Review of This Is Spinal Tap (1984) by Rameshwar N — 11 Feb 2012

It doesn't try to be goofy, cartoony or over-melodramatic as your average spoof movie. It feels real, realistic and funny as hell. Initial few minutes into the movie, I was wondering what was all the hype about? Funniest movie ever? It seemed like a serious biopic... The beauty of it was to get you involved and then start the mockery which was brilliant. It is a winning combination of clever writing, apt performances and the direction very cautious about its presentation and most importantly lightening runtime.

Spinal Tap is a successful British heavy metal band that is making money, being popular and getting anything they would ask for. A documentary is being filmed comprising the history as well as the daily life of the band. The movie presents a satiric view of the attitudes, life and thought process of different members of the band during their good, bad and ugly times.

When mocking the heavy metal bands of the time, it is so easy to get carried away with a lot of histrionics and cheap humor which most regular band based movies still do. The vision and taste of presentation are the qualities which makes it revered as a classic still today. This movie does the most subtle way of expressing the saying, 'Genius has it's limit, but stupidity doesn't;'. Still, the climax could've used a little more zing than what it eventually turns out to be, predictable, stale and overcooked.

What to watch out for:

1) Nigel showing his guitar collection.

2) David having a meltdown before the show because of the size of the bread.

3) The band's frantic discussion before Ian quits as manager.

What could have been better:

1) Climax.

Simply. Writing, excellent. Acting, apt. Humor, never misfires. Shouldn't miss it.