The Return of Spinal Tap

Rating:
Summary: I Liked It So Much...
Review: This is an excellent addition to the Spinal Tap lore! Spinal Tap put on an awesome performance in front of a lively audience filled with Tapheads. My only regret is that it's not available on DVD (yet). If you enjoyed "This Is Spinal Tap" and want to hear them perform live, this is a must have item!

Rating:
Summary: Just to let you know...
Review: This is clearly not an authorized DVD version of "The Return of Spinal Tap"; there are numerous typos on the cover, many songs are mistitled ("Sex Bomb Woman"? "Stonehedge"?), and, most problematic, the audio mix is horrendous. I compared it to my VHS copy, and the audio mix is decidedly different - and much, much worse. The video seems to be fine, however. Still, I find myself wondering why Amazon chooses to sell products like this; it seems it must be illegal somehow, but I really don't know. In any case, before you buy "The Return of Spinal Tap" on DVD, know that what you're getting is probably not an authorized release.

Rating:
Summary: Just to let you know...
Review: This is clearly not an authorized DVD version of "The Return of Spinal Tap"; there are numerous typos on the cover, many songs are mistitled ("Sex Bomb Woman"? "Stonehedge"?), and, most problematic, the audio mix is horrendous. I compared it to my VHS copy, and the audio mix is decidedly different - and much, much worse. The video seems to be fine, however. Still, I find myself wondering why Amazon chooses to sell products like this; it seems it must be illegal somehow, but I really don't know. In any case, before you buy "The Return of Spinal Tap" on DVD, know that what you're getting is probably not an authorized release.

Rating:
Summary: "This Is Spinal Tap" went to 11..."Return of"... falls to 10
Review: This Is Spinal Tap was (and still is) a hillarious and exremely entertaining cult classic directed by Rob Riener made in 1984. In The Return of Spinal Tap, a just as entertaining sequel was attempted and unfortunately didn't live up to the hype. My thoughts on this movie are that first of all that cheap "made for T.V. movie" look that made it seem very low budget (which it was...)Second, the name should've been Spinal Tap: Live considering %90 of it was concert footage. However, I wouldn't have fast frowarded through most of that footage if it contained more of vintage Tap gags and humor (which it lacks emmensly.) So if you like the music, then I suggest this movie. If not, rent it first. Though I did get a kick out of the amp capo and foldable wine glass (minous the rubber hinges....) invented by lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel. But because of the effort made to create a sequel I give it 3 out of 5 stars. Hardcore Tapheads will certainly give credit where credit is due for even the attempt to recreate one of the greatest movies ever This Is Spinal Tap!

Rating:
Summary: Outrageous! A must see! Best satire of rock and roll ever.
Review: This is the best satire about how bands evolve that I have ever seen. The fast rise, the groupie who gets into the band and becomes the girlfriend then manager, the fall to being the opening act for a puppet show, it is satire at it's best. I love Rob Reiner's touch on this movied.

Rating:
Summary: The Return of Spinal Tap falls short.
Review: This movie had a tough act to follow, and it clearly didn't meet my expectations. The interviews and short clips in between songs were the highlight of the film, but I found myself fast-fowarding through the concert segments.

Rating:
Summary: We Have Returned....
Review: This movie was actually made for TV, and is not an official sequel, according to Harry Shearer (Derek Smalls, Bass). Which explains the "made for TV" look mentioned in other reviews.

The Return of Spinal Tap has some hilarious moments, but is ultimately overshadowed by the original film. See "This is Spinal Tap" first, and enjoy the return for what it is... more of a very good thing.

Rating:
Summary: Know what to expect
Review: Those who loved This Is Spinal Tap generally divide into two categories: those who love heavy metal and those who hate it. If you fall into the latter, The Return of Spinal Tap is probably not for you. If, on the other hand, you watched the movie and then went out and bought the soundtrack... it's definitely worth your time. You should know, though, what to expect beforehand.

The Return of Spinal Tap is not a satire or a mockumentary like This Is Spinal Tap. It's nothing more and nothing less than Spinal Tap Live. Don't get me wrong: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer are still funny as hell; but the brilliant commentaries carry less weight in favor of the music. And why not? The joke could never have been as funny the second time around, so instead, the three just decided to have some fun, returning to their beloved characters and living out the dream of doing a big rock concert in front of a huge crowd. Frankly, the concert segments are much funnier this time around, with the on-stage antics of the three brilliant comedians, as well as winks back to the first movie in segments like 'Rock N' Roll Creation' and 'Stonehenge'. Plus, you get to sing along to all the beloved, cheesy, brilliantly idiotic songs from the first movie, like 'Big Bottom', 'Sex Farm', 'Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight', '(Listen To The) Flower People', 'Hell Hole' and 'All The Way Home'. Also you get a bunch of great new songs like 'Bitch School', 'Break Like The Wind', 'Clam Caravan' and 'Cash On Delivery' with a rare lead vocal performance by Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer - by now, keep in mind, a Simpsons veteran).

Before you watch The Return Of Spinal Tap, you should ask yourself two questions. The first is - do I really love Spinal Tap, or did I like it just for the satire? If you really loved the first movie, you'll love seeing the beloved old characters of Smalls, St. Hubbins and Tuffnel return. The second is - would I enjoy watching a Kiss concert? If you answered both these questions with a positive reply, watch it.

Rating:
Summary: Mostly concert footage.
Review: While not a sequel to the movie, this provides a lot of concert footage and little bits with the band members here and there. I had originally bought this on laserdisc many years ago, and on watching this, it seems as if there is some footage missing. I seem to remember a part with Robin Williams, but didn't see it here. While the concert footage is great, a lot of songs from their album 'Break Like the Wind' along with some older stuff, I would have liked to seen more of a balance between the concert footage and the segments featuring the band members and others. The segements that are included provide a 'where are they now' view and are pretty funny. I see this as supplemental, but not necessary, viewing. The original movie worked so well because of it's blend of music and footage of the inner workings of a fictional heavy metal band, while this one is very heavy on the music end, and light on the rest. After awhile, I, like another reviewer, started to fast forward through the concert stuff to find the hidden nuggets. I think I would have appreciated this more had they created actual music videos for some of the songs, as the concert footage grew a little stale.

Rating:
Summary: Mostly concert footage.
Review: While not a sequel to the movie, this provides a lot of concert footage and little bits with the band members here and there. I had originally bought this on laserdisc many years ago, and on watching this, it seems as if there is some footage missing. I seem to remember a part with Robin Williams, but didn't see it here. While the concert footage is great, a lot of songs from their album 'Break Like the Wind' along with some older stuff, I would have liked to seen more of a balance between the concert footage and the segments featuring the band members and others. The segements that are included provide a 'where are they now' view and are pretty funny. I see this as supplemental, but not necessary, viewing. The original movie worked so well because of it's blend of music and footage of the inner workings of a fictional heavy metal band, while this one is very heavy on the music end, and light on the rest. After awhile, I, like another reviewer, started to fast forward through the concert stuff to find the hidden nuggets. I think I would have appreciated this more had they created actual music videos for some of the songs, as the concert footage grew a little stale.