This is Spinal Tap Review

The stories of many bands of the past, such as the Who, have been filled with strange and sometimes surreal events.  No band, however, has had such a strange but hilarious history as the non-existent rock travesty known as Spinal Tap.  This short documentary about the band took audiences by surprise in 1984, with its extremely funny dialogue and witty characters.  But is that enough to hold a movie up over two decades?  Is the movie still as funny as it was in the 80’s, or has it grown dated like a carton of milk left out in the sun for too long?

This mock documentary about a rock band (would that be just a rock mockumentary or a mrockumentary) follows the band known as Spinal Tap in their current tour through the US.  On their tour, they have to confront basically every problem a band can have, including in-fighting and loss of a fan base.

This movie has truly morphed into a classic, and is widely considered to be an amazingly funny piece.  That doesn’t mean there aren’t problems with it.  Though the movie is very short, it does seem to drag on at times.  There are a few scenes that are bland and, dare I say, not funny.  While the majority of the scenes keep you hooked, there are some parts, like the very beginning, that are kind of dull and slow.  The pacing was also a little weird, as there wasn’t really any segway from scene to scene.  I know that this was supposed to be a documentary, so segways would be a bit odd, but having nothing is just strange.

So, though this movie can be a bit slow, it is also very, VERY, funny.  Scenes like the “album cover is too black”, “Stonehenge is too small”, and “they go to eleven” are extremely quotable.  The writing in this movie is top notch, and the dialogue will keep you laughing almost the entire time.  The acting is also great from Michael McKean (playing the lead singer David St. Hubbins), Christopher Guest (playing guitar player Nigel Tufnel), and Harry Shearer (who plays bassist Derek Smalls).  The characters these actors portray are very strange and odd, but also believable and fun, and they make you feel sorry for them and all they have been through.  The cinematography of this movie was good, and it makes you feel like you’re watching a real rockumentary about a real band.  The music (by that I mean the music Spinal Tap sings) is your generic rock stuff, which is great.  Finally, the plot is funny and driven, showing the hilarious tragedy of the downfall of Spinal Tap.

This movie was indeed very entertaining, but I’m honestly a little mixed about it.  While the fun characters, good jokes, and overall story held me in, I felt myself constantly being dragged back by moments of boredom.  While the overwhelming majority of the movie is extremely funny and entertaining, there are just those moments that truly hold the movie back.  Don’t get me wrong, the movie is very good and worth watching, but I have the feeling it could have been much better.  I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

Written by Alexander Martin


Cast: Michael McKean- David St. Hubbins   Christopher Guest- Nigel Tufnel  
Harry Shearer- Derek Smalls   Tony Hendra- Ian Faith   Rob Reiner- Marty DiBergi 
R.J. Parnell- Mick Shrimpton

Directed by Rob Reiner

Rated R

Runtime: 82 min