“IT Chapter 2” Review by Michael Winkler
September 18, 2019 4:27 am |
Pennywise the clown was birthed by author Stephen King in the 1986 horror novel, “IT”. After a successful mini-series, which aired in the ’90s, director Andy Muschietti brought “IT” to the big screen in 2017. Muschietti reprised his role as director for the sequel, “IT Chapter Two”. After the first installment became a sensation among Stephen King fans and movie fans alike, the second movie became one of the most highly anticipated films of 2019.
IT Chapter Two takes place twenty-seven years after the events of the first film. Stephen King is known for being very detailed with his works and creating copious amounts of characters with interweaving story arcs. The group of friends is known as “The Losers Club”, which consists of Bill (James McAvoy), Beverly (Jessica Chastain), Ben (Jay Ryan), Stanley (Andy Bean), Richie (Bill Hader), Eddie (James Ransone), and Mike (Isaiah Mustafa). Mike contacts each of the members of the group to inform them that Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard) is back and wreaking havoc in Derry, the gang must get back together and try to defeat the long-forgotten nightmare from their childhood. The friends must each collect an “artifact” (something of importance from the past) and perform a ritual in an attempt to rid the world of this evil entity.
Muschietti’s skill shines throughout the entirety of the film, his choices on lighting, camera work, line delivery, and special effects were impressive (for the most part). Muschietti had a clear vision when entering this two-movie project, and his signature is written all over these films. From long drawn out camera shots to the lighting used in underwater scenes, such care and detail are put into every single shot. As the film progresses, there are flashbacks of the kids from the first film sprinkled in. It has been a couple of years since the first movie was filmed, so de-aging technology was used for some of the teenage actors. This, in particular, was sub-par and downright distracting to a certain degree at times. Pennywise looked great as expected and had a lot of different facial expressions and abilities that took him to a much scarier level than in the first film. There are a variety of different monsters and creatures throughout the film that not only look amazing but are also downright terrifying. Some scenes will leave your jaw dropped at how beautiful they are, and others that will have the viewer questioning if this was indeed the film they’ve been waiting two years for. What the film lacks in minor post-production effects missteps and dead-end story arcs is made up for with great acting and a well-balanced marriage of humor and horror.
Muschietti does a great job in balancing a large number of story points that are touched on in this nearly 3-hour film, without it feeling rushed or forced. There is a lot of good to take away from IT Chapter Two, as well as some not so good points. The arc in which the characters must find artifacts from their past seems like it was only used to split everyone up and give each character a fair amount of screen time. There is little to no payoff as far as the ancient ritual goes, which is hard to look past since it was established as the main storyline. Henry Bowers (Teach Grant) is used in a very small capacity, which leaves the viewer wanting more. Bowers could’ve, and should’ve, been one of the more intriguing characters after his fate was left unresolved at the end of the first film. Some of the better portions of the film are when “The Losers” are on screen, including standouts James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, and Bill Hader. James McAvoy is very convincing as Bill, who lost his brother to Pennywise earlier in the story. McAvoy nails the stutter that Bill has when he is scared or nervous and can also be very relatable to anyone who has felt guilty as a result of a tragedy. Jessica Chastain is always a treat to see on the big screen. Chastain grows into the role of Beverly and doesn’t hold back as the character grows. Beverly was abused by her father as a child and continues to be abused by her husband as an adult. Don’t worry, Beverly finds a happy ending when everything is said and done. The best actor in the entire film is Bill Hader as Richie. The character of Richie is going through a lot of emotions during the story. He has secrets that nobody knows about that run deeper than just his crippling fear of clowns. Hader is well known for his ability to make people laugh, but what was more impressive was his ability to act dramatically during very crucial scenes in the film without overacting, which was a concern.
IT Chapter Two may be a little long and drawn out (to a certain degree) but is a very fitting end to what has become one of the most polarizing horror franchises in recent history. Overall, the acting and effects made for a very fun movie-going experience. IT Chapter Two takes classic horror literature and transforms the story into something mainstream that almost anyone can enjoy watching. Muschietti takes risks that many directors would’ve been too nervous to take with such a classic piece of work, and for that, he has earned the respect of many fellow directors and Stephen King himself. IT Chapter 2 is the perfect piece to complete what could be the best film adaptation of any Stephen King work.
PCL Rating: High Taste It
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: FRESH 🍅
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Tags: IT Chapter 2, It Chapter 2 2019, Michael Winkler, pop culture leftovers, Stephen King
Categorised in: Movie Reviews
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