It Chapter Two Review

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If you like murderous clowns and comedies, IT Chapter Two is for you. IT Chapter Two is a sequel to the movie IT Chapter One which was released in 2017. 

The first movie took place in the summer of 1989 and it focused on seven kids who were forced to face their fears in order to stop the shapeshifting murderous clown from killing any more kids in their town of Derry. After the protagonist, Billy previously played by Jaeden Lieberher, had his brother killed by Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard) the kids come together after all witnessing the clown in some form. They band together to form the “Losers Club” and swear to defeat Pennywise no matter the cost.  

IT Chapter One left us off as the seven kids form a pact after defeating the shapeshifting Pennywise. As summer ends they all go their own ways, but they swear to return to Derry if “It” ever comes back. 

Although there are some of the same cast members from the first film,  IT Chapter Two takes place in Derry, 27 years later when the members of the “losers club” are all adults. The losers come back to Derry after Mike Hanlon (Chosen Jacobs) calls them to fulfill the pact after he witnesses many murders in Derry. The adult versions of the kids are almost too well cast. As a fan of the original movie and the remake, I expected IT Chapter Two to have some of the humorous aspects just like the first film did. After watching the movie, my expectations were fulfilled. The movie was a perfect balance of humor and horror living up to IT Chapter One.  

There were many moments of intense suspense and nerve-wracking scenes, but there were also times when the whole room was filled with laughter. 

The characters were just as charming in IT Chapter Two. My favorite character from the IT franchise is Richie Tozier, who is now played by Bill Hader, instead of his younger counterpart Finn Wofhard, who was just as funny and charismatic. Beverly Marsh who was previously played by Sophia Lillis is now played by Jessica Chastain who was a perfect fit for the character in my opinion. Both Lillis and Chastain fit into the courageous and bold character of Beverly Marsh. James Ransone and Jack Grazer both embodied Eddie Kapspbark’s germophobic and anxious personality. In my opinion, these were the strongest characters and the casting directors did a good job of finding good matches for the new cast. 

For those born in the ’80s and early ’90s, the soundtrack is sure to evoke some nostalgia with songs such as “Six Different Ways” by The Cure and “I Will Dare” by The Replacements. Although IT Chapter Two is set in modern-day Derry, there are still plenty of flashbacks to the ’90s with plenty of references throughout the film. The soundtrack along with vivid visuals throughout the movie made for a very enjoyable experience. 

Many people were worried that the runtime of the movie, which is three hours, would be too long, but in my opinion, it was necessary for the buildup to the ending. I felt like it wasn’t very long compared to other movies and every hour was worth it. It would have been worse if everything was rushed and fit into a two-hour movie, and if you’re enjoying the film the three hours pass by very quickly. 

With a budget of 35 million, it was evident that most of the [money went into the CGI aspect of the film. The CGI animations looked real at times and it had a lot of reality-bending scenes that made me feel like I was in a completely different world. There were plenty of new monsters and ways that Pennywise appeared that were not seen in the first chapter.  The setting and monster design was amazing and very realistic at times. I thought that IT Chapter 2 was a lot scarier because the CGI was so good at times that the jumpscares actually made people jump. The CGI made for some very disturbing moments in the best way possible. Additionally, with plenty of jump scares and gory monsters, I say if you have a few hours to spare, IT Chapter Two is a definite must-watch. I rate it a 4.5/5.