Spinal Tap II: The End Continues

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.

Filmmaker Marti Di Bergi (Rob Reiner) manages to reunite the surviving members of the heavy metal rock music band 'Spinal Tap' for a one-off concert in New Orleans - a 'slip in' concert after a Stormy Daniels show is cancelled. Following a problematic search for a new drummer preparations for the concert begin. Director Reiner's 2025 feature film satirical comedy 'mockumentary' follow-up to 'This Is Spinal Tap' will seem funnier if you've seen the original (with all it's referential moments). Although it isn't as good or as funny as 'This Is Spinal Tap' (a 'mockumentary' and satirical comedy classic of the 1980s) it's still reasonably good and with the same satirical edge, as the now wrinkly rockers are prised away from their new lives for 'one last gig'. Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) is now running a cheese and guitar shop, David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) is composing music for on-hold phone music, and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) is the curator of a glue museum. But the lure of the stage is irresistible, and soon they find themselves bickering in a rehearsal studio in New Orleans, getting visits from Paul McCartney and Elton John, and having to deal with a sleazy manager (alas not Tony Hendra's Ian Faith character), before another 'Stonehenge incident' on stage. And we finally get to find out the real reason behind all the bickering, tension and jealousy between Tufnel and St. Hubbins (and who the real 'culprit' was).

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.

Trying to re-create the magic and the innocence of the original spinal tap movie had to have been incredibly difficult to pull off. The jokes that were so funny in the first movie were probably just improvised by the actors, not necessarily, knowing if they were going to be that laughable or not. They tried that same formula for this new one and the jokes just fell flat. I hate to say it, but you sense that they were going through the motions a little bit bringing up ridiculous stuff they did in the past, and of course, bringing in legendary Rockstars like Elton John to give it more clout. There were a few moments in the movie that were mildly amusing, but that was about it. Sorry guys. My review won't be going up to 11. It'll be just a modest five or six on the volume scale. In other words it was pretty mediocre unfortunately. Hey at least they got the band back together for one last gig.

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.