It: Chapter Two

•             R
•             Horror
•             US Release:  September 6, 2019
•             Runtime:  2 hours 49 minutes
•             Directed by Andy Muschietti
•             Written by Gary Dauberman
•             Starring Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Bill Skarsgård, James Ransone, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, Andy Bean, Jaedan Martell, Wyatt Olef, Finn Wolfhard, Jack Dylan Grazer, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor
•             Grade:                         B
•             Rating:              Enjoyable!

 

The Losers of Derry have grown up and moved on. Twenty-seven years after they overcame the horror beneath the streets of Derry, their comfortable lives are interrupted by a phone call from their old friend Mike Hanlon (Isaiah Mustafa). The killings have started again. IT has resurfaced. Now, Bill (James McAvoy), Bev (Jessica Chastain), Ritchie (Bill Hader), Eddie (James Ransone), and Ben (Jay Ryan) must join with Mike and kill Pennywise forever. Yet their childhood beliefs in the impossible – the only weapon they had against Pennywise – are in the past, buried under adult perspectives, persistent guilt, and overwhelming fears.

The Shining and It are my two favorite Stephen King novels. I’ve read each book at least fifty times in my lifetime. I need to purchase new copies, in fact. My current versions are tattered and missing their covers from so much use. Now, four hours after watching It: Chapter Two, I can honestly say that I’m mostly satisfied with this latest Stephen King adaptation film offering.

Not completely satisfied, though. Despite its length, it felt like parts of the film were missing. I noticed that scenes from the trailer were omitted from the actual movie, so I’m assuming there will be a director’s cut when the blu-ray comes out, but some characters (like Henry Bowers) and pivotal moments in the overall storyline were underdeveloped and underutilized. The film was also tonally inconsistent. It never dragged for me, but it was one helluva rollercoaster in terms of atmosphere, veering between solid humor – even slapstick – and some very grim carnage. I also didn’t like the disorienting camera perspectives on far too many shots, including a plethora of Dutch angles, and it left me slightly nauseated from motion sickness.

Those are only minor quibbles, though. My major complaints with the film center around Bill and the town of Derry. Bill was the clear leader in the first film (and in the book, too). Yet in Chapter Two, Bill is largely relegated to the crew; he’s one of them, not leading them. If anything, Bev and Mike take center stage. There’s never a moment when “Big” Bill steps up and brings them together with the force of his personality, and that’s a major flaw in the storyline, because Bill was always the foundation upon which their little group drew strength. I was also vastly disappointed that the filmmakers didn’t exploit the town of Derry itself. Derry was, essentially, a non-entity, yet in the first film (and, again, in the book) the town was a menacing presence, another character, if you will. In fact, Derry was an extension of It; the town was its corral, and the citizens its cattle. Chapter Two has only one scene in which the town and its citizens harbor any menace; otherwise, the Losers could have been anywhere. That’s a massive missed opportunity.

However, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives in Chapter Two. The casting was inspired! The adults perfectly mimic their child counterparts, and almost all the acting was top-notch. The only sour note was Isaiah Mustafa as Mike Hanlon; he was far too intense and seemed to be in an altogether different film. Bill Hader and James Ransone stole the show, and Bill Skarsgård was so damn good as Pennywise that I think even Tim Curry would have been envious. I hate to say it – because it feels deeply immoral to say this – but the kid kills were probably the creepiest and coolest parts of the movie. The filmmakers didn’t sugarcoat this thing; they went there, and it was intense! The score by Benjamin Wallfisch was excellent, too. The creature special effects gave me pause at first; they were a little cartoonish for me. After some thought, though, I realized that It was mimicking the childish fears inside the minds of its victims, so naturally the monsters were going to look at least a little like B-movie fiends. I thought that was a nice touch, actually.

So, again, I’m largely satisfied. It: Chapter Two was a good – but not great – conclusion that featured wonderfully fleshed-out characters, an unsettling villain, and loads of feels. It’s well-written, laugh-out-loud humorous at times, and the ending was genuinely touching. It did the novel justice, and as a gigantic fan of the book, that’s all I really wanted.