This is Spinal Tap II: The End Continues follows the now infamous band, Spinal Tap as documentarian Marty DiBergi learns that the discontinued band signed a contract that says they will come together to do one last concert. Now, will this concert be a hit? Are the members of Spinal Tap too old and, more importantly, can they get over the grudges that have kept them apart? As Marty interviews and (literally) gets the band back together, there is a question of if, like this movie, old things can come together and make something worth enjoying.
This film comes at a time where there seems to be a strong bid by studios to create widely-seen legacy sequels to some of the most beloved comedies from the past, like Beverly Hills Cop 4, Happy Gilmore 2, The Naked Gun Reboot and now, This is Spinal Tap II. What is nice for studios is that the original stars and cast have been more than willing to get a big film made and one can only think that this is the only ways to get comedies made at a higher budget, even if they include star power. Spinal Tap stands out as it manages to reunite all of their original cast members but also, being the oldest to do so and with the least star power.
What hasn’t died is Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest and the rest of the crew’s passion to be funny. The indie and minimalist mockumentary style that made the first film distinct and drove it to cult classic territory remains intact. They simply update the technology and use the allure that the first film has to call in some crazy favours. Even better is that the film hopes to gain new viewers and, with a theatrical release, it will hopefully gather crowds who loved the original.
The film is enjoyable in many instances because of the multiple ways that it is able to keep us laughing and smiling at the silly shenanigans of this band. For one, these guys are now quite old and still have the same bizarre haircuts. We also see that old tricks never die as the guys return to new versions of their silliness from before. No, they don’t turn it to 11 but they certainly try to innovate rock and roll in interesting ways. In some ways, as the band gets back together, its like they have time travelled to the new ways of rock but they don’t quite understand the world or are trying to adapt in ways that seem quite sad. For instance, one member of the band starts making music for true crime podcasts, a ridiculous but also believable place for them to be considering the state of the music industry.
The amount of work these guys put into being cool or as the kids say today to gain aura is crazy. The props, like before, are all ridiculous and ironic. The film exists in a world where any character will say anything or do anything just to appear funny or cool, and the result is some great cringe comedy. We see this a lot also in the cutaway gags, revealing the humour of how we, as humans, can be very prone to see ourselves in a different light than the camera does. The documentary aesthetic itself is part of the joke as we see the complications and ridiculous situations that camera crew who appear on screen have to deal with.
The film is an efficient, breezy and enjoyable movie. It never dares to overstay its welcome and it knows it should be short because of the lack of strong plot elements and ensures that the jokes remain fresh. Also, Spinal Tap II ends in an unexpected place which only adds to the comedy. The credits roll over additional footage which is humorous but plays both as an epilogue and deleted scenes. The film has delightful musician cameos that play very well into the comedy that the film is creating and they are given the burden to have to make a joke themselves.
The band’s striving to find great music in themselves again at their old age contrasts well with their new promoter. This promoter is a funny in himself because he says he has a condition where he cannot hear music. (His ears do not understand the beauty in the noises created by instruments.) This is often hilarious as he continues through the film as we see him try to do everything to get the band to be more relevant in any way that doesn’t involve music. It’s a funny take on a music industry that, for many, often seems hopeless for talented young players who will take chance they have at a big time gig (as we see with Spinal Tap’s new drummer, a young woman who is ready to take on the curse Spinal Tap have had since the original). This is just one of the many great puns, background jokes and comedic choices that the film is filled with. This is a great film to watch with a crowd, if you can.
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is available in theatres on Friday, September 12th, 2025.
