Three word review: It doesn’t completely suck? Reiner in his directorial debut really made the template for the modern Mockumentary with the first in 1984, and its humorous take on the rock-n-roll personas of the band Spinal Tap. Sure there may have been some previous mockumentaries, but Reiner did a great comedic spin on the genre that I think still holds up to this day. Was it wise to revisit 40 years later? Well, I can honestly say, it doesn’t completely suck.
The band Spinal Tap rose to new fame after the ‘documentary’ release, despite the somewhat bad-looking light cast on the members and their antics. They continued touring, even some pretty big gigs over the years. But then 15 years ago, needle off the record. Nada. The final band explosion, nobody knows why. But after a viral video from Garth Brookes singing “Big Bottom,” it puts them back in the spotlight, and the daughter of their contract-owner realized they had the obligation to play one more gig. This is that story.
This isn’t like it’s next-level mockumentary, just a continuation of the story of a questionable aging rock band in the modern age. Mildly amusing, some jokes land, some don’t. Throws in quite a few cameos, as one would expect. Paul McCartney does a good job with it, has some of the best lines, in fact. But it’s a decent reminiscing of what ultimately is a fictional band that put out four(!) actual albums, but doing it with love of the music in their mockery (all three guys are playing their actual instruments, to extra level of kudos to them there). Some more amusing comedics here between Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer, it is suitably ridiculous in their backstories since last playing, with some of the previous characters revisited and some new ones added. It’s a pleasant stroll back down memory lane without completely sullying what came before it. Unless maybe if you’re like under the age of 30, then it’s just weird boomer rock, I guess.
