Comedy sequels are tricky for an obvious reason. Just because something was funny once doesn’t mean it’ll be funny again. In fact, if something was already once, that’s a decent sign that it won’t be funny again. In general, the laws of diminishing returns affect comedies way more than drama.

This is Spinal Tap is one of the most beloved comedies of all time. What began as a satire of the music industry eventually took on a life of its own, with numerous reunion concerts, television appearances, and a few albums since the film’s 1984 premiere. Somewhere along the way, the lines became blurred and Spinal Tap became something of a real band, a reality that defines and plagues the follow-up film.

This is Spinal Tap was an early entry in the mockumentary genre, but the film had a real plot and a real narrative. Director Rob Reiner crafted something that felt like an actual rock documentary while never losing sight of its purpose as a comedy. Band members like David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) and Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) thought they were cool, but Reiner made clear to the audience that these people were washed-up losers. The exploration of their humanity gave the film an endearing quality that greatly added to its legacy.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is much more like a straight concert documentary. The film reunites the main trio, St. Hubbins, Tufnel, and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) in New Orleans for a reunion in New Orleans, billed as their final show. The three have drifted apart in the past few decades, each pursuing other interests. St. Hubbins scores podcast music, Tufnel runs a guitar and cheese store, and Smalls operates a Museum of Glue. None of them has much affection for each other, a puzzling dynamic that remains underexplored throughout the narrative.

Much of the film centers around Tap practicing for their reunion show, jamming in a studio, mostly sitting in chairs. It’s kind of sweet, to a certain extent, watching old friends at it again after forty years. Guest in particular retains a healthy dose of that boyish charm he brought to Tufnel.

There are a few laughs to be found in the studio, particularly when it comes time to find a new drummer, a perilous task given the fate of all their other percussionists. The stagnancy drags. It’s neither funny nor particularly interesting to watch semi-pretend musicians rehearse for a semi-pretend concert. Against all odds, Reiner managed to make an 85-minute runtime feel like three hours, a painful slog that drags its way to the finish line.

Reiner, who reprises his role as fictional director Marty Di Bergi, seems quite bored throughout the endeavor, as does Guest, who struggles to muster up enthusiasm in many scenes past the first few minutes. This is Spinal Tap was Reiner’s first directorial effort. It’s understandable why he has such obvious love for the material, but that affection doesn’t translate well onto the finished product.

Two cameos from Paul McCartney and Elton John attempt to liven things up, while also highlighting a fundamental problem of the film. At one point during the original film, David gets angry when Spinal Tap is billed lower than a puppet show at a gig at an amusement park. Spinal Tap used to be pathetic. Now, musical icons want to play with them.

Spinal Tap’s extended victory tour would be more acceptable if this film had tried to include more actual jokes. There are a couple of gags here and there, but nowhere near enough to pad out a feature-length runtime.  The improv doesn’t work at all. McCartney, in particular, looks like a deer in the headlights when it comes to humor. Elton fares a bit better in a smaller appearance.

Did the world need another Spinal Tap film? No, but the music industry has changed quite a lot since we last checked in with the band. There was ample material to make a sequel. Reiner and crew just settled for the laziest path imaginable. There is some novelty in seeing them all on the big screen again, but this was a pathetic showing from the creative crew behind some of the greatest comedies of the past forty years. Everyone deserves better.

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