Danny Boyle’s sequel promises plenty of nostalgia, but will that be enough to breathe new life into the old bones?…
Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) returns to Scotland after a serious medical incident. Discovering a very different city to the one he left a long time ago. Renton seeks out his old friends, discovering some form of constant within a world that has moved forward. Spud is coming to terms with the reality of sobriety and struggling to keep his head above water. Begbie has not changed and is only limited by his increasing age, a fact causing increasing worry for the remaining trio. Simon “Sick Boy” continues to find nefarious schemes to run that nearly always cause more problems than gains. New to the mix is Veronika Kovach, a Bulgarian national keen to make her mark and return home with something to show for it.
As seen before the escapades continue to spiral further and further out of control as life repeats itself. T2 has a saving grace as it takes this on board from the get go and runs with it as the point behind the script. It has a positive message that no matter how one generation is programmed to behave the next generation should know better. This is captured well through the actions of Begbie’s son and Veronika. T2 was a film that did not need to be made but does have a place and has been executed as well as it could have been. This is definitely a Blu-ray buy for those who liked the original but perhaps not worth rushing out to the cinema for.
The soundtrack makes its presence felt regularly throughout the film, creating intensity and helping to stretch the perception of reality and sanity when required. The music choices give an easy time reference, the club scenes that confront Renton and Begbie show how much the generations have moved on. It is an interesting look at the age demographics of clubbing and public drinking then and now. The film portrays modern society to be younger and tamer, in comparison to the grubby backstreets and dim lights they were used to.
Trainspotting T2 was never going to be full of CGI or big screen effects, however the chase and fight scenes are worthy of a Bourne film. The use of effects during drug scenes certainly use a fair amount of creativity in making the experience visually engaging. Boyle as the director has done a great job, showing immense skill in telling a story with very little bells on it and making them resound with considerable volume.
Fans of the original Trainspotting or of the 90s generation will find T2 an interesting study. Faithful to the characters, T2 builds on the existing legacy and finds a satisfactory ending to the story. This is certainly something worth adding to your movie collection in tandem with the original.
Author: Joe, Bath store.
