Despite repetitive scares and an overlong run time, It Chapter Two is still enjoyable. Thanks to the spirited cast.
It Chapter Two Synopsis
27 years have passed and nobody’s favourite clown a.k.a. Pennywise is once again back in Derry to torment poor citizens. Fulfilling a blood oath, the Losers’ Club, now all adults, return to battle the shape-changing monstrosity. With all of them heavily burdened by childhood trauma, it will take much more than determination and friendship this time to defeat the evil clown.
Snappy Review
It has always been one book, one with so many pages two full-length movies couldn’t contain all major details. For that reason, I invite you to take a look at what I wrote in 2017 about Part One before reading this snappy review.
Please take a look, so I wouldn’t have to go through the why and how again. What I have to say about Chapter Two is practically the same as my reaction to the first movie.
- Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise is sheer wicked fun to watch. The classic, “steals the limelight whenever he appears” villain.
- Like the kids in the first movie, the adults portraying the Losers’ Club deliver strong and immersive performances. (The kids were more enjoyable to watch though)
- The movie is way too long! Like Part One, and the book, there is this compulsion, this need, to run through six/seven versions of the same story development. While this provides ample opportunities for creative scares, beyond a point, it’s monotonous. A situation especially noticeable when you realise Pennywise is seldom out to kill. Most of the time, he just wants to terrorise and traumatise.
- Apart from Bill Denbrough, the adult traumas of the other Losers are sparingly explored. I found this to be a pity. And wonder why more scares were picked over character depth.
Yup. It’s practically the same as what I wrote in September 2017 for part one. Before I end, let me again highlight, I am aware most of the lacking bits have to do with the source material i.e. Stephen King’s original story.
As iconic as Pennywise might be in the world of pop culture, the novel was an overlong and frequently rambling experiment in how to repeat the same experience in seven different ways. (Forgive my harsh words) Because of that, how well a movie or television adaptation turns out depends entirely on the creativity of the nightmarish set-pieces and the cast.
For the latter, one must again give credit to Skarsgård and his fellow cast members. Without their wicked, spirited performances, It Chapter Two would have been a chore to watch. Not too unlike a carnival ride that got boring because the same scares keep repeating.
Read my other Snappy Movie Reviews.
