It Chapter Two Doesn’t Live Up To The First Film
If you’ve seen It Chapter 1, you’ll have a good idea of what to expect from Chapter 2. The film is really more of the same. There are some issues with the film, those of which make the second part of this franchise a bit of a mess. While not as entertaining as its predecessor, It Chapter 2 is good, not great.
Let’s start out with the cast. It Chapter 2 features one of the best ensembles of recent memory. Joining Bill Skarsgard (Pennywise), are a slew of Hollywood elite such as Jessica Chastain(Beverly), Bill Hader(Richie), and James McAvoy (Bill). The four make up the core of the cast. Truth be told, they all did a fantastic job.
Hader was the biggest question mark going into this film. His comedy antics fit in well with the movie, giving it a bit more of a comedic touch at certain points. Skarsgard was once again masterful as Pennywise. His portyal even rivals that of Tim Curry from the original. As expected, Chastain and MvAvoy delivered. They share a rare on-screen chemistry, and really captured their roles perfectly.
Onto the film itself, the Second Chapter felt a lot like the first. Yes, the plot lines and cast may have changed, although, it felt like the same movie. It’s rare a horror film sequel can match the first installment without being repetitive. The scares seemed to be the same, and at times the film dragged on.
For a near three hour runtime, you really feel like you’re in the theater for a long time. The movie didn’t have great pacing. Certain points of It Chapter Two felt like a real drag, others were really intense and scary. The scenes with Pennywise, just like the first installment, are the best parts of the movie. Those really get your blood pumping.
It’s the end of the film that really had me scratching my head. While this is a book from the mind of Stephen King, the finale of the film seemed a bit off. The way the Losers kill Pennywise didn’t feel satisfying at all. It made perfect sense to do what they did, although, the route they took to get there felt like it just added 25 unnecessary minutes to the film.
There were some plot issues aside from the ending. The Henry Bowers storyline felt a bit unnecessary. He was a big part of the first, yet, the second was just kind of a throw in to the film. There was also the relationship with Bill and Beverley. While addressed in the film, there just didn’t seem to be any conclusion to it. That was such a minor issue, though.
As mentioned before, the film wasn’t all too scary. There were moments that some will jump out of their seat, but, true horror film fans won’t feel much. That’s sad considering the first installment was very similar.
It Chapter 2 suffers from a long run time and odd ending. Those two factors played a big role in the film. Go see this film, the acting alone makes it worth it. You Just won’t be wowed by anything, and be prepared to look at your watch or phone to check the time. This definitely isn’t a bad movie, just not as good as I thought it would be.
Image Source: Warner Brothers
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
