The Couch Critics
The Couch Critics is your laid-back guide to movies and TV shows that deserve your attention—or maybe don’t. Nathan, along with a rotating door of eclectic co-hosts, dives deep into storytelling, character development, and cinematic style with a sharp eye and a wry sense of humor. Whether it’s a blockbuster hit, a hidden gem, or a cult classic, Nathan’s relatable approach ensures every episode feels like a cozy chat with a friend who just happens to love film. Perfect for casual watchers and cinephiles alike, The Couch Critics bring thoughtful critique without the fluff. Grab your favorite snack, settle in, and let Nathan and friends guide you through the world of screen entertainment.
The Couch Critics
This One Doesn't Go to 11: Why Spinal Tap 2 Failed to Rock
Ever had that sinking feeling when a beloved classic gets a sequel that nobody asked for? That's exactly what happened with "Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues." As the sole audience member in an empty theater, I witnessed firsthand how this long-delayed follow-up to one of comedy's most influential mockumentaries failed to recapture any of the original's brilliance.
The premise seemed promising enough: our favorite fictional rockers reunite after 15 years for one final concert. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Rob Reiner all return to their iconic roles, but something crucial is missing. The razor-sharp wit and perfect timing that made the 1984 film a cult phenomenon have been replaced with tepid callbacks and forced humor. While Christopher Guest remains brilliant (he's easily the film's highlight), his talents can't save what feels like a cynical cash grab.
What's particularly frustrating is how the film mishandles its legacy. The original gave us unforgettable lines like "this goes to 11" and created a template for mockumentaries that filmmakers still follow today. This sequel, however, seems content to coast on nostalgia without adding anything meaningful to the conversation. The abrupt, unsatisfying ending perfectly encapsulates the entire experience – it leaves you wondering "that's it?" With a generous 1.5/5 rating, "Spinal Tap 2" proves that sometimes, it's better to let sleeping rock bands lie. Have you experienced disappointment with long-delayed sequels? Share your thoughts and tune in next week for another mystery movie review as we navigate some unexpected scheduling changes!
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Get back press play. It's a brand new day. We're diving deep and the film's our way From classics to the ones you miss. Grab your snacks, you get the gist. It's Cinema Sunday. On the Couch Critics Show, where the stories shine and the opinions flow. Popcorn's hot, the takes are bold. We laugh, we cry, we break the mold. It's Cinema Sunday. Let the credits roll.
Speaker 2:Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new Cinema Saturday episode of the Couch Critics. I'm your host, nathan, and on today's episode it is just me. Mitch originally was going to join this episode but he didn't have time to watch the movie I'm going to be talking about today, which is Spinal Tap 2. The End Continues. This is the sequel to.
Speaker 2:This Is Spinal Tap, which was a mockumentary about a fake rock band. The original one I thought was hilarious. So before I can give my likes and dislikes of this one, I have to go over the short but sweet synopsis. The band reunite after a 15-year break for one final concert Spinal Tap 2, the Incontinued Stars Christopher Guest, michael McKean, harry Shooter, rob Reiner and a bunch of other people. So when I first heard about this, it wasn't that I was like super excited about it, but I am a big fan of this is Spinal Tap. I thought it was very well done, I thought it was brilliant, I thought it was funny. It had those classic lines like this goes to 11 and lines like that that were just classic. You know, you just you hear that line and you know what movie you're talking about. You hear that line and you know what movie you're talking about.
Speaker 2:So going into this movie I didn't have high expectations, but I thought maybe it would have the same feel and appeal that the original had, and unfortunately it did not. This movie fell flat to me. First off, I was the only person in the movie theater. I'm actually surprised that they released this in theaters. I thought it was going to be, like you know, one of those Fathom events, very special kind of showing, but no, they released it full out in theaters. I don't know how well it did in the box office. I'm going to assume it did not do that well because it just didn't have the same feel of the original one. It felt like it was a cash grab, even though I don't know how many people are very familiar with with the original film. I feel like that movie is kind of like a cult classic because, from what I've heard, when it was first released people didn't know what to think about it, so it didn't do that well. And then it kind of got this cult following after it was released on, you know, like home release on VHS and Blu-ray and DVD and stuff like that.
Speaker 2:I don't know what the appeal to go see this movie would be, unless you are like a diehard Spinal Tap fan, which I'm not a diehard fan but I was pretty psyched that they were doing this and so I went to go see it and, like I said, I think it fell flat. I don't think the humor was there anymore. Obviously they're much older now and it shows Not that humor was there anymore. Obviously they're much older now and it shows not that that's like a big factor. I thought they kind of could have leaned more into that a little bit. They did mix a few old jokes here and there, but I think they could have, like, leaned even more into it and made it even more funny. They did have a check the box moment with the drummer that they have. I mean, if you listen to the show before, you know what Check the Box moments are. So I'm not going to divulge really what it was about this Check the Box moment, but it was there. You know it's 2025. So of course you have to have those moments in there.
Speaker 2:And, yeah, it just wasn't good. It wasn't funny at all. I did find myself kind of chuckling a little bit like a smidge and the find myself kind of chuckling a little bit like a smidge and the ending was dumb. You know the original one. It ended that they went back on tour and they were famous again and you had like this really awesome frozen moment and this one just ended really, really dumb and it really just felt like it just ended like there was no, it was like very abrupt and it's. It's one of those endings where you're thinking really that's the end. So I was disappointed. I even told mitch what I thought about it and I think that's one of the reasons why he didn't go see it, because I asked him a couple days after. I told him what I, how I felt, and I asked him if he was going to go see it and he was like I don't know, not after your review.
Speaker 2:So, unfortunately, spinal Tap 2 does not win any of the awards that you could give a comedy. It just isn't funny. And so, yeah, those are my thoughts on Spinal Tap 2. It's a short but sweet episode. I would give Spinal Tap 2, the End Continues a 1.5 out of 5, unfortunately and the .5 is being very nice because again, I did chuckle at some parts I think Christopher Guest is the biggest highlight of this movie. I think he's brilliant, I think he's funny and obviously they probably improvised a lot of this stuff and so I thought he was great. But other than that it's not that great of a movie, 1.5. First final tap
Speaker 2:too. So this Tuesday on the get it, but that's not until December, so I'm going to hold off on that movie. I'm not sure what I'm going to fill this Tuesday with. I don't want to just miss an episode. So there will be something, whether it's a movie review or whether it's just a filler, we shall see. And then next Cinema Saturday. That's another up in the air kind of thing, because I've reached my movie list where there's not another movie on the film list for a couple, like couple weekends, because originally Saw 11 was supposed to come out in a couple of weeks but that sense got canceled. So yeah, I don't know what I'm going to be watching. So these are going to be two mystery movies coming up Tuesday and next Cinema Saturday on the couch Critics, where every movie gets its close up it's Cinema.
Speaker 1:Sunday, where the good stuff begins Old school, new school, oscar wins. So stay a while and touch that dial. The couch critic who's got that style? Cinema Sunday let's rewind and smile, thank you.
