Spinal Tap seemed to open a door for the genre, spawning many films and inspiring many TV shows. Seeing the guys 40 years later (for both them and me) was a pleasure.

Like the first one, it feels very improvised It has a loose structure, but iys mostly improv. Professional drummers have fun cameos. Two music icons have great scenes. It's a lot of fun.

I laughed out loud several times, as did the only other person in the theater I saw it in. Not as many laughs as the first, and no iconic lines like "this one goes to 11". But laughing out loud is a pleasure, and so was this film.

If the original went to 11, this one goes to about 7.

It's probably difficult attempting to return to the format you created (and hundreds of others hhave been influenced by) and expecting as good as return as the original.

It's not laugh out loud funny very often, but it's an enjoyable watch. Like hanging out with your cool uncle who's a bit slower, and isn't as invested as he used to be.

Still, I could watch Marty interview Nigel for three more hours.

This film is a logical sequel to the 1984 classic, catching up with the band 41 years later during a one off reunion gig.

Whilst it falls a little short of the absurdity and satire of it's famous predecessor it's still very funny with Paul McCartney and Elton John both game to send themselves up too. It lacks the freshness and set pieces of the original but the dialogue still crackles and is where most of the belly laughs are located.

Personally I really enjoyed it although I noticed several scenes in the trailer did not make the final cut (and will probably be included on the dvd release). And although the main cast has obviously aged, Rob Reiner's Martin DiBergi curiously looks pretty much as he did back in 1984 (including the same hat!). And considering the songs the band sings are deliberately twee or pompous and hilarious, they are so well performed you just get caught up in the whole thing.

A worthy sequel to a stone cold classic that made the audience laugh out loud at least every two minutes (which is more than the Naked Gun reboot did) and is probably best enjoyed on the big screen.

I loved the original Spinal Tap movie, so I was looking forward to seeing the sequel. 40 years was way too long to wait to do this project. All the major actors were way too old. Ok, Mick and the boys are still being wheeled out for concerts but let's face it, rock n roll is a young man's ( or women's) game.

There were some fun parts but like many sequels it felt more like a money grab than a well thought out effort. There were only a few others in the theater which explains its financially bomb status. I guess it's back to his guitar and cheese shop for our heroes.