The band reunite after a 15-year break for one final concert.

The only surprise about this sequel to 1980s cult classic ‘This is Spinal Tap’ is that it’s taken as long as it has, with this sequel arriving around 40 years after the original mockumentary was released in cinemas. ‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues’ follows the titular rock band as they embark on a one-off reunion concert in New Orleans, reuniting the 3 core band members (the previous drummer having died, of course) after several years apart. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer all return, as does Rob Reiner as director in the ‘movie’ and of the ‘movie’ with a litany of new supporting cast members and cameos to fill out the plot.

The key difference between this movie and the original is that the original was a genuine mockumentary, hitting the beats that were expected in music documentaries (the pastiche/homage to Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Last Waltz’ about ‘The Band’ are obvious), whereas this sequel is more of a straight comedy movie wearing the clothes of a mockumentary. That is to say it’s not as cleverly crafted as ‘This is Spinal Tap’, nor as funny, but it does have its moments largely down to the improvisation and camaraderie amongst the central trio – Guest in particular reminding us what a talent he is after spending much of the last 40 years behind the camera.

There is a good supporting role from Chris Addison as a cynical record company boss, and a few cameos, some of which work better than others (I love Elton John but it should surely be obvious by now he looks out of place in movies). For fans of the original, there is a lot to like here and the best elements are the random divergences away from the plot (cheese and guitars anyone?), but overall this is a fairly average return for the ‘Spinal Tap’ crew.

Rating: 3/5

Directed By: Rob Reiner

Starring: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Valerie Franco, C. J. Vanston, Rob Reiner, Fran Drescher, Don Lake, John Michael Higgins, Nina Conti, Griffin Matthews, Kerry Godliman and Chris Addison

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt20222166/