Trainspotting 2 picks up the story 20 years after the original iconic movie and finds the characters struggling to cope with their lifestyle choices as age catches up with them. Renton has spent the intervening years living in Amsterdam and seemingly maintaining a normal life, however his wild youth has led to a heart condition. Spud is still a junkie, Sickboy is still a chancer, and Begbie is predictably in Jail. The story picks up with Renton returning from Amsterdam to re-connect with his less then pleased former friends who he robbed at the end of the first movie.
The problem that T2 has is that the original Trainspotting was such an groundbreaking cultural explosion which was going to be impossible to replicate. So with varying success T2, instead of trying to achieve the impossible task of matching it, embraces it instead and not always in a good way. The result is T2 feels less like a film and more like an extended epilogue, filling in the gaps for viewers who always wondered what Begbie would be like when he nearly hit 50.
About halfway through the movie Sickboy turns to Renton that all he is is a "tourist in his own youth", which could easily be applied to this movie which at times feels like a tourist in the original. Sometimes this works other times it just reminds you how good the first film is compared to this one. For example the "choose life" speech in T2 pales in comparison to the original which just serves to remind how good that was the first time round. At another point Ewan MacGregor grins through a car window in another homage to the original iconic scene. To make matters worse there are actual scenes from the original movie interspersed throughout. All of this just reminds you how much better the first film was compared to the one you are currently watching.
That being said this is not a bad film, it is just a shame that the nostalgia distracts from what are otherwise interesting story arcs. Watching Sickboy trying to hustle in his 40s turns him from the wild anti-hero of the first film into an increasing sad figure still bleaching his hair. Spud to has a sad story to tell from a wasted life he can't escape from. Begbie is just Begbie and Renton's is possibly the saddest as he had a chance to escape and did, but is pulled back in. Unfortunately this interest is drowned out with reverence to the original to the point that if you had not seen the first movie this film would simply make no sense at all.
As with all Danny Boyle movies it is beautifully and interestingly filmed throughout, the visuals on their own probably justify the price of entry. The nostalgia issues aside the rest of the movie is entertaining enough, the script is both funny and wrenching. However it is only really worth watching if you are interested in what happens to the characters after Trainspotting. If not just rent the original.
The problem that T2 has is that the original Trainspotting was such an groundbreaking cultural explosion which was going to be impossible to replicate. So with varying success T2, instead of trying to achieve the impossible task of matching it, embraces it instead and not always in a good way. The result is T2 feels less like a film and more like an extended epilogue, filling in the gaps for viewers who always wondered what Begbie would be like when he nearly hit 50.
About halfway through the movie Sickboy turns to Renton that all he is is a "tourist in his own youth", which could easily be applied to this movie which at times feels like a tourist in the original. Sometimes this works other times it just reminds you how good the first film is compared to this one. For example the "choose life" speech in T2 pales in comparison to the original which just serves to remind how good that was the first time round. At another point Ewan MacGregor grins through a car window in another homage to the original iconic scene. To make matters worse there are actual scenes from the original movie interspersed throughout. All of this just reminds you how much better the first film was compared to the one you are currently watching.
That being said this is not a bad film, it is just a shame that the nostalgia distracts from what are otherwise interesting story arcs. Watching Sickboy trying to hustle in his 40s turns him from the wild anti-hero of the first film into an increasing sad figure still bleaching his hair. Spud to has a sad story to tell from a wasted life he can't escape from. Begbie is just Begbie and Renton's is possibly the saddest as he had a chance to escape and did, but is pulled back in. Unfortunately this interest is drowned out with reverence to the original to the point that if you had not seen the first movie this film would simply make no sense at all.
As with all Danny Boyle movies it is beautifully and interestingly filmed throughout, the visuals on their own probably justify the price of entry. The nostalgia issues aside the rest of the movie is entertaining enough, the script is both funny and wrenching. However it is only really worth watching if you are interested in what happens to the characters after Trainspotting. If not just rent the original.
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