Twenty odd years on since the original cult classic was released, Danny Boyle and co are back with a new story to tell – but is it destined to be as iconic as the original or does it fall flat on its face?
The Guardian: **** “it is a little too long and unwinds a bit into caper sentimentality, broad comedy and self-mythologising. But it has the same punchy energy, the same defiant pessimism, and there’s nothing around like it.”
Empire: *** ” Bravely Boyle has made a mostly sombre film about how 40something lives work out and it’s well observed and well-acted. Yet is this what you want from a Trainspotting film?”
NME: **** “Danny Boyle has served up a film that unleashes a rush almost as satisfying as the original hit.”
Hollywood Reporter: “Shadows of past glories suffocate present endeavors in T2 Trainspotting, the long-awaited, much-delayed and disappointingly redundant follow-up to Danny Boyle’s 1996 “Cool Britannia” sensation Trainspotting.”
The Telegraph: *** “though the film feeds on its forerunner, it’s worthwhile on its own terms.”
Red Online: “Because the world was a different place 20 years ago. Now what we want is escapism and nostalgia. T2 Trainspotting is the perfect hit of both.”
Den of Geek: **** “T2 is a desperately melancholy drama, adeptly summing up the pain and regret that comes with growing up, accepting the past and finally moving on.”
Digital Spy: *** “If you’re a fan of the original there are references, flashbacks and, yes, the sweet tourism of nostalgia to enjoy which compensate for a paucity of plot. Boyle is a good filmmaker, but this isn’t a good story.”
The Arts Desk: “Boyle, teaming up again with original screenwriter John Hodge, has pulled a fabulously misshapen rabbit out of his hat, which triggers echoes of the 1996 film yet can stand unaided in its own right.”
The Wrap: “It feels trite to observe that “T2 Trainspotting” is a more mature film than its junior self. Of course it is, but the problem is it doesn’t feel wiser, just wearier. But maybe then again, don’t we all?”
T2 Trainspotting is released in cinemas the 27th January.