12/09/25

Cineworld, Edinburgh

It’s finally here. I’ve waited 41 years for a sequel to my all-time favourite comedy and here it is. A week ago I had the opportunity to revisit the original film on the big screen and it was every bit as brilliant as I remembered, so… no pressure. Of course, I’m not deluded enough to imagine that Spinal Tap 𝜫: The End Continues can be anywhere near as perfect as its predecessor, but my abiding fear is that it will be a terrible misfire with nothing of the spirit of the original. Thankfully, that isn’t the case.

The film opens with a glimpse of the venue in New Orleans, where the world’s loudest (and most punctual) rock band will make their ‘one night only’ return, a contractural obligation that was stipulated in the deal they made with original manager, Ian Faith (the late Tony Hendra). After his death, the rights have been transferred to his daughter, Hope (Kerry Godliman), and she’s intent on holding the three Tapsters to their obligation. The film now cuts back to filmmaker Marti Di Bergi (Rob Reiner) as he goes looking for the three core members of the band.

David St Hubbins (Michael McKean) is now making his living by composing those irritating bits of muzak you hear when you phone a company and they put you on hold. Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) is running a cheese and guitar store in darkest Cornwall, where he’s perfectly happy to swap an instrument for some dairy produce – and vice versa.

And Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) is the custodian of The Museum of Glue. Of course he is.

We now follow the band as they reconnect and make their preparations for the concert, under the guidance of the well-meaning but ineffectual Hope and the odious, deeply abrasive Simon Howler (Chris Addison). There are, inevitably, a bunch of guest stars dotted amidst the action, with Paul McCartney and Elton John the most prominent. There are also ‘where are they now’ glimpses of some of the surviving players from the first film.

The improvised humour that was so instrumental in film one – and which paved the way for the host of films and TV series that followed in its path – is perhaps not quite as sure-footed as before, though much of it lands squarely enough to provide the requisite laughs. Interestingly, it’s the music that proves this sequel’s real strength, with Christopher Guest’s original compositions given extra fuel by the propulsive drumming of Didi Crockett (Valerie Franco). Hilariously cringey lyrics aside, the songs are actually pretty good examples of 80s heavy rock.

It’s interesting to note that, now the players are genuinely aged (Harry Shearer is 81), there’s a new-found vulnerability to the characters, the previously fearless young rebels brought down by the realities of infirmity. They seem quietly bewildered by all the changes that have occurred since they were last on the scene, but are still determined to give it their best shot. There are clever twists on the original (what happens with Stonehenge is particularly impressive) and, as before, the comedy interplay continues throughout the film’s closing credits with some of the funniest moments held back to the end.

I emerge from the screening with a warm glow, as though I have just spent time with some old friends – and, after such a long absence that’s surely all you can hope for. A word to the wise: if you are not already a fan of Spinal Tap, this reunion gig is likely to leave you feeling bewildered rather than nostalgic.

4 stars

Philip Caveney