There’s some great music, a couple of genuinely good scenes, but aside that... they really shouldn’t have bothered. This is lazy, with none of the spark of the first film. The energy from the original is turned into dull predictable lethargy.
So that’s where I’d leave it after the first hour, but this does get better, with some very nice scenes (well not ‘nice’ of course), but it still never quite shakes the nostalgia trip, with many of the characters feeling dialled in and bloated, especially Robert Carlyle’s Begbie who is largely unwatchable compared to his visceral 90s portrayal. Ewan Bremner’s Spud however really works being elevated from his bit part existence, but still this is a far cry from Boyle’s first shot in the arm.
6/10
