Chapter Two Review
Bobby Sweeney
It (2017) takes place in the small town of Derry, Maine where a shape-shifting, killer clown named Pennywise feeds on the town’s residents every 27 years. To stop Pennywise’s feeding frenzy, seven kids join together and create the Loser’s Club, a group of social outcasts who are determined to put an end to the maniacal creature. It: Chapter Two revisits the town of Derry, 27 years after the Loser’s Club supposedly defeated the infamous Pennywise, where the members of the Loser’s Club are now adults with professional careers and lifestyles. After a series of grisly murders announces the return of the monstrous clown, the Loser’s Club must revisit to their childhood home to end for the nightmare for good.
While this sequel does succeed in its character development and performances, It: Chapter Two suffers from its near three hour long runtime. When using a novel with more than 1,000 pages as source material, the pacing of a movie can be a problem. In the case of this film, unfortunately, the story does tend to drag during certain scenes. Specifically, during flashback scenes. As the film frequently jumps from present to past, the audience sees the return of the child actors from the first film. While these scenes are supposed to convey and radiate nostalgia, they ultimately fall flat due to the horrible CGI on the younger actors. As a result of many of the child actors from the first film growing up, the filmmakers used CGI and voice-pitching technology in an attempt to de-age the actors in the flashback sequences. The result of these attempts are mixed, with awkward attempts at nostalgia or genuine character chemistry.
While pacing issues seem to plague It: Chapter Two, the film’s performances and character chemistry take center stage. From his squeaky voice to his chilling smile, Bill Skarsgard returns to the role of Pennywise, sporting both a terrific and terrifying performance. Each adult member of the Loser’s Club is perfectly cast as they each perfectly mirror their unique personalities of their younger selves in the first film. One example is the scene-stealing Bill Hader as Richie Tozier who often provides not only the film’s comic relief, but a deeper performance with plenty of emotion. The film delivers in character chemistry as well, but the plot quickly divides the group, sending each Loser on their own. This breaks the character chemistry between the actors and leaves the audience patiently waiting for the club to reunite.
In addition to pacing issues, It: Chapter Two suffers from a terrible case of “sequel-itis”. The film’s predecessor was not only a box office hit, but a chilling introduction to the Stephen King classic to new audiences. As Pennywise slipped through the shadows and preyed on the child actors, audiences felt legitimate fright for the young group of friends. While Chapter Two has familiar feelings of the character chemistry from the first film, the scares just aren’t the same. The legitimate fright that many audiences felt as Pennywise terrified the younger Losers, is now replaced with annoying, formulaic jump-scares that frighten their adult counterparts.
Overall, It: Chapter Two is a disappointing sequel that falls short of its blockbuster predecessor. While the film does occasionally display heartwarming moments, nightmarish scenarios, and standout performances, it’s not enough to save this horror movie letdown. If anyone is searching for the perfect killer clown movie just before Halloween, better luck waiting for Joker.
