Mike Portnoy recently defended the new Spinal Tap II: The End Continues movie despite mixed reviews and poor box office performance. He shared his enthusiastic reaction on Instagram.
The drummer expressed his love for the long-awaited sequel. He emphasized his enjoyment despite the negative reception from critics and audiences.
“After over 40 years since seeing the original in the theaters back in 1984 (and literally about a thousand views since), tonight the wait was finally over…and I LOVED it!!” Portnoy said. “Of course nothing could ever top the original (how on earth could it?), but I still loved every minute of this!”
Portnoy compared the sequel favorably to other Christopher Guest films. He praised the reunion of the original characters.
“On the level of the great other CG films they’ve made together (the Mighty Wind reunion was great enough within itself), but seeing these 4 characters together again (counting Reiner’s Marty Di Bergi) was so great!” he continued. “I love what they did with the story line and all of the cameos were hilarious!”
Despite acknowledging the film’s poor reception, Portnoy remained defiant about his positive opinion.
“To be honest, I’m surprised to see the mixed reviews and the low box office reaction (I was literally the ONLY one in the theater!)…but I don’t care, I loved it!” he said. “And I’m sure I’ll get countless rewatches of this in years to come…”
Portnoy’s enthusiasm stands in stark contrast to the film’s commercial performance and the broader industry reception since its release.
Box Office Mojo reported that Spinal Tap II opened to a modest $1.6 million domestically during its opening weekend. The film’s worldwide gross remained similarly disappointing. It earned roughly the same amount internationally, which represents a significant shortfall against its $22.6 million production budget.
The sequel was released in the United States on September 12, 2025. It brought back the original cast including Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer alongside director Rob Reiner. Wikipedia noted that the story follows the fictional heavy metal band as they reunite after a 15-year break for one final farewell show.
Despite the poor box office numbers, the film has received mixed to favorable reviews from critics. Wikipedia indicated that Spinal Tap II holds a 67% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This suggests that while audiences may not have flocked to theaters, critics found merit in the long-awaited sequel.
The film’s commercial struggles reflect broader challenges facing theatrical releases, particularly for comedy sequels decades after their predecessors. However, Portnoy’s passionate defense demonstrates that the movie has found at least some dedicated fans willing to embrace the return of the beloved mockumentary characters.
