T2 Trainspotting [DVD] [2017]

One of the modern greats

Being a huge fan of the original and having read all the books based around the characters (the original and the prequel Skagboys being two of the best books I have ever read) I was both looking forward but also a little worried when the sequel was announced. Upon seeing the first trailer however (accompanied by the fantastic Silk by Wolf Alice) I became more excited at seeing the finished product.Danny Boyle has stated several times over the years that he did not love the sequel book porno as much as the original and if he were to ever make a sequel it would not be a straight adaption of said book. Personally I very much enjoyed porno (for those who haven't read it and enjoy both films I urge you to try it along with the fantastic Skagboys) but considering it was set 10 years after the original Trainspotting and this film 20 and considering Porno had a lot more characters (the one thing sadly missing here is the character of Nikki who's a main narrator in Porno) it would have made it hard for the makers to do a straight up faithful adaption. What they do here though is in many ways better, focusing on the four main players from the original film and whilst loosely using some of the plot strands from Porno. I won't go into spoiler territory but this film really is a trip down memory lane whilst also feeling new and fresh. It really does work as a companion piece to the original and is at times heartbreaking even making you feel a slight degree of sympathy for characters you may not have thought possible. The soundtrack whilst not being quite as up there as the original (let's be honest it was always going to be a task in that respect) is still great. Basically a fantastic film. I was asked recently if I thought it was better than the original or if I preferred this film over Porno. I can't really answer. I enjoyed this one as much as the original in many respects but that of course may have had a lot to do with my love of the original and these characters. As for preferring it to the novel porno, the two are very different beasts (some of the characters traits especially Simon 'Sick Boy' differ in the films and novels) in a lot of respects but both very enjoyable. It would be unfair to compare the two as both deserve merit for what they set out to achieve. On a separate note the blueray steel tin looks lovely and the deleted scenes are also fantastic and not just shoody poor quality throwaway tit bits chucked on for the sake of disc extras but scenes that whilst probably cut due to time restraint are still really good and add to the overall journey of these characters.it's a shame that a few of these scenes weren't reinserted for a directors cut or extended version (maybe we'll see it materialise some day) but never the less it's great to see them here. Highly recommended

Just finished watching Trainspotting 2 again, and I have to say that I enjoyed it more this time round. I think it helps watching it again without the worrying thoughts reminding me that "Will it be as groundbreaking as the first one?", because if you're going to watch a sequel to a movie and expect it to be a classic like its predecessor then you're going to feel disappointed in a way. Now that I watched it for what it was I appreciated it a lot more. T2 is definitely a worthy sequel. The emotional scenes work really well, the great Scottish humour is not lost, the soundtrack is really enjoyable, and seeing these characters interact after all these years is a joy to behold. But my favourite thing about the movie was the look of it. As I said before, T2 showcases Edinburgh really well and it did leave me wanting to get a bus down there and enjoy the beauty of the city.I wasn't really a fan of Veronica. She just didn't have much of a personality compared to the other main characters. She wasn't hateful in any way, but I didn't really care much for her scenes. Another nitpick is that the movie does reference the first one a bit too much, and I feel that there should be a balance to nostalgia for it to really work. When Sick Boy said "You're tourist in your own youth." I think that the movie was guilty of doing the same thing. I still did enjoy the call backs, but I feel that it would of worked better if they didn't use them as much.So my opinion on Trainspotting 2 is that it is a great movie. The humour is not lost, the characters are still great, the music is very fitting, the visuals are spectacular, and the story is filled with adrenaline-fueld moments.

The first one is cult. This I watched knowing it would not be as good but nice to catch up with Begbie et all

such a great follow up to an iconic film

Great film

Yes, should have made the effort and seen this at the cinema... but when you are the same age as most of the characters in this (Begbie is older!) other priorities take over... sleep work kids sleep work kids... choose life eh?! So I rented on Amazon months later and watched it on a Saturday night but timed it so would be in bed b4 11... lust for life eh?Have grown up with these characters, have missed them and the world they inhabited. Sad and happy to witness a bit of closure on their stories and glad to see it was actually filmed in Edinburgh this time (first one mainly done in Glasgow for a number of BS reasons). Felt like too many flashbacks to the first film to fill space and pull in new fans but by the end that blends in well with the 'sequel'. This is how they end up and this is where the history of them comes from, a bunch of still very talented actors do their thing (sorry Ewan but Star Wars was awful) very well. Sad, funny, clever, hopeful and nostalgic and probably a very different movie for everyone depending your age history experience and geography! As the maths works out we will be pushing 65 when the next one comes out!