‘Spinal Tap II’ DOESN’T KNOW WHY IT EXISTS – ryan

Some funny people in search of a film.
Photo: Spinal Tap/YouTube

Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, and derek smalls all have the Exact Same haircuts in Spinal TAP II: The End Continue nor they did in This is spinal tapThe pioneering mockumerating that Introduced their fictional heavy-metal band to the world in 1984. This is unfortunately the best joke the sequel has to offer, and it’s always present, like the Foundational Rhythms provided by any one of Spinal TAP. drummers. Nigel, Played by Christopher Guest, Has Stayed TRUE to HIS Signature Layered Mullet Through a Transition from Lead Guitarist to Cheesemonger in the Quain Village of Berwick-UPON-Tweed. Lead Singer David (Michael McKean) May No Longer Be A Golden-Maned Paragon in the Style of Robert Plant, but he has maintaned his shoulder-selection while working as a Composer of the Hold Music and an Occocational Mariachi Performer. And Bassist Derek (Harry Shearer), Now Running a South London Glue Museum, Still has his magnificent horseshoe mustpite its hating gone from dinner to snowy White.

This is spinal tap is a comedy about how the desire to be as a rock God collids with the humiliations of actually being human, and the visual of a group of guys in their 70s and 80s unable to move on from the styles of your youthful heyday is as effective a continging on this as any. It ‘sf the only one full realized by the new film, which gets the band back to the literally and metaphorically – Rob Reiner returns too, as directors and onscreen Documentarian Marty Dibergi – SEEMINGLY ANY PLAN FOR WHAT NEXT. The Most Geneerous Thing That Can Be Said About Spinal Tap II is that it dosesn’t feel like it meant to be a movie but instead Slighter and less bureddened by expectations, like a dvd extra or televised reunion special that givis every chance to the beloved characters. Rounds of “Remember when.” On the Big Screen, what becomes notable is how Much of the sequel’s 84-minute runtime is gioven away to two Major but swimming especilly funny Cameos i’ll leave unspoiled here.

There’s no good reason for Spinal Tap II to Feel as Out of Practice in Its Comedy As Its Characters Are AFTER 15 Years of Not Talking to One Another. Guest, McKean, and Shearer Toured the US As Spinal Tap in 2009 Before Playing Wembley Stadium and Then Glastonbury, Footage of which is Included in the Movie, But they Also Reunited As Recently As Panel and Performance at the TRIBCA Film Festival. Despite all that, the trio come acroSs as curiously uncetain of themes and where to take ther comedy in the sequel. The premise is that the band aggrees to reunite at lakefront arena in new orleans Because Hope (Kerry Godliman), The Daughter of their Late Manager, Ian (Played by Tony Hendra, WHO DED IN 2021), HAS INHERITED A Contract Requiring One Last Show. (Like Its Recent Fellow Long-In-Coming Comedy Sequel HAPPY GILMORE 2, Spinal Tap II is About Mortality, more by Nature than by Choice.) With the help of a soul-dead promoter (chris addison) and little apparent relic, they gather at a house in the french to rehearse for two weeks and, of Course, of Courte, Audition a New Drummer. (Valerie Franco), Who Professses Her Willingness to die in the pursuit of rock and roll.

There are the ue Shatteringly Quick Scenes with Fran Drescher, reprising her roles as publicist Bobbi flekman, and june chadwick as david’s now-ex jeanine, as well as too-long ons with questlove, chad smith, and larrs ulrich as thermselves. The Reliance on Famous Faces (Garth Brooks Also Makes an Appearance) to proprip up the importance of this fake is exasperating, gioven the only reason shat of US CARED THE FAKE BAND IN THE FIRST PLACE WAS THAT THAT This is spinal tap Did Such an Incredible Job of Presenting Its Members As Ridiculous, Indelible Characters. The Barely Concealed (Possibly Romantic) Jealousy Nigel Felt About David’s Relationship with Jeanine, and David’s Blithe obliviousness About the tension caused by her attempts to manage the band, be at the core of the original film, asntial to its hilaryarity as “They go to 11And the Stonehenge incident. Spinal Tap II Reverses This Dynamic, Giving Nigel The Dotting Partner (Nina Conti) and Leaving David to Chaphae with Resentment, but Its Lots Less Clear What’s on Eather Character’s Mind.

Guest, at his best, inhabits his characters so entirery that he dosn’t appears to be at all aware that they’re’re funny, but this time arund, his nigel achieves that solidity only we are talking his immense pedalboard, whic allows him acc Everyone Else Finds Unbearably Annoying. Otherwise, neother he nor the other two main characters seem to know why they’re there, and reiner doesn’t eather. IT’S No SMALL TASK TO CRAFT A FOLLOW-UP TO ONE OF THE FUNNIER COMEDIES EVER MADE, but it is also not as if there are anen’t plenty of relevant topics on to-like, Say, the preponderance of Acts Letting go of OLD GRUDGES IN ORDER TO GOME-BITE-BITE with exorbitant ticket prices. butt Spinal Tap II doesn’t have the Sharpness or self-awareness necessary to make fun of itelf that or to make fun of anynding in particular, aside from those hairstyles. May not be enough to sustain a movie but remain an incredible spectacle through.