Spinal Tap II: The End Continues

The idea of a legacy sequel for This Is Spinal Tap is about as heinous as the idea of doing the same for Blade Runner and Trainspotting.

Those two worked out pretty damn well in the end but, unfortunately, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues doesn’t quite get to that top tier level.

Fortunately though, it doesn’t tarnish the legacy of the first one either.

Not only one of the finest comedies ever made, the original is vastly influential to the ‘mockumentary’ format and to the world of rock in general.

Therefore, just seeing everyone back on screen in these parts is a joy in itself and they use the legendary status of the first film to pull in some true icon cameos.

Utilising the same format and hanging the film around a ‘final’ concert for the band is a nice idea. It’s coherent and easily set up to just enjoy the company of these characters.

However, by also going down the improv’ route the comedy is painfully hit or miss.

Of course, this will always be the way and there are some truly laugh out loud moments here but it feels like, considering it’s ‘this’ film and it’s been this long, perhaps they could have crafted a script that punches more consistently.

As such, it doesn’t feel like there’s anything quite here which will become part of the cultural lexicon like before. It’s a joy to see everyone on screen, you’ll laugh, you’ll feel nostalgia and you’ll understand what everyone’s trying to do.

It’s enough to warm the cockles but, like Anchorman 2 before it, it’s just not quite ‘enough’ to follow the mastery that is the original.

Not direct from hell but sadly not exactly sent from above either.

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