T2 Trainspotting (2017)

This movie was actually something that caught me by surprise, as I didn't know about it prior to finding it by sheer luck.The first "Trainspotting" movie was definitely unique, so I had high hopes for the sequel.However, it was slower paced and had a much less interesting story in comparison to the first movie.They took way too long in between the two movies, so this sequel feels obsolete already and seems rather pointless."T2 Trainspotting" has some good acting from a nicely cast ensemble of actors, and it is nice to see the original actors return to reprise their characters. It was of course nice to see Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, Ewen Bremner and so forth to perform here and brining more insanity to the screen. For me, it was a particular treat to see Robert Carlyle back, because his character was by far the most interesting in the first movie.Adequately entertaining for sure, but nothing outstanding here in this sequel.

The first 30-40 minutes of the movie were perfect. everyone is back, the scenes are funny and promising, and the nostalgia kicks in and makes you fall in love with the cast all over again.Sadly, after 30+ minutes, it feels like they literally lost the script, and had to come up with the story on the spot. the momentum is gone and so is the excitement. the story is just not good enough.

Don't be under any doubt that T2 is very underrated as a standalone piece of work. It's a beautifully and inventively shot rush of adrenalin.Robert Carlyle gives another masterful performance as the psychotic, yet ultimately more self-aware, Begbie. Ewan Bremner is also excellent in re-creating the hapless and hilarious Spud. What the movie does extremely well is stay true to and connect with the original, but in a mature and non-convoluted way. Just like the original it opens at a frenetic pace, with Renton sprinting and a high energy track blasting in the background. But this time it's on a treadmill in Amsterdam, to the incessant pounding of the addictive Shotgun Mouthwash. We instantly know and feel that this is the contemporary part of the same universe.If you're familiar with Scotland, you'll also know the significance of the Eastern European greeters at the airport, Sick Boy's Bulgarian prostitute girlfriend, and Renton riding the tram through Haymarket into Edinburgh. Renton is experiencing the changes to the country, for better or worse, since he left 20 years ago.A various points throughout the movie, we flash back to connecting moments from the original, and even to connecting moments from the distant past that we've never seen before but somehow feel we have. Nostalgia is a significant part of the movie, but not in a way which feels forced or tacky. It's about connection to the past, and the characters self-assessing the courses of their lives.Obviously based on the novels Trainspotting and Porno, there isn't a standard movie plot structure. And why should there be? In my view, this would have detracted from what the movie is - a window into the current lives of the characters we know and love, and a sharing with them of their analysis of the courses their lives have taken over the past 20 years and of their insecurities about their legacies.There's a depth and artistry to this movie which would be missed by the ordinary movie-goer. But that's fine. Most people seem to be satisfied with Star Wars rehashes.

Let's get the obvious in the clear right away - it cannot be compared to the original Trainspotting. For my generation, that was teen / adolescent in the nineties when it came out, Trainspotting was an instant classic - the story, the visual experience, the characters, the music. It survived the test of time as a one of those "generational" films that never goes out of style.Admittedly, T2 is trying very hard to establish the atmosphere of nostalgia - occasional flashbacks, sappy scenes where characters reminiscence the events from the first film. However, if we are honest with ourselves, nostalgia is the inevitable part of growing old. These characters are at a turning point in life, faced with the overwhelming burden of failure - as husbands, fathers, friends and individuals in general. Lifelong of fighting their addict past, trying to put together pieces of broken life. But, this is where this film actually shines - the representation of the demise of these characters is truly realistic. Their fall is never "sugar-coted" or softened; they are not given the "ride into the sunset" happy end. They are forced to (literally in the final showdown) look themselves in the mirror and face their failures. And this is exactly the charm of this movie - it gives you the loughs with the similar tone of dark humor that was present in the original, while creating that sour taste in your throat of watching people scratching at the walls of their lives trying to escape the misery of their past that is still haunting their existence. People who are not fans of the original will probably not appreciate it, younger audiences might be bored by it, but fans of the original who are similar age as the characters, who loved the original back in 96, might enjoy the throwback ride to Trainspotting dark humor lane for a farewell with the characters that left such an impression on us 20 years ago.