Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, Rob Reiner's Final Film

Rob Reiner's sudden death turns Spinal Tap II: The End Continues from an amiable reunion into a poignant epilogue.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, the final movie Rob Reiner released during his life, doesn’t feel like a farewell. It’s too relaxed to carry such a heavy mantle. Its slow, ambling pace marks this as the work of an older artist, one who makes no apologies for his advancing years.

Inevitably, the passing of time is at the heart of Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. It’s a reunion film about a reunion, a last hurrah for a group of rockers who were past their prime way back when they were the subject of their first film. The band Spinal Tap may have been long in the tooth when they were the subject of This Is Spinal Tap in 1984, but Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer were not. They were hitting their stride, perfecting the premise they workshopped back in 1978, inventing a new comedic vocabulary for film. The ease of the improvised performances, including that of Reiner’s straightman Marty Di Bergi, contrasted with Reiner’s precision as a director; he knew which bits were the best and crafted the film so they made a lasting impression.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues runs one minute longer than This Is Spinal Tap, yet it feels lengthier than its predecessor. The film wanders through its 83-minute run time, lingering on set pieces that don’t quite gel, saving many of its funniest moments for the credits crawl. There’s almost a sense that Reiner, Guest, McKean, and Shearer realize they can’t replicate the wild, electric wit of This Is Spinal Tap so they opt for its opposite: a hangout movie where the appeal is watching a bunch of old friends enjoy each other’s company.

Since Guest, McKean, and Shearer repeatedly returned to their Tap personas over the years—Shearer even released a Derek Smalls solo album in 2018—their performances are relaxed and easy; it’s second nature for the trio. Reiner plays it a bit broadly, a genial host making sure that everybody is having a good time, taking pains to ensure that all the punchlines land. When the Tap trio falls into a photoshoot pose replicating the cover shot of Crosby, Stills, & Nash, Reiner is heard off camera clarifying the connection so nobody misses the allusion. Much of Spinal Tap II is pitched at a similar level: the humor is often broad, not because there’s a distrust of the audience but because Reiner enjoys the joke too much to not lean into the expected laugh.

Playing to the crowd is not the only way Spinal Tap II feels old-fashioned. The film’s take on rock culture is strikingly divorced from contemporary reality with one important exception: Tap’s new drummer is a woman. Setting that aside, Spinal Tap’s stature within the film reflects that of the filmmakers, not their fictional band. The Tap that we see in This Is Spinal Tap are working-class shmucks consigned to sharing a bill with a puppet show. The Tap in The End Continues somehow are famous enough to jam with Paul McCartney and recruit Elton John for their final concert. These members of the rock ruling class would not deign to appear backstage at a Wishbone Ash show, so their cameos crack the illusion of Spinal Tap belonging to a recognizable rock’n’roll world.

Then again, Reiner doesn’t seem all that concerned with capturing the idiosyncrasies of a rock band with Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. The plot, such that it is, is merely an excuse for the original quartet to riff, either together or with a supporting cast that is happy to be involved. That crew also includes McCartney and Sir Elton, who both anchor the film’s best setpieces. Watching David St. Hubbins grow irritated at Paul’s musical advice is a delight, even if the idea behind the scenario beggars belief.

The lack of narrative thrust in Spinal Tap II speaks to the film’s origin. The old gang decided to get the band back together after Harry Shearer wielded his “Simpsons money” to regain the creative rights to Spinal Tap, something they signed away back in the ‘80s. Once he was victorious in 2020, the group wondered what to do with their newly acquired rights, eventually deciding they had only one real option: a film about Tap reuniting one last time. They weren’t compelled to tell a specific story so much as to work together again. That creative impetus explains why the film is endearing, even when it isn’t particularly funny: they’re a little bit older, a little bit slower, but their chemistry endures. It also explains why Spinal Tap II: The End Continues now plays like a suitable epilogue to Rob Reiner’s career: it’s filled with warmth and affection, emotions that feel especially poignant in the wake of his unexpected death.