It all ends…
This review is spoiler-free!!
It Chapter 2 is the highly anticipated, albeit 3-hour long conclusion to the 2017 Stephen King adaptation. “IT 2” picks up 27 years after the events following the Loser Club’s fight against Pennywise in the Derry sewer. The characters, now grown have left Derry to live out their lives with virtually no memory of their childhood.
Knowing the length of the book, I took the film’s runtime into consideration as best as I could. There are some scenes that drag out the plot (a little longer than necessary) and others that build it up fairly well. It has that same awesome mixture of comedy, drama and horror just as it’s predecessor.
I really didn’t have too many gripes outside of the film’s runtime. It was enjoyable and for the most part, lived up to its hype… and then there was the technical stuff.
It wasn’t bad it was just this tiny thing that kept nagging at me… And that was how different the younger versions of the characters look in this film versus the last one.
I know, I know that’s kind of petty but it really distracted me for some reason.
Since we can’t help our own bodily changes during adolescence, the film crew had to call an audible by attempting to de-age the youngsters in this flick, most notably Finn Wolfhard. His height and voice has changed so much in the time between both IT films, that a lot of his scenes were edited post production. I suggest not watching the first one too soon before seeing the second because you will notice the difference big time!
Again the tech isn’t bad just it nagged at me. I think maybe de-aging works better with a much older adult’s face than when you only have to focus on that plus the body and voice of a teenager. But if I had to be honest, I really cannot say how it works because I have no clue. All I know was something felt different all throughout the movie. It was that or my OCD kicking in. Either way, I found myself laughing about it later.
The problem really wasn’t the shift in adolescence. We well know that the actors are older despite the film trying desperately to pick up right after the events of the first film.
It’s the jumping back and forth between the kid Losers and their adult counterparts that forces you to focus on that aspect the whole time. To me, it was some of those moments that it lost its cohesion and made the film feel stitched together like Frankenstein.
Unlike like the second part of the “OG” TV miniseries, I felt that their adult lives were rushed as soon as they were sucked back into Derry. We don’t connect much to how they progressed as adults. We’re slapped back and forth to their childhood fears & how they manifested when they return to Derry. It kinda works in some aspects because everything that led up to their final confrontation of their first movie is crucial!
SNL Alum, Bill Hader does an awesome job as grown Richie. His range was phenomenal.
The other actors fair well too portraying older versions of the Losers club. The likenesses were so uncanny that it truly felt like these actors were the same people. I felt that the jumping back and forth with some of the scenes was a bit overkill in some places but again it was perfectly seamed together in others as the adult counterparts pieced back their memories of Derry.
Bill Skarsgård does a good job being a creepy Pennywise yet again and wastes no time wreaking havoc and feeding. Although he spends a lot of time in the shadows this go-round. His presence is always felt despite the lack of screen time this go-round. I think this was a good choice because it made his scenes that much more intense. It also didn’t take away from the final confrontation
IT 2 kept me entertained for the better part of 3 hours but it wasn’t as scary as the first movie. That doesn’t mean it’s not flippin’ creepy or a good follow up because it is.
Various scenes kept me thinking: Oh Pennywise isn’t gonna do it, queue in the savior-ex-machima. Cut scene or something.
AND BOOM… HOLY SHIT! He did it!
IT 2 is a bit more on the psychological horror side because you don’t see Pennywise as much but you know he’s there. So when he pops up on the screen those scenes are a tad more terrifying. In contrast, the 1st film was definitely in your face with Pennywise’s antics and/or jump scares.
The follow-up had its moments as well that kept me equally entertained. The shaky cam thing is done just like before, where Pennywise and his other forms go on glitching and jittering about on the screen. But it doesn’t bother me as much here.
That being said, IT 2 is still a great film. It has some amazing shots and despite it’s runtime, it still tells a decent tale. The final battle is way better than the miniseries due to better technology. I wish there were scenes from the book and original miniseries that were in this adaptation but I’m not mad that their not.
The jump scares are not over the top and I’m glad makes good use of them without relying on them. The tension in some parts is there during the buildup, giving it a really jacked up and ominous feeling. To those of you expecting jump scare after jump scare, they may feel bored but I didn’t
Considering the length of the movie, the best time to sneak a bathroom break is perhaps the scene with a now adult Beverly played by Jessica Chastain.
While it’s a great and creepy scene, it plays out almost exactly like the trailer. The effectiveness of this part is cool because it sets up the importance of digging to the past to find something (which they all have to do) but it gives us a nice little scare at the same time. You see here just how effective Pennywise’s mind games are. But again this is barely the halfway point of the film and thus a good time to unload some of that large soda you shouldn’t get for a 3 hour film anyway.
My vote is, it’s awesome!
Til Later Kiddies,
Shalom
Follow the Drunken Insomniac Writer on:
Twitter: @Nsomniac_Writer
Instagram: @Insomniac_Writer
Tumblr: Home of the Drunken Insomniac Writer
Facebook: Author, R.S. Lewis
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/RSLEWIStheautho
Drunken Insomniac Writer 