It's Just Bound to Go Pop

Rating: 7/10 (7 September 2019)

GRADE: B-
THIS FILM IS RECOMMENDED.
IN BRIEF: A well crafted supernatural thriller that pales to its original source, but still is a fine sequel to its predecessor.
JIM'S REVIEW: Does It: Chapter Two have the "It Factor", that indescribable "je ne sais quoi" allure that its predecessor was able to capture so vividly with moviegoers two years ago? Yes and no.
This supernatural horror sequel is again resurrected by director Andy Muschietti and many of his same crew of artisans in hopes to recreate that same bad magic. For the majority of the film, It succeeds in capturing the scary action and establishing a link with the now grown-up cast of characters so convincingly that the audience immediately relates to them and their deadly peril. While It: Chapter Two, more than not, generate the fear factor, this chapter slowly build its scenes of suspense and spends far too much screen time on exposition and subplots that do little to advance the storytelling. The film seems bloated with uneven CGI effects this time around and its formulaic set pieces almost outstays its welcome due to the movie's avid fixation with the gore factor. Less would have been more.
The second chapter of the Loser's Club opens twenty seven years later with a particularly grisly and gratitious hate crime that signals the return of the infamous Pennywise the Dancing Clown. This prologue lingers in one's mind with a bad aftertaste of remorse even though it serves as the catalyst for the new cast of actors to reassemble back at Derry, Maine to fight evil forces. But unlike the first film, this and other moments have a mean-spirited glee that the first film avoided. The extreme violence of this killing hangs over the movie like a shroud of discontentment before the new cast of actors is reassembled and moviegoers can settle in for the fright-fest. Fortunately, the cast and Stephen Kings's essential story overcome this initial dread.
Mr. Muschietti skillfully directs his film and turns up the horrifying action. He stages his set pieces with flair and expertly casts his movie with older actors that inhabit their parts with masterful interpretations of their former younger selves. Each actor has an episode that shows off their character's phobia as they battle with their own demons. This more mature ensemble includes: James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Jay Ryan, Isaiah Mustafa, Andy Bean, James Ransome and Bill Hader. All are fine, with Mr. Hader and Ms. Chastain excelling in their roles.
But without Bill SkarsgÃ¥rd as their evil nemesis, the film simply would not be as effective. HIs vocal delivery, physical movements, and iconic make-up as Pennywise ratchets up the tension and delivers the scares. Providing ample support (in flashbacks) are the original young actors from the first film and their presence is crucial to the film's success.
Gary Dauberman's screenplay is very faithful to Stephen King's novel to a fault. (However, some judicious editing of numerous sub-plots could have improved and streamlined the movie much further.) The adaptation creates recognizable set-ups that have a sense of familiarity (the overuse of well-worn horror film staples that are all too obvious like a spooky fun-house with its hall of mirrors, a creepy mansion, the dark wet sewers, etc.). But partaking of these troves is half of the fun and Mr. Dauberman's penchant to fully develop his characters and their unique quirks heightens the frightening action on display. Too bad, he didn't eliminate the unnecessary multiple storylines that complicate matters or connect some secondary characters more astutely.
Yet when plot and characters are rendered with a focus on childhood traumas and the dramatic life-or-death scenario is in place as they are in this imaginative installment, the effect is all the more impressive and relevant, even if the material itself has now become a standard horror package of stock characters caught in stereotypical surroundings. (Special mention to cinematographer Checco Varese and editor Jason Ballentine for their contributions for creating the unease. Benjamin Wallfisch's music score builds the foreboding atmosphere very well.)
It: Chapter Two brings a memorable end to Stephen King's tome. While this final chapter is not as scary as its first part, Mr. Muschietti and his able cast provide an apt conclusion to this classic opus of terror.