User reviews

Based on one horrible fan review I'd read before renting this "follow-up" to the first RUTLES film, I was prepared for the very worst. So it turned out that I was relieved to discover that, while RUTLES 2 is surely not in the same class as the original, it does have its funny moments despite some of the gags becoming repetitious (like Eric Idle's reporter constantly winding up in the wrong country for his interviews again and again and again). And while it's also not as polished as the original, I wouldn't consider this a total washout.

The biggest disappointment came when I quickly realized that this was NOT in any way, shape or form an actual "sequel" to the first movie. I had expected that the original cast had been reunited to make a new story of the further adventures of the Pre-Fab Four in their later years. But what CAN'T BUY ME LUNCH really is, is an "alternate" version of 1977's THE RUTLES: ALL YOU NEED IS CASH. Meaning that it's the same basic story of the origin and successes of Dirk, Nasty, Stig and Barry all over again, but this time substituting a lot of previously unseen/unused footage from '77 along with some new songs that were never included the first time around, even though they're featured on our Rutles CD's. Some of the footage is actually pretty decent, and I'm surprised it didn't make the original cut.

To compliment the footage, there are new humorous interviews and muddled Rutles memories with more up-to-date celebrities: Steve Martin, Bonnie Raitt, Jewel, Gary Shandling, Conan O'Brien, Robin Williams, David Bowie and Carrie Fisher. Also on hand is Tom Hanks, who seems to go out of his way trying to be a part of Beatles-related topics (he also participated in a Monty Python skit in the CONCERT FOR GEORGE, in 2002). Hanks is quite funny, as are Steve Martin and Gary Shandling. I liked the bits with the "Triangular Album" and the "Shite" record.

For all the die-hard Rutles Fans out there, I'd say RUTLES 2 is worth one watch, at the very least. Maybe as a rental first to see if you think it's worth buying (I haven't decided yet). Because there are still some new laughs there, even if they're not as huge as they were in 1977. I can't imagine anyone who knows ALL YOU NEED IS CASH by heart not getting at least a few chuckles with RUTLES 2. But just don't expect too much. ** out of ****

Remember when "Beatles 1" came out and suddenly there was this big Beatles media blitz and all these news channels were doing all the rehashed stories on The Beatles and interviewing various people (some who weren't even musicians) about the degree of influence The Beatles had on their careers? Well, THAT is EXACTLY what Eric Idle was doing with "The Rutles 2: All You Need Is Lunch;" he's sending up the fact that all these years later, people are still doing stories about The Beatles, though they're just going over the same ground about their history and recycling the same old comments about them. So that's what "Rutles 2" satirizes. Therefore, it ISN'T EVEN TRYING to be as good as the original (awfully tough act to follow, anyway). With that said, "Rutles 2" is what it is. There are some good items in it (David Bowie gives some surprisingly memorable moments, and there's some great unused footage from the original movie), but this is something you can only watch every once in a while. Otherwise, my relatively high mark is mostly for Eric's satire/self-awareness about the whole thing.

With due respect to Mr Idle and Mr Innes, and hoping to avoid being the center of the fiery ire of the legion of Rutles fans worldwide, The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch is the Magical Mystery Tour of the pre-fab fours' illustrious career. The charm of the original film was Neil's semi-original music: Not quite plagiarism, not quite satire, but a delicious hybrid of Lennon-McCartney-Innes that had me both yearning for the real "boys" to "Get Back" (All You Need Is Cash was first shown in 1978, and it was still a dream, a wish and a possibility in those days) and in enjoying several of the songs (forgive me) just as much as some of the original Beatles stuff.

What made AYNIC so charming and worthy of multiple listens and rewatches was the original music, and the plot that so closely follows the career and lives of our real heroes. It's weakness was Eric as Dirk/Paul, IMO and the weak interview scenes of the imaginary people affected by our heroes lives. (I'm not talking about Simon and Jagger, but the New Orleans scenes.) The other three were real musicians and the music we're hearing is really theirs; Eric didn't even come close to looking like a musician (and he admits it himself.) What you have in Can't Buy Me Lunch is the opposite of AYNIC: Not enough original music, not enough about the career and lives of our pre-fab (or fab) heroes, and too much Eric Idle. Too much focuses on the life of the "guy who interviewed the pre-fab four" and it's just not funny or interesting enough to carry the load.

