Spinal Tap Comparisons Are Inevitable But This Stands On Its Own

Rating: 8/10 (9 August 2016)

Lonely Island was my introduction to Andy Samberg and his comedic prowess. He was a bright spot on SNL as well. I do feel that he is markedly underutilized in Brooklyn 99. That show itself is preposterous. Thankfully, there are movies like Popstar which give Samberg a chance to to do what he does best - act as if he is a genuine moron in a hilariously natural way. This movie is a work of satire that can't be overlooked. It is quite balanced in its critique of the music industry today. The mockumentary style and the fact that it focuses on mainstream music is obviously going to draw comparisons with 'This is Spinal Tap' but I would say cut it some slack. We all know how music has changed over time. What has remained consistent though, is the narcissism and un-hinged lifestyle of the stars. Sure, there are more things to buy now and the superstar man-child can just break more stuff when he's sad for the most stupid reasons but in essence it is all same old same old. On the sidenote, if you've to compare this movie then do it with Samberg's own - 7 days in hell. I think he is onto this mockumentary genre and is determined to perfect it.
Popstar has its heart in the right place when it comes to the message - true friendship and simplicity matters at the end. There are moments in it that are similar to the Spinal Tap, for example when the band hits a low or when Nigel and David bury the hatchet and start playing music again. There are a lot of funny dialogues and shenanigans. Serving dog poop pancakes to test honesty among 'friends' being one. However, it does not take us into the unfamiliar zone. It doesn't tell us anything about the so called gods of pop music that we don't already know. How many times have we heard that music business is tough? As the band manager succinctly adds "The highs are high and lows are really low". Probably, that's the real irony of media that it parodies itself (the TMZ bit) within a satire and doesn't come off as anything shocking. Maybe that's the point of Popstar in showing him a little too honest with his fans on his Snapchat or Instagram but the fans still going crazy over his lameness. Well, who am I to complain? I can probably watch it a couple of times with friends just for the laughs.