A Film Directed by Rob Reiner

While I’m a big fan of the classic This Is Spinal Tap, I have to admit I’m a little confused that, 40 years after the original, they’re only now putting together a large-scale sequel (there were some other “sequel” shows as such before). The premise fits – the first film documented what was supposed to be the band’s final concert as they slid into obscurity thanks to bad decisions and infighting – so revisiting the concept decades later with the band retired and reluctantly forced into one last contractual concert is a funny turn of events, and fits the brand. Still, it feels like this movie should have come out 20 years ago, if not earlier. That said, I’ve really missed the mockumentary style that Spinal Tap inspired, especially Christopher Guest’s films like Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman. This scratched that itch in a big way, filling a gap that’s been missing from comedy for years. The question is: was it worth the wait?

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues brings back most of the original cast, at least in cameos, and serves as a fitting send-off for the franchise. Rob Reiner returns as documentarian Marty DiBergi, once again following David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel, and Derek Smalls as they reunite, search for a drummer, and prepare for a comeback show in New Orleans. The band broke up 15 years earlier, and the film has fun showing what they’ve been up to: St. Hubbins producing phone hold music, Smalls running a Glue Museum, and Tufnel running a combined cheese-and-guitar shop. The same absurd humor from the original is back in full force, and unlike many legacy sequels, this one actually feels like the original. Along the way there are cameos from music legends including Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Elton John.

One surprise for me was the runtime – it’s only 80 minutes long. Honestly, that’s not a bad thing, as stretching a mockumentary like this much longer might wear thin. I was expecting a larger chunk of the movie to focus on the concert itself, but instead it’s kept fairly brisk- I guess otherwise would have just been a full retread of the original film. The structure is straightforward: Act One catches us up on the band 40 years later, Act Two covers rehearsals and the ongoing search for a drummer, complicated by their infamous deadly curse (the spot is ultimately filled by Valerie Franco), and the third act is essentially a fast-paced montage of the reunion concert.

If you’re a fan of the original, you’ll definitely want to see this. It plays like a love letter to the film that basically created an entire genre of improvised mockumentary comedy. There are plenty of great callbacks and gags, like Elton John performing “Stonehenge” – almost flawlessly, until Spinal Tap-style disaster inevitably strikes. My only real question is who this film is for, since many original fans may not even be around anymore, but as someone who loved the first movie, I was happy it exists. Just one caveat: if you haven’t seen the original, this will make almost no sense, so go watch This Is Spinal Tap first.