Mediocre at best ... why??

Rating: 6/10 (10 September 2019)

First question to ask is, "Why did they have to change the book THAT much?" Ugh. Just silly, really, and hardly scary at all. The first film was better, and the ending to this one was completely unsatisfying. Were they suggesting that Richie was in love with Eddie his whole life? Don't hint at it, especially after that hate crime at the beginning of the film. Second, the movie totally steals from both THE THING (spidery head) and Ridley Scott's LEGEND (Meg Mucklebones? Really??) to create "monsters" that were more laughable than anything else. Third, the whole attempt at mysticism via Native American ritual was just token and flimsy. Were the writers trying to make a statement? If so, they failed horribly. Finally, it was WAY too long, and sadly, most of the best scenes were the flashback scenes with the kids. Was Steve Carell unavailable for adult Eddie? Seemed like they were trying to replicate him. Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, and Bill Hader were solid, but the rest of the cast ... bleh. If you read the book as a teenager yourself when it came out in the 1980s, you have to see this for closure, but it's a really disappointing film. Prepare yourself.