Hevimpi reissu

I think the film is more of a mess than the first one. With vibes of Grady Hendrix's We Sold Our Souls, but also trying to be funny, while also depicting financial bullying of small enterprises from banks, with lots of metal references, but also featuring Babymetal, while actually going nowhere with it... it's all over the place.

The guys are still fun, in that childish endearing way, but their art has to come face to face with the real world of music, where music doesn't matter, and money, but not for performance, but from merch. Still, I can't help noticing that the same problems hitting the band seem to shadow the movie itself.

Overall, I think it was decent, with a rather bizarre ending that felt like someone just got fed up with making the movie and wanted to finish it quickly.

I was looking forward to seeing this 2024 sequel titled "Hevimpi reissu" (aka "Heavier Trip") to the 2018 "Heavi Reissu" (aka. "Heavy Trip"), because I really enjoyed that movie.

The storyline in the movie, as written by Juuso Laatio and Jukka Vidgren, whom both also directed the movie, was adequate, but it just wasn't as impressive as the storyline in the first movie. Sure, it was still watchable and enjoyable, no doubt about it, but it just wasn't matching the entertainment value of the first movie.

It was fun to see Johannes Holopainen, Samuli Jaskio, Chike Ohanwe and Max Ovaska return to reprise their characters from the first movie. Actor David Bredin was really a great addition to the movie, especially because he played his character so out. The acting performances in the movie were good.

It was actually pretty funny and cool that the girls from Baby Metal showed up and played a part in the movie. As a metalhead, one might think whatever one wants about the band, but one cannot deny that they are famous and have acquired popularity. Of course, as with everything, it is all a matter of acquired taste and personal preference.

The movie has some great music and songs in it, which definitely helps set the mood and atmosphere of the movie.

My rating of "Hevimpi reissu" lands on a six out of ten stars.

What can I say? I went to see this movie with an expectation to see a comedy movie revolving around metal music, its subcultures and oh boy, did it deliver! One of the best good mood movies I have seen in ages and a real delight for anyone who understands metal culture and how it is.

I have seen the first movie and while I liked it, it felt more like a drama movie of how it is difficult to live in a small countryside town when you don't fit in. The guys being metal heads was like a side bonus - they could have been anything else. Here, in the sequel, Turo and his band members being metalheads is the carrying force the movie relies on. As it should! I have to say, from bottom of my heart, that this movie was so, so much better than the first one. More on the comedic side and hey, there was a lot more heavy metal music, too!

Xytrax is again one of the best things this movie has to offer. The joke of Xytrax liking some other bands than the pure black metal or "real metal" ones was a delight because every single black metal guy I know has a secret band crush on something "wrong". One of the guys I know loves Madonna, while the other is a big fan of Ayumi Hamasaki, and so on. There are lots of little treats for metal fans and people understanding the subculture like these in the movie. Spot an Immortal reference, Peter Steele and Misfits!

I was super happy to see Oula getting more role in the movie. He actually makes a great addition into the team and the band feels coherent, even when Jynkky from the first movie is missing. Oula didn't just take Jynkky's spot, he became part of the band. Bravo!

I also loved that the movie touched the topic of stardom and being really famous; the audience doesn't come to listen to our music and doesn't care what we want to say with our lyrics - they only came to ogle us and wish to get into our pants. There's no privacy, no genuine care, just lust for a piece of meat on a stage. Not to mention how much money rules in the music business, metal included.

Definitely a big praise for this movie. It is a good mood movie and really made for the metal audience - a general audience might not get as much out from this movie as the target audience but it is okay. It's worth it.

But it's still worth 8 stars. It is a movie for heavy metal fans who will still enjoy it. For me, the highlight as with the first movie is Max Ovaska as Xytrax.

You just have to go with the flow. You see a lot of heavy metal guys and they behave in their own way. Xytrax has his principles, Oula has his anger outbursts when provoked, Turo looks for fame and Lotvonen once in a while seems not to be too smart.

It contains a bit criticism on the well-being society of the scandinavian countries and it gives a message towards the music business that wants to monetize and does not care about skills. There are some insider jokes for metal freaks.

While it doesn't quite reach the quality of the first movie, it still offers plenty of lighthearted entertainment and a few good laughs.

I mean the plot "band falling apart due to an evil greedy producer guy but gets back together in the end" has been done to death but I'll always enjoy a good, tongue in cheek metal spin on it.

Just don't expect any deep, thought-out story arks, oscar-worthy acting or character growth and you'll have a good time. The music is decent and the cast is likeable.

One smaller gripe I have: It wouldn't hurt to be a little less tropey at times. The forced image change on a band to be more mainstream generally makes for a few good laughs but even that has been overdone by now.