Movies

This Is Spinal Tap: Still Hilarious, But…

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Prior to revolutionizing our perspective on romantic comedies through “When Harry Met Sally…”, fantasy tales such as “The Princess Bride” and Stephen King adaptations like “Stand by Me” and “Misery”, Rob Reiner played a significant role in revamping the mockumentary genre with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer in “This Is Spinal Tap“. Although it didn’t initially achieve blockbuster success, it catapulted them all to fame and has since become a cult classic. As the movie is being re-released before its sequel, I had the opportunity to view the 4K restoration, which made me aware of my main criticism of the film.

Written collaboratively by four individuals, with a large portion being improvised, “This Is Spinal Tap” functions as a humorous fake documentary that delves into the life of the fictional English heavy metal band bearing the same name. As it progresses, the film adopts an unconventional structure, moving back and forth between recounting their early days marked by numerous personnel and genre shifts, to their latest tour where they encounter challenges such as creative disputes, dwindling fanbase, and cancellations of concert locations.

This Is Spinal Tap’s Loose Story Structure Drags In Parts

Good Jokes Can Only Carry The Film So Far

This movie draws inspiration from films like “Don’t Look Back,” focusing on Bob Dylan, and “The Last Waltz,” centered around The Band. Similar to these, “This Is Spinal Tap” follows a traditional rock documentary structure. It starts by giving a quick background of the band before delving into their current tour. Since the creators, Reiner, Guest, McKean, and Shearer aim to satirize the lifestyle and industry of rock bands, this initial setup works well because portraying their early years in the folk and flower power genres feels both genuine and hilarious.

Although the film is only 82 minutes long, its structure weakens noticeably past the halfway mark because it seems like the characters are more preoccupied with telling jokes than advancing the narrative. Admittedly, considering that this movie’s contemporary storyline is merely one chapter in Spinal Tap’s history rather than their entire journey, some might argue that a fully-fledged plot wasn’t essential, especially since it concludes with the band rejuvenated and embarking on a fresh tour.

From a movie enthusiast’s perspective, while the gang’s antics are undeniably entertaining, the absence of a narrative arc leaves the film feeling somewhat dated as I find myself questioning where it’s heading. In contrast, “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping” employs a similar formula to “This Is Spinal Tap,” yet is just five minutes longer. However, The Lonely Island masterfully crafted a more balanced blend of story and humor by infusing their tale with relatable emotional highs and lows that escalate at an engaging pace, keeping viewers hooked.

This Is Spinal Tap’s Mix Of Improv & Script Is Nicely Blurred

There Are Points I Legitimately Can’t Tell Which Is Which

While the film’s narrative may be a drawback, it’s undeniable that “This Is Spinal Tap” continues to excel primarily due to its wit, which is both intellectual and sharply satirical, mocking both rock music and documentary styles (occasionally including light-hearted jabs). Every time I laughed at the band’s backstage confusion or their joke about The Beatles’ “White Album,” I also enjoyed their amusing mix-up between 18 inches and 18 feet.

After more than 40 years, one of the most surprising aspects about this film is how difficult it is to distinguish what parts are improvised and what’s scripted. Apart from scenes that clearly required a script to organize the sets, like the unsuccessful Stonehenge stage show, there are very few instances in the dialogue where I could discern they were spontaneously creating their lines. This not only highlights their creative intelligence but also their commitment to their characters.

Reiner’s Direction & The Movie’s Soundtrack Are Still Incredible

I Want To Rock Out As Much As Laugh At The Film’s Dedication

When this movie, “This Is Spinal Tap,” first premiered, it successfully tricked numerous audiences into thinking it was an authentic documentary instead of a mockumentary. And even now, it’s apparent why this deception worked so well. Reiner skillfully directed the film, and Peter Smokler’s cinematography carefully emulated real rock documentaries to match their visual style, especially the backstage interviews and supposed archival footage of the band’s earlier concerts, which appear authentically aged and pay tribute to those shows as much as they parody them.

Just as impressive as Reiner’s direction in “This Is Spinal Tap” is its soundtrack, which was also produced by Guest, McKean, and Shearer. The trio, along with David Kaff and Ric Parnell, performed the album. At the time, Parnell and the other musicians were already skilled musicians. The lyrics of the album are hilarious, especially “Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight” and “Big Bottom”, but the actual composition of the songs is still thrilling and explosive, making them both entertaining to rock out to and laugh with.

Anticipating the upcoming sequel of “Spinal Tap“, my curiosity isn’t limited to the quality of their latest album; I’m equally intrigued about whether there’s a more compelling narrative behind it.

This Is Spinal Tap The Golden 41st Anniversary 4K Restoration will be in theaters from July 5-7.

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2025-07-05 18:57

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