'Spinal Tap II: The End Continues' Falls Short of an 11
In a world filled with negativity, it's nice to see a well-spirited comedy that doesn't drown its humor in cynicism. Most comedies occupy their time by bashing public figures or making broad political statements. There is one joke revolving around Stormy Daniels, but there's no mention of the President. The appeal to This Is Spinal Tap was its surprisingly soft demeanor behind a documentary about a rock band. There's hardly any drugs in it (minus a scene featuring cocaine), no sex, and lots of clean rock and roll.
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is a traditional legacy sequel. It doesn't top the original, but how can it when the first film is ubiquitous? Does it come close to being as good? No. However, it gets the job done and provides plenty of laughs.
At first, the movie seems to be going in a formulaic direction. Which is ironic since This Is Spinal Tap invented the mockumentary formula. The sequel is a typical tale of getting the band back together for one last concert. The film almost takes The Force Awakens route, but deviates enough where it's not just another lazy beat-for-beat repetition of the original film's plot. TIST was never really meant to have a continuation. Its story is already self-concluding. Making another film forty years later feels like a desperate attempt to rekindle everyone's nostalgia, as the filmmakers behind the picture have fallen out of relevance, which is essentially the plot of this film, giving it a meta style.
After forty years, Spinal Tap has been disbanded. The band members are working dead-end jobs, selling their talents out, or running obscure businesses that provide low turnout. It's a sad reminder of what happens when we get older. A lot of the jokes work. Derek Smalls' (Harry Shearer) glue museum is a funny misdirection of confusion. Why would anyone have a glue museum? Would anyone check it out? Then again, the John Michael Kohler Museum in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, predominantly features toilets, so a glue museum isn't too far of a stretch.
One of the other musicians writes generic music for line-holding calls, which is also a clever way of seeing the depressing progression of time. Wait until you see where Jeanine (June Chadwick) has wound up several years later. The jokes are pretty good, yet hardly any of them are particularly uproarious, with the exception of the absurd grand finale and a new character who's the antithesis of the band's original manager, who rightfully quit on them. The film is more of a chuckle than a full-blown cackle. There's a slight overreliance on references that can feel tiresome. In fairness, the best joke of the movie is a capitlization on a feature gag from the first film. Yet, most of the others aren't as funny unless you've seen the original.
Another hindrance to the film, which in some ways is also a strength, is the usage of celebrity cameos. By the middle act, one famous artist after another makes an appearance in the film to remind the audience of how popular a forty-year-old comedy was. Some of the cameos work particularly well, like when David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) has animosity towards a polite Paul McCartney just to be a contrarian egotist. Plus, the stuff with Elton John is pure gold. However, the cameos are also used as a crutch for a narrative that's even more razor-thin than the original.
Most sequels expand their scope while Spinal Tap II shrinks it to a distracting degree. The entirety of the second act takes place in the recording booth, making the movie's low budget stand out like Stonehenge. Why is the majority of the film in this little room? The first movie shifted between multiple concerts and hotels, maintaining a constant flow. For an hour and twenty-two minutes, this picture surprisingly drags. Why didn't they go to more locations? Did they run out of money, and $22 million couldn't cover enough? The room makes the film claustrophobic.
There are a few jokes in the movie that don't quite land. One about a tiny cheese holder placed in a guitar, and another featured a gigantic farting rectum dangling above the stage. Really? We're doing Howard Stern's Fartman gag? For the jokes that don't hit the mark, there are plenty that do. Especially from Simon Howler (Chris Addison), who has a musical deficiency yet is a rock band manager. When Simon tells Elton John to use less piano, it's simply hilarious.
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues isn't necessarily a great sequel, but a fairly decent one. With the band of writers and director back together, this last waltz may be worth your time. Even if you're not a Spinal Tap fan. The movie has been overshadowed by its imitators. From Curb Your Enthusiasm to The Office, the mockumentary has Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer to thank for its existence, and yes, these properties have topped the original film through decades of clever improvisation and screenwriting. Spinal Tap may be the grandaddy of today's modern comedies, making it impossible for the sequel to live up to the original. The movie could have been a disaster of tired jokes and a rehashed plot starring has-beens. Thankfully, it's not. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues might not be cranked to 11, but it is a decent 8.
