These jokes still work

Rating: 8/10 (6 April 2008)

You don't have to be a rock historian to know that the days of explicit rap were preceded by an era where rock musicians celebrated sex with song lyrics containing clever (and sometimes unintentionally hilarious) sexual metaphors and innuendo. That's why the songs in "This is Spinal Tap" can still make young audiences laugh.
This movie is made to look like a documentary which chronicles the tour of Spinal Tap, an aging rock band whose popularity is waning. The hilarious dialogue is often partially improvised. Much of the humor is built around the characters being totally oblivious to the ridiculousness of what they are saying or doing. If you've ever seen VH1's "Behind The Music," you will notice that this movie pokes fun at all the themes of the rockstar existence, except (surprisingly) drug use.
The humor is subtle compared to movies such as Wedding Crashers or almost any Martin Lawrence movie, wherein the characters are often telling jokes instead of unknowingly just being a joke. But for people who "get" subtle humor, Spinal Tap will have you rolling on the floor at times.
For the same brand of humor and much of the same cast, check out "Best in Show" and "Waiting for Guffman." Or for a hilarious mockumentary about a 1990's rap group, check out "Fear of a Black Hat."