Director: Andy Muschietti
Distributor: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Duration: 169 minutes
It Chapter Two (Blu-ray) – Movie Review
The reimagining of It hit the world like a bombshell. The movie proved to be a huge success and for years we saw a lot of people recreating Pennywise cosplays based on the new movie. Those who watched the 2017 remake know the story didn’t end, as it was clear that Beverly saw something that would happen in the future. Now, three years later the second chapter has been released on DVD and Blu-ray. We were curious to see what choices the loser club had made, as the movie plays itself out twenty-seven years after the first one.
The second movie takes us back to Derry, twenty-seven years after the original. We see that the city may have been modernized a bit, but the inhabitants are still somewhat bigoted as we immediately see a gay man being beaten and then dumped in a river, only to be eaten by the resurfaced Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård). Mike (Isaiah Mustafa), the only one member of the Loser Club that remained in Derry is convinced that it is time to bring all the losers together in order to once again battle Pennywise and deal with him once and for all.
Even though the Loser Club gathers immediately, with the exception of Stanley (Andy Bean), they don’t exactly remember what happened all those years ago. It seems that leaving Derry has also tampered with their memories of what occurred in the past. When they return, however, their memories seep back in, forcing them to go through the horrors that were caused by Pennywise all those years ago. It doesn’t take long before there’s some disarray in the group, making some of the members wanting to flee the town, rather than battle the murderous clown again. Pennywise knows the Losers have returned and is already plaguing them with haunting visions of their past, as well as new scary encounters. They’ll have to delve even deeper into the clown’s domain to finally kill the monster that has been plaguing Derry since the dawn of time.
The flow and execution of the second chapter are very different than that of the first movie. In this movie, you’ll swap through events that occurred in the past, and those that happen in the present, which already gives the movie a different flow and also makes it lengthier. It also feels as if this second movie tries to invoke more ‘jump-scares’ than the original, which is something you either love or hate. The information is still given at a proper pace, and while the introduction might be lengthier than part one, it’s still decently handled. Nonetheless, a few portions of the movie feel a bit long-winded and it feels as if the movie could have been slightly shorter. That being said, the characters evolve properly and even though the movie received a lot of backlash when it was still airing in the theatres, we can’t properly see why it was met with such heavy commentaries.
We revisit the cast members of the first movie, the talented youngsters who played the vulnerable but determined group of ‘losers’. These young actors, and actress, certainly proved they have a lot in store for us in the coming years, and we hope that they star in other triple A productions in the future. For this movie, their adult counterparts were chosen with care, and we can see grand names such as James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, Jessica Chastain, Jay Ryan, James Ransone, and Andy Bean grace the movie. It’s noticeable which cast members are more experienced, but even so, everything is properly balanced. The adult versions of the children are believable and they also convey how the children used to act and they then further expand on their characteristics.
When buying the Blu-ray edition of It Chapter Two, you’ll find five special features on a separate disc. These extras include the whole design process and thoughts behind the first and second movie. There will also be a feature about the Losers Club, Pennywise and the inclusion of Stephen King in the second movie. For those who really want some value for their money, this edition is certainly the way to go.
Conclusion
It Chapter Two is a proper continuation (and ending) of the It remake. We were treated to a very interesting story, which has proper scary moments, but was also accessible for less fervent horror fans. The cast was clearly picked with care, and while we loved the vulnerability of the children in the first movie, the adult cast also properly conveyed their emotions, their weaknesses, and their combined strength. With a lot of bonus content on the Blu-ray edition, you can’t go wrong if you loved the first part.
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