MovieChat Forums > T2 Trainspotting (2017) Discussion > In the end, quite a letdown

In the end, quite a letdown

posted 8 years ago by FantasticFearOfMisterBobo
4 replies | jump to latest

Whilst the performances and direction were both on point the script was incredibly lacking. For starters the tone is very off, one minute it's a almost OTT comedy and then it wants to be a serious drama. The original balanced it's tone masterfully, maintaining a serious tone when required with sprinklings of dark comedy. Then there is way too many plot lines which bogs down the story. I found it hard to find the message beyond 'nostalgia is a terrible drug' which was in itself a bit hypocritical when T2 can't help but call back to the original. And then the ending just made the film feel very redundant as it ended in near the same place the film started. The only thing that really changed was Spud, he had a strong arc but the script made him the comic relief way too often. Such a shame, the film was actually very funny but I expected a lot more.

[–] McQueen1980 8 years ago

the film was over the place and ya i think you are right....maybe it needs a second viewing to give a proper analysis

[–] blobmeister 8 years ago

My main conclusion is this...

Spud, after laying flower for his dead friend. Realised sick boy and Renton were reflecting on old times. Realising they actually enjoyed their drug filled youth
(Also the plot of this film is to make you question what have you done with your life for the last 20 years?)

and I think sick boy and Rrealised they've done nothing really for 20 years. And we're going back to drugs.

So Spud, now clean, already seeing1 friend die. Decided to give away the 100k to a mother and her young son. Rather than see his 2 friends waste the entire 100k on drugs and most likely kill thenselves.

He saw an opportunity and he took it. For the greater good though... well, so far, that's the best conclusion I can come up with

[–] laslopaniflex 8 years ago

I agree with OP. It looks amazing, and at times hilarious but oddly baggy (maybe a middle age metaphor?) and some subplots don't really go anywhere. I felt it should have been 90 minutes like the original, rather than nearly 2 hours.

I felt it was trying to be a bit too meta at times and because of some questionable editing with the pace/structure became a bit of a 'so what was the ultimate point of all that?' by the end.

For example Spud starts writing his thoughts and stories, despite not being confident or implied as a great story teller at any point in the series, then about 10+ minutes later Veronica says 'Your stories are really interesting, you should write them down' and Spud has a lightbulb moment... but he'd already had that realisation earlier.

A quality production, but another retro movie that was somewhat forgettable...

"What are you, some kind of doomsday machine, boy?"

[–] troffman-94883 8 years ago

Yeah I noticed too how Spud had got addicted to writing stories before Veronica suggested it. Looks like a bad case of editing.