IT Chapter Two: Review by @Kush_Hayes
The biggest surprise of It Chapter Two is discovering at the end, that this movie brought to us by the same team who brought us 2017s record breaking It (Chapter One). Why is that such a surprise? Well, it feels like a whole other story as we pick up where The Losers are in their lives now 27 years later. Where as we explored the youth of the Derry Maine in 1989, we still explore that, as we go on to find out what still scares our heroes in their adult lives.
To be fair, It Chapter Two is probably closer to the 1,116 page book this movie is adapted from than its predecessor, which felt more like an adaptation of the first part of the TV Miniseries from 1990. Its because of that first movie from three years ago and the Miniseries from 1990 that people think the book is split up the same, following the kids and then the adults whereas its actually following the adults and allowing them solely to reflect on the horrors they faced growing up. It gets to the point that by the time we roll final credits I had to wonder why this wasnt just a single abridged adaptation. Everything we built up in 2017 is still conveyed in this to the point I think you could view this fresh, having never seen the first and not miss a detail at all.
I feel like if we just focused on the adults, and didnt lean into their childhood flashbacks, we might save 30-45 mins on this 2 hour 45 min run time.
Another thing that is weird are the bi polar tonal shifts throughout our feature. They do a great job not holding back on the horror, and the gore, and intensity… only to deflate all that tension it just built up with jokes. Its very much a “Rinse, Recycle, Reuse” formula. Now we had lots of horror and gore in Chapter One, and it was accompanied with humor to level you back out, but the humor was more spaced out. At least it felt like that.
Since most of this movie is back and forth between the kids and their adult counterparts, casting in this movie was top notch. We never really talk about casting, but Rich Delias team did an amazing job matching the kids and the adults. Its a one for one match. You rarely find composites this well. At no point do you mistake Bill Haders character for Jay Riders character or wonder who the Old Spice guy is supposed to be. It makes me wonder if the Adult cast spent anytime with their adolescent doubles because the adults in this match the traits perfectly.
James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain are the biggest names in this and I kept smirking everytime McAvoy has to bury his Scottish Brough with an East Coast Maine accent. It looks like every syllable is hurting his celtic heritage to the point Im surprised there wasnt a reel of outtakes of him fighting his native tongue. ...On top of all the stuttering his character produces. McAvoy just gets stronger in every role he portrays the older he gets. I am looking forward to the day I write “McAvoy needs to be nominated for best actor this year.” - We arent there yet, but very very close.
Jessica Chastain, is good, but for as much trauma as her character endures during just this film, we never talk about it, we dont reflect much on it. Yes, Chastain's character makes terrible choices in life with men, that stems from her father while she was growing up. But they seem to try and not to focus on that much. The Character of Beverly goes through hell during her life and is a huge part of the book we are adapting this from. Yet with all that, shes just kind of “there” to stir up feelings in the Bill and Ben love triangle.
Bill Hader, is funny, but I feel like they lean too hard on his one liners and (natural) reactions. I guess theres also a subplot that the character is gay. I dont think thats a spoiler because they really do nothing with it. I also dont know why having fun at the arcade playing the Original Street Fighter with another kid automatically leads to “hes gay” - but ok.
Isaiah Mustafa, better known as the Old Spice Guy that “isnt Terry Crews”, does a great job in this. His character gets more screen time than his child counterpart, and its been properly retconned that he is the town historian where they tried to give that characteristic to Ben. His performance in this should be a stepping stone for him to be in more starring roles in film as opposed to the supporting and bit parts on TV hes been doing.
I dont mean to discount the other three gentlemen, they looked and acted like a 27 year older version of the kids we met previously. There is a problem that there is no chemistry between Chastain and Jay Ryan who plays Ben. James Ransone who plays older Eddie, you really feel like they just stretched out Jack Grazer. And unfortunately Stan is gone as fast as he comes, giving us nothing with his character - which I have to say, in this one case, the TV Miniseries does a lot better.
The cinematography in this is pretty great. While I dont like that we spend 15 minutes calling everyone on our buddy list, we get some great scene transitions where a beautiful night sky seamlessly becomes the underside of someones jigsaw puzzle at home. And while I dont want to give away much, IT/Pennywises origin story is a great psychedelic experience. I love most of the visuals and special FX in this feature.
I think if this was a stand alone movie, if this was the movie we got in 2016, this would be an amazing horror movie as well as an amazing Stephen King adaptation. But because its only a sequel, it doesnt feel superior, it doesnt feel like an extension, it only feels like more of the same. I dont think you need to see this in the theater. I dont think you need to have seen the first to get what has and what is going on in the second. And because people like money, I feel like we havent seen the last of Pennywise.
Three out of Six Blueberries
Rated R for disturbing violent content and bloody images throughout, pervasive language, and some crude sexual material.
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