If you run across the DVD go ahead and buy it and give it a watch, it's okay. But just like MMT fell way short of short of Help or Hard Day's Night, I think you'll find "Lunch" a bit of a disappointment. You might enjoy it better if you have a cup of tea before watching though! (Both are available on DVD.)

This sequel doesn't hold a candle to the original, in fact, at times the attempts at comedy are painful.

At times, the low-budget of the film, becomes more than just a joke, it is actually annoying. The film features washed out lighting, terrible audio and rough impromptu comedy that never delivers much punch. I think at times Idle doesn't even have a crew he just stands in front of a cheap video camera, recording himself. It's funny, but not funny enough, for the entire film to be carried that way.

It's so bad in spots, that you sometimes think someone could make a parody of how cheap, and fast Eric Idle can punch out product. A parody of the parody perhaps, that's about the only way this film could ever save itself. Monty Python has become so cliché and so formulaic now that it begs for parody the way Star Trek, super heroes and other stale icons of pop culture cry out for it.

That's what this sequel is I'm afraid, old, stale pop-culture that just rubber stamps old tricks and dishes it out in liberal, repetitive doses.

It's too bad. The original is brilliant. It is a quick, sharp, witty send-up of an era and an industry that needed a solid comedic thrashing. It spanked the rampant consumer hysteria and the fan boy worship of pop idols, but did it with a lot of love and affection for the music itself.

George Harrison once referred to the original Rutles film this way: "It was actually the best, funniest and most scathing. But at the same time, it was done with the most love." There's not a lot of love in the sequel, just some cheap, quick cameos, some running gags that never pay off and some really poor sound and video to look at.

While my admiration for Idle and Python remains, these guys have become stale. If this film taught me anything, it is that someone needs to make a "Rutles-like" documentary of Monty Python, to remind us all what made them great in the first place.

Major Rutles fan and have been for many years, way back to the short film shown on SNL (which should have been a bonus feature on either Rutles DVD!). I waited for some time for this film to be released. I was disappointed (very). Basically it was the first film re-told, with out the SNL cast ('cept for Bill "the K" Murray). Yes there were some scenes from the original movie that are shown here for the first time (deleted or un-used takes)- which was k00l to see BUT come on, its the same story. I couldn't believe that the old footage was used with songs from the most recent album- I really thought that we would see the Shangri-La video or the band talking about the new songs, they should have been playing the new songs, if nothing more than at the end of the re-telling of the old film. The first Rutles DVD was a killer original flick, this is just a re-hash (sadly). I thought for sure there would be more NEW Rutles history/lore/comedy and comments on the newest album, heck the little blurb in the paper (when that album came out) had more original humor than Rutles 2..Still a major fan, but discourage any other fan wasting $ on a purchase...recommend Netflix or as a rental (sorry Eric- just telling the truth).

As hilarious as "The Rutles: All You Need is Cash" is, this one, "Can't Buy Me Lunch" is a clear cut put-on and rip-off. The pasted-in, recycled footage from the original footage with spliced-in unfunny cameos by various celebrities does not make for an enjoyable viewing. In fact, some of the commentary clips are from the 70's Rutles production. Proof is in the footage of a much younger Mick Jagger. Beating the "trousers" bit into the ground became embarrassingly old, as did the stilted writing. Stick with the original, enjoy the two Rutles CD's (which are incredibly delightful), but "Can't Buy Me Lunch" is downright disappointing and sad.

This complete waste of time seems to be rather badly patched together out of out-takes from the first film, new footage of Eric Idle and a bunch of talking head celebrity interviews.

The new Eric Idle footage scores the best and has the most laughs. However, jokes about tight trousers being the reason for the group's success get old and tiresome rather quickly.

