T2 TRAINSPOTTING (2017)

5/20/2017 - T2 Trainspotting 2 (2017) - 5+/10

 Missing the magic of the first. There is a tiredness, a loneliness, and aged distance that bleeds out of every frame and over blasted baseline. It feels out of place and outpaced; a story, characters, plot, and eminence too old to be the young it wants to be. It's vivaciousness feels thin and labored, as does its schemes and ploys. The best bits and its saving graces are its nostalgic nods, be it Spud glimpsing his turbulent past and the desolation of his present or Mark spouting a new "Choose Life" speech, updated for the moment, with all the poignancy and appeal that deeper lived life provides. 

This is a film that was unnecessary but still mostly delivered. Perhaps not on the promises of the first, but maybe on the starry eyes of the past and the realism of the present.  Certainly for the fan who wants another hit, one last score, despite it not being what they need. It is solid but not terribly remarkable.