Spinal Tap II The End Continues opens in theaters

Forty-one years after the cult classic This Is Spinal Tap, director Rob Reiner and original cast members Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer reunite on screen in Spinal Tap II The End Continues, a mockumentary that opens in theaters nationwide Friday, Sept. 12. The film follows the fictional heavy metal band as they come together after 15 years for one last concert, with Reiner returning as documentarian Marty DiBergi to chronicle their fading glory and wryly ponder mortality.

The sequel reunites the trio as Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls and features an array of high-profile cameos and supporting players, including Paul McCartney, Elton John, Garth Brooks, Questlove, Trisha Yearwood, Fran Drescher, Paul Shaffer and John Michael Higgins. The soundtrack mixes reworked material from the original film with new songs, reportedly including a new Stonehenge sequence with Elton John and a viral cover of Big Bottom by Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood that helped spur the reunion storyline.

Critics have delivered mixed but generally positive responses. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 73 percent fresh rating from 49 reviews. Reviewers praising the...