Much of the celebrity interviews are inexplicable. Jewel fares the worst, seeming like she's not sure if she understands the joke, or if there even is one. Even if the Rutles were a real band I don't see how they could have possibly inspired people like Gary Shandling and Steve Martin. The problem here is that the musicians interviewed aren't funny and the comedians interviewed are out of place. Tom Hanks and Conan O' Brian fare best in gamely trying to play along, but the result is awkward, forced and quite often unfunny.

Like another person here mentioned I would like to have seen an update of the Rutles today, but with the Lennon assassination, it would be in poor taste to parody the Beatles post-breakup years. Much of this film feels like it's unfinished, and I wonder if Eric Idle was considering filming new footage and then scaling down the celebrity interviews. In it's current state, it's a sorry mess and it's not hard to see why it sat on the shelf for a couple of years.

Stick to the original, and forget this exists.

I recently acquired the full Rutles set (albums and all) on the basis that it is my dad's favourite movie (and thus by osmosis one of mine along with everything Python related). I decided to watch the first one knowing full well that it probably hadn't aged as well compared to the memory of my teenage watching of it.

Having just come home from watching the Python Live (One Down, Five to Go Show) I was on a Python high. My dream of finally watching the Python's live had come true and I (as well as my wife who didn't have a Python loving family and thus is reluctantly late to the Python game) was on a Python high.

So, having exhausted pretty much every other Python related venue (except for Jabberwocky), Rutles seemed to be a good choice. And surprisingly it was. I even did a rare spit take, showering my wife's laptop with wine at how Barry was included in the band.

And then we (or really, I) made the decision to watch the sequel. With casual dread naturally. This being a 2002 project it was contemporary to the painful "new material" of the re-re-re-release of the Holy Grail DVD. So my expectations were set suitably low.

My relief at how actually funny the second round was a surprise like no other. Maybe it was my expectation. Maybe it was the fact that a rethread of the same subject was suitably fitting considering how every Beatles documentary ever is the same (meta-commentary?). Maybe it was the fact that Eric Idle is naturally funny. Maybe that the celebrity cameos have increased their status in the later years (Unexpected Jimmy Fallon?). Maybe how the re- thread was in the style of VH1's Behind the Music - a genre unto its own? Or maybe just how obvious it was that Idle had dragged his coat around to his many holidays and filmed short sequences with a shitty hand-held DV camera for so many scenes.

Whatever it was, it was worth the effort. I will gladly show this to my dad. My dad, who performs covers of the Beatles and will drop in a verse of Get Up And Go Back Home into every rendition of Get Back even if the audience has no idea what's going on.

Very disappointing. My time would've been better spent watching the first movie and some clips of Rutles cover bands on the Internet.

I'm a big Rutles fan. The original movie was great. If you didn't see it, a lot of it is in this pathetic excuse of a movie.

It starts out alright but the viewer quickly realizes there's little new here. The SNL influence is felt when you hear the Nth joke about their trousers; repetition does *not* equal funny, gang. At the end of the film, they show some outtakes of actors laughing. One of my boys wondered what movie they were watching.

Some of the interviews were slightly funny, but wouldn't be again if someone held a gun to my head and made me watch this a second time.

At least it's short.

So here it is 2 years after Cant Buy Me Lunch has been finished and STILL no distribution? I'm growing a little concerned with our society in general when Charlies Angels 2 is welcomed with open arms and a gem like Rutles 2:Cant Buy me lunch doesnt see the light of day. This is a fantastic sequel to the classic original. All the key elements are here the interviews with all the celebrity guests (especially Gary Shandling) are hilarious! I saw this in a theater full of people and everyone seemed to genuinely enjoy it. The bits with Jimmy Fallon are a little weak but Shandling and Steve Martin are extremely funny. We need to get Idle in some more films! are you listening Harvey Weinstein?

I am amazed that some many critics, er, that is viewers, are left wanting by this inane addition to the Beatles/Rutles canon fodder. Have you (not you reading this, the insipid critics of this mocumentary,,, said critics, have you made a sequel recently? Or anything in film?)

I'm saying, the opening scene is worth the price of Prime or whatever you got it on. IF you are watching on an original VHS-tape, more power to you.

What did you expect, Gone with Citizen Caine? The Poseidon Mutiny? For 50 cent More?

