Spinal Tap Returns: The Mockumentary Masters Strike a Chord with 'The End Continues'

Forty-one years after their cult classic mockumentary first satirized the world of hard rock, the most beloved fictional band in cinematic history has made its triumphant return to the screen. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues features the reunion of the indelible trio—Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), and Derek Small (Harry Shearer)—as they embark on a final show following a fifteen-year hiatus. Documenting their highly anticipated comeback is the well-meaning but often perplexed filmmaker, Martin DiBergi (Rob Reiner), reprising his role as the band’s loyal chronicler.

The sequel, collaboratively written—and likely largely improvised—by the four principal actors, meticulously adheres to the structural template established by the original film. DiBergi, whose directorial career has not flourished since his initial Spinal Tap documentary, begins by catching up with the band members in their decidedly less-than-rock-and-roll current lives. Tufnel now operates a guitar and cheese shop in Northern England; St. Hubbins resides in Morro Bay, California, where he composes ambient on-hold music and soundtracks for murder-themed podcasts; and Small manages a highly specific museum dedicated to the history of glue, an endeavor that presents unique personal hazards during live demonstrations.

Despite persistent personal friction and long-simmering resentments, the band commits to performing their last gig in New Orleans. Their first logistical hurdle, however, involves securing a new drummer, a challenge made complex by the history of unfortunate demises suffered by their previous percussionists. Following a series of audition failures and rejections from high-profile figures such as Questlove, Lars Ulrich, and Chad Smith, the band ultimately discovers the talented and vivacious Didi (Valerie Franco), who immediately embraces the band's anarchic spirit. Naturally, Derek Small wastes no time in making his interest known to the new recruit.

The band also introduces a new public relations man in the form of the overly pretentious Simon (Chris Addison). Simon’s most dubious piece of professional advice is suggesting that one or more of the band members should sacrifice themselves for the sake of boosting ticket sales. Rehearsals for the upcoming concert draw musical royalty, including Paul McCartney and Elton John. McCartney offers unheeded suggestions to the band, which Nigel dismisses with a simple, "We’ll take it under advisement," while John professes to be a longtime fan. In a typically ridiculous nod to rock merchandising, various product tie-ins are pitched to the band, including "Spinal Tap Water," which is exactly what it sounds like.

The humor maintains the dry, deadpan sensibility of the original, resulting in more consistent chuckles than outright hysterics. As is common with long-delayed follow-ups, Spinal Tap II frequently relies on the audience’s existing affection and nostalgia for the original. This is evident in the inclusion of cameos from veterans of the first film, such as Fran Drescher and Paul Schaffer, and a tribute to the late manager, Ian Faith, through the character of his daughter, Hope (Kerry Godliman). Additionally, John Michael Higgins, a fixture in Christopher Guest's mockumentary catalog, makes a brief but welcome appearance as an exercise guru tasked with the unenviable job of conditioning the band members.

Some of the comedic references are notably esoteric, such as the sequence featuring the band posing for a photograph that perfectly replicates the cover of a classic Crosby, Stills & Nash album, shot by the original photographer, Henry Diltz. Other bits, like the ghost tours frequently wandering into the band’s New Orleans residence, quickly become repetitive. However, the film finds its strength in the effortless chemistry of Guest, McKean, and Shearer, who have embodied their silly English rock personas across multiple iterations since the original film. Their comfort in the roles ensures that the audience can't help but be amused. The film culminates in the reunion concert, a highly enjoyable sequence that features a rendition of the classic "Stonehenge" number with Elton John on lead vocals—a sequence that manages to devolve into a disaster even more catastrophic than the original.