The one thing that lets It: Chapter Two down is it’s length.
After watching the film twice, there are clear moment where it drags and you’re just waiting for the next memorable moment.
That being said, the first time I watched it, I was hooked throughout the 169-minute run time.
The stand-out performers in this flick are Bill Hader, as Richie Tozer, and James Ransone, as Eddie Kaspbrak, who provide some of the most memorable moments of the two It films.
That’s not to say the other actors aren’t memorable. James McAvoy as Bill Denbrough, Jessica Chastain as Beverly Marsh and Isaiah Mustafa as Mike Hanlon all do their characters justice and are brilliant choices to pick up where the child actors left off.
The main star, and one that steals the show once again, is of course Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise. Every single scene that Pennywise is in is both creepy, humours and incredibly well acted.
Unfortunately, for me, I felt there wasn’t enough Pennywise in this movie. He does get some great scenes, some of which are showcased in the trailers for the film, but I really could have done with more spooky clown.
When it comes to horror, I’m not normally a fan. I get spooked quite easily and I absolutely hate jump scares. However, recent ‘horror’ films are things I’ve been able to get on board with – such as Us, Get Out, It and A Quiet Place – and that is mainly because of the humour. And humour is very prevalent in It: Chapter Two.
The movie, sometimes, feels like a Marvel movie in the fact that every hard hitting moment is followed up with a joke. In It: Chapter Two, every jump scare is followed pretty closely by a joke or a witty remark – mainly thanks to Bill Hader or James Ransone – and this helped me relax into the film and allowed me to not be a tense, nervous wreck throughout.
As mentioned, the length is what causes some problems. The film runs for almost three hours and, for a large part of that, the characters don’t spend a lot of time together. Not that that means they are boring moments (some are of course) but the moments when the characters are together provide some of the best scenes.
There is one other problem with the film. Digital de-aging. Naturally, kids get older. And when you need kids back for a film that’s being filmed three years after the first then the kids won’t look the same. However, the de-aging technology used in It: Chapter Two was painfully obvious, and you could see what scenes were new and what was taken from the previous film or a deleted scene left over. But, that’s a very small thing that I can easily forgive.
Overall, It: Chapter Two is a solid sequel to the first, I might even say I prefer the sequel.
The characters are great, the horror is just horror-y enough, the humour is well timed and relaxing and there are some surprisingly emotional moments for a scary clown film.
If you can go without peeing for three hours, I would highly recommend going to see It: Chapter Two.
It: Chapter Two: 4.5/5
Connor Mountford 