T2 Trainspotting review – an enjoyable but pointless sequel

‘Renton returns home twenty years later and is met by the friends he betrayal.’

Twenty years after his breakout film, Danny Boyle returns to the world of Trainspotting (1996) with his first ever sequel, and revisits those damaged but beloved characters that perfectly encapsulated youth culture of the late 80’s/early 90’s. The plot loosely follows Ewan McGregor’s Mark “Rent Boy” Renton returning to Edinburgh, where twenty years previously he had stolen sixteen thousand pounds from his friends Simon (Johnny Lee Miller), Spud (Ewen Bremner), and Begbie (Robert Carlyle).

While trying to reconnect to his friends and past, he ends up involved in Simon’s plan to open a brothel, while also trying to help Spud and avoid the psychotic Begbie who recently escaped from prison.

The first Trainspotting (1996), with it’s cool soundtrack, black humour and energetic pace, became a classic film of the Nineties, and also brought with it its fair share of controversy, as many argued that it glamorised drug culture. Either way, it was a film the generation it represented could relate too; where the youth of that day didn’t want anything to do with their parents version of the status quo, but wanted to live life to the full, with no responsibilities and nothing to tie them down.

For the main characters, that also meant heavy heroin use to numb the pain of existence. It was a self-contained movie that didn’t really require a follow-up, and considering the track record for belated sequels, it doesn’t bode well for this instalment. Thankfully, with the original cast, and Danny Boyle once again behind the camera, although not necessary, T2 Trainspotting is still a solid film and a good re-introduction to these now older but none the wiser characters.

What the film does have going for it, is its look and feel of the original, which is by far its greatest positive. As with the first one, Boyle uses quick edits and plays around with camera angles and movements, which gives it all a distinct and rough visual style. Plus, although not as much drug use is shown on screen when compared to its predecessor, it still adds a disorientating effect with a fast and kinetic pace, pulling you into the mental state of these characters.

The film has a great soundtrack that slots into this new contemporary time period, while also acknowledging what came before. The black humour is also maintained, and while it deals with some weightier topics, the tone stays relatively light. Gratefully, Boyle also doesn’t worry about sanitising the story, like many sequels do, but keeps it graphic, and that eighteen rating.

In the end though, it’s very much about the characters, and it’s great to see them back on screen. Whereas the first film was exploring youth culture through them, T2 is looking at middle age, dealing with getting older, and recognising the need to create some kind of legacy instead of wasting your life. This doesn’t come easy though, as this group may have advanced in age, but not in maturity, and it’s shown perfectly through Renton as he quickly falls into bad habits when he’s back in touch with his old friends.

Regarding the performances, they’re all solid, and despite the fact these aren’t good people, each actor is able to infuse just enough humanity in their character for us to feel something for them. Bremner’s Spud is especially the most sympathetic and tragic character, who still struggles with his addiction, which has a negative effect on all his relationships. McGregor, Miller and Carlyle also inhabit those characters again so brilliantly, and remind us what endeared us to them in the first place.

Sadly, the film is far from perfect, and it’s main flaw is in Boyle’s over reliance on nostalgia and this insistent need he has to continually remind us of the original. We know it’s been twenty years but that doesn’t mean we need a never ending tour of all the important locations and moments from the first film. This tour includes an updated version of the iconic “Choose Life” speech where we’re constantly reminded of unseen characters, and in the case of Kelly Macdonald, given a small and unnecessary role just for the sake of it.

It seems Boyle’s aware of this when we even have a scene where Simon tells Renton that he’s become a tourist in his own past. It gets distracting after a while, to the point where it overshadows the main plot, and makes it clear this is purely for old fans.

‘A valiant effort by Boyle and the cast, but T2 Trainspotting just doesn’t quite justify its existence.’

It’s not a terrible film by any means. There’s plenty to enjoy and entertain us, but neither is it a classic the original was. With that over reliance on the nostalgia effect, like its main characters, this late sequel is aiming to attract an audience wanting to just live out its glory days.