Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
4 out of 5 stars

By J.C. Correa

“We want Tap! We want Tap!” So chants a mob of thousands packed into a New Orleans arena, moments after one of those many has passionately professed on camera that Spinal Tap is up there with AC/DC and Motörhead as one of the premiere heavy rock bands to ever walk the Earth. The atmosphere is electric, and the crowd is ready to go bonkers as they await the entrance of their dubiously chosen British heroes, who are there to perform a final, farewell concert. Such is the setting and hook behind Rob Reiner’s long-awaited sequel to what so many consider to be (yours truly included) one of the greatest film comedies of all time. 

Forty-one years ago, Reiner and his three genius partners in crime – Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer – got struck by a gold dust of inspiration and went on, with deadpan determination, to lampoon the excess and delusion that often exists in the world of rock ’n’ roll, and particularly among heavy metal bands with their frequently inherent blunt tackiness. In This Is Spinal Tap, the foursome more or less invented the mockumentary genre by creating a faux chronicle on the exploits of Tap, a legendary metal band (in their own minds at least) whose cluelessness and tawdry crassness was only matched by their deluded self-importance. Though the movie was not a hit at first, it gradually amassed a feverish cult following over the years, particularly on home video. But its greatest legacy lies probably in how it eventually became viewed by the very artists it aimed to poke fun at. Sting is known to have said that when he wasn’t crying from laughter, he was frequently crying for real. For his part, Steven Tyler openly admitted to not liking it at all, claiming that it hit too close to home. What higher praise could there be indeed?

The truth is that in the intervening years, the film, as well as the band, have etched themselves into the fabric of our culture – particularly among the music community – and gone on to achieve a well-deserved reverence and a legendary status. So, it is with this level of pedigree that these lauded artists have finally unleashed a sequel to such a unique and singular property. Needless to say, the bar was set incredibly high – growing by the year I’d say – making the meeting of expectations a fairly daunting proposition.

So let me address that all-important point right out of the gate and happily confirm that Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is not only worth the wait, but is a glorious, riotous delight that does every bit of justice to its vaunted legacy. Seeing McKean slip back under the wig of singer-guitarist David St. Hubbins, Shearer twirl the enormous mustache of bassist Derek Smalls, and Guest look as oblivious as ever as lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel, not to mention Reiner himself reassume the guise of fussy documentarian Marty DiBergi, the movie, first and foremost, will make fans feel like they’ve been reunited with near and dear old friends. It’s an absolute treat to see all of them transform into these characters once more, made even more impressive by the fact that you get the sense that they’ve never not been them across the past four decades. 

Considering that the three stars are all at least septuagenarians (Shearer is actually 81), it only makes sense that the story would revolve around Spinal Tap in their twilight years, hence the farewell concert that serves as the springboard. But the great irony behind this is that the whole premise of the 1984 film was that the English band were already then considered has-beens past their prime. Imagine then just how far that angle is played for laughs this time around. 

It’s an inspired move to set the group’s swan song in the Big Easy by virtue of how antithetical that city’s musical heritage is to everything that Tap stands for. The band’s manager, the late Ian Faith (wonderfully portrayed by the late Tony Hendra in the first flick) has left his cleverly named daughter Hope (Kerry Godliman) in charge of things, and she sees to it that the band put on this concert due to some contractual obligation. The logic and specifics behind this particular point are not made entirely clear, and it might prove to be a frustrating detail for some. 

What is entirely evident is that the guys have not played together in 15 years, so the movie naturally takes advantage of that by having DiBergi track each of them down. Seeing where they have all ended up is an absolute hoot, and it’s easily one of the best sequences in the movie. Nigel has retired to the English countryside where he owns a shop that sells guitars and cheese, and where customers can trade one in for the other. Being the bassist, and therefore the member of the band that holds everything together, Derek now naturally owns a glue shop. And David has retreated to California where, when he isn’t playing with a mariachi band, is writing tunes for podcasts and winning awards for telephone on-hold music. It’s all genius. It’s all perfect. It’s all very Spinal Tap.

One of the best running jokes about the band during the first movie was their propensity for having their many drummers inexplicably die in mysterious ways. Naturally, the new film takes full advantage of Tap’s need to reunite by exploiting the vacancy behind the kit to the hilt. The drummer auditions that follow are hilarious, as some of the names being considered are Quest Love from The Roots, Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Lars Ulrich from Metallica. All three gentlemen clearly had a blast being part of this. The celebrity participants do not end there, though. Garth Brooks makes a brief cameo near the beginning, setting the stage for none other than Sir Paul McCartney, who shares some uproarious scenes with Spinal Tap in a rehearsal studio. To his credit, Macca looks amazing for his age, but he is also incredibly good at delivering his lines. Tap’s interaction with him is gut-bustlingly funny, in part because of their belief that they are above him.

The second major appearance belongs to Sir Elton John. He brings less charisma to the proceedings than McCartney, and his initial scenes with the band are not as fun. He does, however, get included in the movie’s biggest (which will also likely be the most talked about) set piece and the result is absolutely bonkers. I don’t want to spoil what happens there, but let’s just say that it is absolutely fitting by the sheer fact that it has been a long time coming. Namely 41 years.

There is so much I am tempted to divulge in terms of scenes and jokes that I loved about the film, but that would truly rob a viewer of the joy of experiencing it cold. In a vague summation, what I will say is that there is a wonderful bit that spoofs how every good song has a weird, self-indulgent part unnecessarily thrown in, as well as a brilliant analysis on the difference between “la-ahs” and “a-ahs.” Nigel, ever the finicky perfectionist, has long-since moved on from his need to crank things up to 11, having found a way to even obliterate that. One of the best scenes has him showing DiBergi his impressive arsenal of foot pedals, one of which is shaped like a pizza slice. 

Memorable cast members from the first flick like Fran Drescher, Paul Shaffer, and June Chadwick make brief and welcome returns here. What also comes back in spades are the band’s many “classics,” some of which get spirited reworkings. Naturally, there is new material on display that is very much representative of an over-the-hill Spinal Tap that fits right in with the delightful absurdity of the earlier stuff, albeit from a geriatric perspective. At one point, a random character declares on camera, “What’s more rock ’n’ roll than pestilence?” And that, dear readers, pretty much sums up everything. 

Side note: Advanced screenings of the film that took place exclusively on IMAX screens nationwide on Wednesday evening were followed by a live Q&A with the filmmakers that was streamed directly from Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Moviegoers were encouraged to submit their questions online in the preceding minutes in the hope of a live response. However, any questions made to Reiner, McKean, Guest, or Shearer would have been utterly moot. The host of the event turned out to be a slightly bewildered Marty DiBergi, and in front of him sat the three grumpy and defensive members of Spinal Tap; wigs, wardrobe, and British accents fully on display. Could we have expected anything less? 

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is currently playing in theaters.