It Chapter Two: Movie Review

Following up from a juggernaut performance, "It Chapter Two" has the uneasy and unenviable task to one up its predecessor. While the sequel did its best to wrap everything up in a nicely clean package, the long running time meant that it eventually overstayed its welcome. "It Chapter Two" is a great horror experience but it doesn't hold a candle to the first.

Twenty-seven years after the Losers’ Club defeated Pennywise, "It" has returned to once again terrorize the town of Derry once more. Now adults, the Losers have long since gone their separate ways and mostly forgotten their haunted and traumatic past. However, Mike, the only one of the group to remain in Derry, remembers everything and calls the others home to finish their promise to end "It" almost three decades ago. Damaged by the experiences of their past, they must each conquer their deepest fears to destroy Pennywise once and for all.

Like "It", the sequel follows the same intricacies that made the first film beloved by many. It once again mixes real horrors care of Pennywise and internalized horrors care of the members of the Losers' Club. The film mixes both past and present seamlessly adding more into each character's background. While we appreciated that fact, it also significantly added to the film's running time. At almost three hours long, "It Chapter Two" felt comprehensive but daunting. Not only does it develop the main protagonists back stories but unveils more about Pennywise and the mythos behind his being. The film loses its momentum with so much information jam packed into one whole narrative. It's a weird feeling as the film was both satisfying but also tiring. As for our favorite things about the film, it would easily be the visual effects and the acting. The visual effects are a sight to behold and gives justice to the horrific mimicry that Pennywise is able to do. Gigantic spiders, disturbing small creatures, evil dead, old women, the horrors in this film still come out fresh and unrelenting. As for the actors, if we could choose, the kids easily win over the adults but both groups did a pretty amazing job. Overall, while "It Chapter Two" is a step down from the first film, it holds well enough on its own to be a terrifying and satisfying conclusion to the story arc of the Losers' Club.

Rating: 3 and a half reels





Why you should watch it:
- all characters are given enough time to develop their back stories even Pennywise
- visual effects are a sight to behold and terrorize

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the long running time overstayed its welcome
- lacks some of the nostalgic charm that made the film extra special