Spinal Tap Reunited

This Is Spinal Tap is a landmark comedy, not only popularizing numerous stars—Christopher Guest, Harry Sheaerer, Michael McKean, and director Rob Reiner—but cementing the “mockumentary” as a staple of cinematic comedy. 

Though it was hailed as one of the best films of 1984 when it came out (Rogert Ebert listed it in his top 10 for the year), audiences were more reserved in their reception, and the film’s box office was moderate, at best. But oh, what time will wrought—This Is Spinal Tap grew a devoted cult following over the years, emerging as one of the preeminent comedies of the 80s, and one of the best music-movies ever made. A sequel, then, especially in our toxically nostalgic times, seemed inevitable. And now here it is: Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, in which the band is reunited for one last performance.

Rob Reiner returns as director and in-universe filmmaker “Marty DiBergi”, who is once again directing a documentary about British rock band Spinal Tap. The original cast returns, with Michael McKean starring as David St. Hubbins; Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel; and Harry Shearer as Derek Smalls. Original film stars such as Fran Drescher and Paul Shaffer reprise their roles in admittedly very small cameos. The new film also sports some new cast members, though, most notably Valerie Franco as Tap’s latest drummer, Didi, and Kerry Godliman as Hope Faith, daughter of Tap’s original manager, Ian Faith (Tony Hendra passed away in 2021).

The setup for the sequel is thus: Tap broke up for reasons no one can quite articulate, but Hope Faith, who inherited their management contract when her father died, sets up one last gig in New Orleans, a one-night-only reunion after years of radio silence between the bandmates. This means the early portion of the film is devoted to catching up with the band members in their new, post-Tap lives. David St. Hubbins has joined a mariachi band, Nigel Tufnel runs a cheese shop, and Derek Smalls is the curator of a museum devoted to glue, which is the best of the three “jokes” about where the members of Tap ended up.

The End Continues is not a laugh-out-loud comedy. It’s a surprisingly melancholic affair, though the melancholy isn’t aimed anywhere in particular. There is some mention of the rockstars getting older, but End isn’t specifically about aging, or about mid-life regret—which would be a natural theme given the setup of the band breaking up—the film just feels wistful and aimless, a sweet if frustrating combination. 

Which is not to say there aren’t some good jokes—there absolutely are. There’s a fart joke that had to cost seven figures to put on screen, and the band’s ill-fated “Stonehenge” performance comes back to haunt them in an epic finale. Speaking of haunting, the single best line in the film is one of the best jokes I’ve heard in recent memory: “In the daytime, ghosts are just rumors”. That is a SPECTULAR piece of writing. The film is worth it just for that joke and the fart bit. And at a lean 83 minutes, it’s not like End is trying to sit through. It’s mostly pleasant, if more of a downer than one would expect from Spinal Tap.

But there is a massive issue with End, and that is Documentary Now’s two-part episode from its first season, “Gentle & Soft: The Story of the Blue Jean Committee (Parts 1 & 2)”. In those episodes, Documentary Now satirizes music documentaries using a fake band that broke up and the members haven’t spoken in years, with one member going back to work in a sausage factory. The two-part episode culminates in a reunion performance. It is very, VERY hard to watch End and not think about Documentary Now, especially in the first half, because the premises are so similar. I am not saying Team Tap plagiarized anything—a band reuniting after years apart is a common enough idea. But it is a problem rooted in comedy itself, which is a forward-momentum art form. Comedy doesn’t look back, it constantly moves forward, and unfortunately for The End Continues, Documentary Now got here before them, and especially in the first half, End just feels like a rehash of what they did. It doesn’t feel fresh, it feels like a retread of a TV show that is already ten years old.

But if you really love Spinal Tap, The End Continues is a good hang with beloved characters, if one lighter on laughs than hoped. There is something sweet about revisiting these characters 40 years later and picking apart the falling out between Nigel and David, childhood friends. A few good jokes and plenty of rockstar cameos, including Paul McCartney and Elton John, burnish the band’s reputation, too. The End Continues is a gentle coda on the story of Spinal Tap, less rock’n’roll bombast and more rumination on time. I just wish it was funnier.

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