Okay, but it's nowhere near a 7.9 average

Rating: 7/10 (28 December 2007)

"This is Spinal Tap" is a mock-rock-doc about Spinal Tap, a band that turns out to be full of self-centered individuals whose artistic genius barely makes up for their personal abrasiveness. Something of a spoof of rock & roll documentaries, "Tap" is put together very well and has a very solid first 45 minutes, but not much to hold it together after the first walk-out. The songs, though, are probably actually better than they were supposed to be, except the ridiculous Stonehenge number. The satire is witty and the performances are good, but it's hard to be interested, and the surprise appearance by Fran Drescher is totally uncalled-for (fortunately, her laugh is MIA). On every other front, "Tap" is a good movie and deserves praise. Just not as much as it's getting.