The groundbreaking 1984 mockumentary comedy This Is Spinal Tap chronicles the proverbial death rattle of the eponymous fictional heavy metal band with such keen attention to detail and human behavior that it’s easy to mistake Spinal Tap for a real band. In the long-belated sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, surviving band members David St. Hubbins, Derek Smalls, and Nigel Tufnel reunite, minus a full-time drummer, of course, for a one-night-only concert, after being estranged from one another for 15 years.
While the affectionate reviews for the film are a testament to the rich legacy of the first movie and its iconic characters, there’s a clear recognition that the sequel’s appeal is virtually entirely related to nostalgia for This Is Spinal Tap. Indeed, watching Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is like watching a geriatric tribute band perform the minor hits of a band whose prime ended roughly 40 years ago.
‘This Is Spinal Tap’ Still Goes to 11
While the overarching legacy of This Is Spinal Tap is related to how it effectively launched the mockumentary genre, the key to the film’s success lies in its utter believability. Besides the running joke of the perpetually dying drummers, along with other absurdities, This Is Spinal Tap always remains grounded in reality. This is embodied in the distinctive personalities of the three members of the deeply untalented and pretentious heavy metal band Spinal Tap, which shares recognizable similarities with several faded real-life metal bands of the 1970s and 1980s.
This Is Spinal Tap, which documents the fictional band’s disastrous 1982 tour across the United States, is a fascinating case study of the prolonged state of delusion, narcissism, and self-deception that seems to be inherent in the rock lifestyle. The members of Spinal Tap each represent extreme cases of arrested development. They don’t know how to do anything other than be in Spinal Tap, which is in a steep downward spiral. Once able to fill arenas, the band is now relegated to playing in amphitheaters, a military base, and even at an amusement park, where the band receives second billing underneath a puppet show. Other concerts were canceled. An autograph signing at a record store failed to attract a single customer. This is all blamed on poor marketing.
Of course, none of the sycophants in the band’s shrinking orbit dares to address the band’s main problem, which is that their music sucks. However, instead of openly mocking the band, This Is Spinal Tap generates most of its humor by contrasting the lingering optimism of the band members with the stark evidence of their declining popularity. This is effectively highlighted by director Rob Reiner, whose character, documentary filmmaker Marty Di Bergi, serves the important purpose of asking relevant questions that provoke ridiculous answers.
Of course, the comedic set pieces in This Is Spinal Tap are legendary and firmly embedded within the public consciousness. There’s the scene at the airport security checkpoint, where the presence of Harry Shearer’s Derek Smalls triggers a metal detector, until he removes a cucumber from his pants. One of the funniest scenes in This Is Spinal Tap involves a silly glam rock stage production, for which the band’s manager commissions a designer, played by Anjelica Huston, to construct a duplicate of the prehistoric structure Stonehenge, only to be terribly disappointed when she delivers a miniature prop instead of a life-sized replica. In another scene, the trio appears on stage in alien pods, which are supposed to give birth to them, one by one, until Derek gets stuck in his pod.
‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues’ Lacks the Authenticity of the Original
The most remarkable achievement of This Is Spinal Tap is that, just as the film convinced audiences in 1984 that it was a real documentary about a real band, this illusion remains relatively intact in 2025. This is despite cast members Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and especially director Rob Reiner being infinitely more recognizable now than they were when the film was first released. This is a testament to Reiner’s direction, which never upstages the film’s documentary approach and unforced narrative through elaborate camera shots and visual gimmicks.
However, the mockumentary style that This Is Spinal Tap popularized has become so hackneyed that the genre now exists as a parody of itself. This is very evident in Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, which eschews the documentary feel and look of the first film in favor of a polished and standard comedy satire format. This conventional and slick approach, combined with cameo appearances by the likes of Elton John and Paul McCartney, creates a sense of self-awareness through which the band members seem to be in on the joke, something they were blissfully unaware of in the first film.
‘This Is Spinal Tap’ Will Never Be Topped
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues has the misfortune of following in the footsteps of a comedy classic that’s become a cultural landmark. Nothing in the sequel is as funny as the outtakes from This Is Spinal Tap. What’s most lacking from the sequel is, to quote one of the most iconic lines of dialogue from the film, a clear understanding of the thin line between clever and stupid. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues struggles to find a compelling reason for its existence.
However, to the degree that Spinal Tap II: The End Continues represents a frivolous and unnecessary viewing experience, the sequel nonetheless generates genuine feelings of appreciation and warmth for viewers who have aged alongside This Is Spinal Tap and its iconic characters. Indeed, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, with its themes of aging and legacy, plays less like a true sequel than it does as a touching 82-minute postscript to an 82-minute masterpiece. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is in theaters now.
