Heavier Trip

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.

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.

A true recapturing of the heart and soul of the first film. A great testament, if you will. I've never loved a follow up as much as I love this. No matter if you're a lover of Baby Metal, or Abbath, Metallica, or Suicide Silence, there is something to be said for the metal community. We're all here for one another, and it shows. This film has more heart than 90% of the mainstream films I've seen since the first one debuted. These reviews have to be so long, but all I need to say is that this film is awesome. Great watch with friends and or lovers of music in general. Share it with your buddies, they'll thank you.

I was a big fan of the first movie. An irreverent, creative and very funny comedy about a bunch of metalheads from a dead end town in Finland looking for their big break, encountering ever more ridiculous situations. Clearly made by people who know and love metal culture but also enjoy poking fun at its more openly ridiculous aspects.

The only moment where it started to lose me was the relatively uncreative and much too conventional finale which felt more like how an American remake of the same material would handle it.

After seeing the trailer I began to fear part two would just going to be exactly that, but stretched to 90 minutes.

And yup, that's basically what happened....

The plot couldn't be more cliched if they tried, you can see every beat coming from a mile away and the last half hour especially becomes a total slog.

It's not a complete failure, the chemistry between the cast is great as ever, there are some good tunes throughout and the constant stabs at Finland's friendly neighbor Norway did make me chuckle at least, but the bog-standard plot and lack of ideas drag this movie way down. The seemingly endless barrage of cameos from the metal scene just smells of desperation and all the music references felt way too obvious this time around.

Heavy trip was the little movie that could. This feels strangely corporate by comparison.

It brings me no joy to say it, but what a disappointment.

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.