Review of T2 Trainspotting (2017) by Ben T — 25 Jun 2017

While it obviously does not hold up to the undeniable brilliance of the first movie, T2 Trainspotting is still a really solid sequel with enough of its own merits and unique brilliance to make it well worth viewing.

Most of the original cast return and they're all brilliant. Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller and Robert Carlyle are all fantastic and slip back into their characters brilliantly. It's brilliant how all the characters have both changed yet stayed the same over the 20 year difference between the two movies.

Danny Boyle returns as director and of course he does a fantastic job. Boyle is a consistently amazing director and here he continues to add his trademark style and edge to the movie. Its not as gritty as the first but I think it's appropriate as it is doing different things than the original.

One of the best things about the film is the tone, the film can so brilliantly balance humour, emotion and nostalgia. I was worried from watching the trailer that this film was gonna be pure nostalgia but it isn't, there are nostalgic elements from the original sprinkled in that work incredibly well and help add to the emotion.

This film obviously does have problems but it's has so many strong elements that help make the film so good. T2 Trainspotting isn't fantastic and it does have its problems but I really enjoyed this film.

It's funny, it's surprisingly very moving, it has a brilliant soundtrack and it's just fantastic to see these characters again. If Danny Boyle and the cast want to make a Trainspotting 3 I will definitely be up for it.

B+.