Movie Review

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues sequel prioritizes music over laughs

Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Christopher Guest in Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.

Photo by Bleecker Street/Kyle Kaplan

Just over 40 years ago, the mockumentary This is Spinal Tap chronicled the journey of the fictional English rock band Spinal Tap as they tried to mount a tour in the United States. What made the film so funny was not the band’s musical talents, but the way it made fun of egotistical and oblivious rock stars who are convinced that they should be way bigger than they actually are.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues brings the band back together after a long separation for a reunion concert. David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) have all moved on to small-time stuff; one sells cheese and another runs a glue museum. But the prospect of money and the regaining of relevance convinces them to commit to the concert.

A film crew led by director Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) once again follows them every step of the way as they attempt to get back in sync with one another, recruit a new drummer (a notoriously dangerous position), and plan out all the details for the concert. While aging has changed each of them in different ways, it becomes clear that they still face many of the same issues they had in the original film.

Directed by Reiner and written by Reiner, McKean, Guest, and Shearer, the short film (83 minutes) is most notable for its concentration on the musical talent of the group. The first film didn’t discount their abilities, but it mostly focused on everything around them instead of the performances. This film seems to want to make the case that they’re actually good, featuring a few nicely-harmonized sequences, as well as cameos from music royalty like Paul McCartney and Elton John, who pay homage to the legacy of Spinal Tap’s songs.

What the film doesn’t have, at least not on first watch, is the instantly memorable funny moments that made the original a cult classic (and made the sequel worth making in the first place). Showing the members’ off-the-wall non-music jobs is good for a few chuckles, and Tufnel’s ever-expanding wah-wah pedal board makes for a funny visual. But too often it feels like the group is trying to force bits that either don’t work or are a bit too close to jokes from the first film.

Like recent mockumentary-style TV shows, characters in the film occasionally acknowledge the presence of the film crew, making the camera more than just a fly on the wall. However, there are not enough of those types of scenes in the film to make much of an impact. The side characters are similarly underwhelming, with only a ghost tour guide (Don Lake) and a Jack LaLanne-esque fitness instructor (John Michael Higgins) standing out.

McKean, Guest, and Shearer - each close to or older than 80 - may have lost a step physically, but each of them still knows how to deliver a good line or a deadpan look. While the overall story isn’t strong, it’s still a pleasure to see them inhabit their characters again. Reiner has never been a great actor, but he completes the nostalgic feeling of the film.

It was always going to be a long shot for Spinal Tap II: The End Continues to be anywhere near as good as the original, and the final result proves that hypothesis correct. But fans will likely come away with some good feelings watching it; if nothing else, McCartney, John, and other famous cameos are a validation for anyone who’s long loved the first film.

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

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Movie Review

The Magic Faraway Tree is a whimsical family lark that fails to take root

Photo courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Andrew Garfield, Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Claire Foy, Phoenix Laroche, and Billie Gadson in The Magic Faraway Tree.

With kids and families always on the hunt for entertainment, it’s typically a safe bet for a movie studio to offer up something new, even if it is a film based on an old property. The Magic Faraway Tree, based on a series of books that started in the 1930s, is a very old property, one that its filmmakers have tried to liven up with a few stars, a lot of whimsy, and a boatload of CGI.

The Thompson family, led by stay-at-home dad Tim (Andrew Garfield) and breadwinner mom Polly (Claire Foy), are forced to move to a rundown country home when Polly gets laid off. The kids - Joe (Phoenix Laroche), Fran (Billie Gadson), and Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy) - are used to the perks of city life like wifi and electricity, and each of them rebels in their own way to their new lot in life.

Fran, enticed by a fairy named Silky (Nicola Coughlan), is the first to venture out of the house, making her way to a magic tree that transports her to a world full of strange characters like Moonface (Nonso Anozie), Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns), Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning), and more. Her adventures there not only broaden the world she thought she knew, but may be the key to helping her ailing family.

Directed by Ben Gregor and written by Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2, Wonka), the film is a pleasant enough lark, but it fails to fully capture the imagination. The five-member family has a lot going on, from an initially-mute Fran to a domestic situation that raises more questions than it answers. The film tries to incorporate an anti-technology message through Tim’s hatred of a smart refrigerator (voiced by Judi Dench!) and the kids' addictions to devices, but it’s quickly shed in favor of other options.

Once Fran makes it to the Magic Faraway Tree, there’s a nice shift in the storytelling, but it’s unclear what the ultimate goal is. It’s a good idea to have Fran, the youngest of the children, convince her older, more cynical siblings about the virtues of the magic world, but the conflict in the real world doesn’t seem to rise to the level needed for the escape the tree provides.

There also seems to be a missing link in the storytelling for viewers to understand the importance of the fantastical characters. The visuals of seeing Moonface and his crescent moon-shaped hair, a man with a suit full of banging pots, and more are fun for a while, but not enough to carry the whole film. A last-minute revelation feels like it was something that should have been disclosed much earlier to help strengthen the emotions of the story.

A two-time Oscar nominee, Garfield is making his first foray into family movies (if you don’t count playing Spider-Man), and while he does a good job, he doesn’t make the best fit for the semi-goofy role. The same goes for the Emmy-winning Foy, who isn’t given much of anything to do. The movie puts the story on the shoulders of the three child actors, and while each of them acquit themselves well, none of them are so outstanding as to be noteworthy.

With nearly 90-year-old source material, The Magic Faraway Tree needed to be something truly special to stand out in the 21st century movie world. Unfortunately, it features a mostly forgettable story that features some fun visuals, a couple of cute kids, and not much else.

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The Magic Faraway Tree is now playing in theaters.

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