Jeez, I think if you thought this was going to be better than the first one, then you must be one of those people who think Sloppy Seconds were a great band.

Just sayin'. Idle time is the devils playpen. Relax. Take a deep one.

den

5/6/18. If you remember the Beatles, then you will enjoy this mockumentary of a group of wanna-be musicians that sound amazingly like the Beatles! Their music is a mishmash of Beatles music that the Beatles could have actually played and sang. I have a couple of the Rutles cassette tapes. A stellar cast of well-known celebrities heap praise on the wondrous Rutles, including Bowie himself! I would have enjoyed a Rutles concert film.

Sequels are a dangerous game. Not all 2nd parts work better. There are some great exceptions - Terminator 2 or Aliens. Or Asterix and Obelix And Cleopatra Mission. Here is a very weird sequel to All You Need Is Cash of 1978. Well, this is not a sequel proper. This is not a remake or rework. A rip-off? A repetition, more precisely. Eric Idle is older, and he repeats himself. All the same predictable Monty Python gags and skits are here galore. Do they work? I'd vote, nope. They became stake, vapid and tasteless. Untasty. Taste less. That is so. There is No new dimension to the Rutles story line. Old footage, deleted scenes and additional moments are added, yes. Several famous people are added. Several songs are added. Yet, it does not convince. It leaves me stunned to some extent. And sad. Such a great film, as an original was, got such a stale sequel. Not necessary at all, and not that funny.

I saw this DVD in the library last week, not having ever heard of THE RUTLES 2: CAN'T BUY ME LUNCH, and checked it out. The negative reviews here made me wonder if I should bother watching it, but I watched it and greatly enjoyed it (so did the non-Beatles fan who watched it with me). Frankly, I didn't think the first THE THE RUTLES: ALL YOU NEED IS CASH was any masterpiece, but, as with THE RUTLES 2: CAN'T BUY ME LUNCH, I enjoyed it. My favorite Rutles products have been the first album that accompanied THE RUTLES: ALL YOU NEED IS CASH and then the RUTLES ARCHAEOLOGY album. In this THE RUTLES: CAN'T BUY ME LUNCH a RUTLES 1 album cover is brought out more than once (it mimics the BEATLES 1 album cover, with its big yellow "1" against a red background) but it was only a prop. I wish it were an actual third Rutles album!

I'm a huge Rutles fan and I'd never even heard of this until ten minutes ago. Considering how little information is available about it online (aside from the usual synopses and cast lists), it looks like very few others had seen it either. It's curious to note that apparently the official press release lists Eric Idle as one of the founding members of the Bonzo Dog Band -- I hope everyone knows that's not correct. I also see that the DVD comes with an "Never-before-seen alternate ending" -- interesting, considering how few people have seen the regular ending. Now, to stretch this thing out to the requisite ten lines, here are some vegetables that I like: Oops. Out of space. Maybe next time.

If you could cut out Idle's ridiculous interviewer (not funny ridiculous, as in Monty Python, ridiculous ridiculous, as in your tiresome uncle who trots out the same tired schtick every Thanksgiving), this might have some merit, as recycled as it is. I don't know exactly where Idle got the notion that these endless digressions and middle school wordplays are funny. Again and again he'd go back to never funny in the first place routine that would go something like "Right here in 1962...well, er., not exactly here, technically over there about 10 feet...err, actually more like 9.5 feet...or to be more accurate 9 feet five and three quarter inches, or "dyuymov", as the Russians say for inches...but the Russians really have nothing to do with the Rutles, even though they start with the same first letter "R"...although it's only "R" in the English translation of the word we use for "Russian...etc., etc. ad nauseum."

DOES ANYONE, ANYWHERE THINK THAT'S FUNNY? Mr. Idle, you are not a stand alone funny person. You won the lottery by meeting the rest of the Python troupe. You are capable of inspired work WITH OTHERS. But not alone.

He desperately needed some checks and balances here, perhaps the hand of Mr. Innes (who actually has the gift of subtle humor) might have helped, but by most accounts he ran the entire group of former collaborators off. His loss--and ours.