The film adaptation of the second half of Stephen King's seminal It novel follows exactly two years after the first part - focusing on the lives of the young Losers - became one of the horror genre's biggest-ever successes stories. Pennywise The Dancing Clown's torment of Bill, Beverly, Ben, Eddie, Mike, Ritchie and Stanley raked in almost-universal acclaim from fans and critics alike with plenty of cash to prove it: it is currently standing as the highest-grossing horror film of all time. To say that the subtitled Chapter Two has big shoes to fill is an understatement - but can it float to similar heights?
27 years after the Losers first defeated Pennywise, new killings and missing person cases cause Mike - the only one to remain in Derry - to reassemble the Losers, all of whom struggle to remember the events of the summer of 1989, to take on the clown one more time. Andy Muschietti returns as director alongside Bill Skarsgard as the titular It, with the younger cast in a supporting capacity passing on the baton to the "adult" Losers including James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain and Bill Hader.
Minor spoilers within.
It: Chapter One's weakest element was its horror: as a coming-of-age feature about friendship, it flourished, and as a comedy that capitalised on childhood nostalgia, it thrived. Given the majority of the feature taking place in the present day, the absence of the coming-of-age aspect was a cause for concern moving forward - but the hope was that Muschietti had grown as a director and could sustain the horror components of the story more competently two years on. The results are... a mixed bag.
While the film orchestrates a handful of suitably scary moments, the bigger - and they are some of the grandest set-pieces the genre has offered, thanks to a staggering budget - are diluted by its frequent temptation to lean into comedy. While some of it is intentional due to the various one-liners and character back-and-forth, just as much, if not more of it, isn't: the weak special effects undercut the potency of the horror, accidentally hilarious because of their cartoonish, already-dated nature. The horrifying beats aren't hit as effectively as they needed to be, and while the original had the heart of childhood innocence to fall back on, this sequel doesn't have that - and, in turn, isn't as impressive as the first film.
But there's clear development in Muschietti's overall style which greatly helps. Chapter Two's direction is far slicker, technically impressive in its seamless transition between the two time periods and the way in which various events are cleverly paralleled across the twenty-seven years. Enhanced by strong work from the art departments and, of course, that mega-budget, Chapter Two may have lost the 80s aesthetics of the first but the world of Derry still feels well-textured and absorbing, enhanced even further by the continued brilliance of Benjamin Wallfisch's musical composition which echoes across both -- "27 Years Later" and "Stan's Letter" are especially wonderful pieces. Cinematographer Checco Varese frames the film stunningly, with some fantastic imagery laced throughout the film.
It's no wonder the first film was stuck in development hell for so many years and underwent so many different visions: adapting a beloved 1000+ page novel is a most unenviable task. Only Gary Dauberman is credited as the screenwriter for the second (arguably less popular and difficult to adapt) half and, with essentially five hundred pages of text remaining, there's a lot to burn through. so transpires an almost-three hour film that feels long but doesn't overstay its welcome too extensively: even throughout the weaker, more conventional plot strands when logic occasionally lapses, you're having fun - mainly because our connection to the Losers has already been well-established, with Chapter Two continuing with strong character work for the most part. The clear three-act structure (which plays similarly to Avengers: Endgame - assemble, find, fight) helps alleviate what could've been a tiring 169 minutes in less capable hands and it's never any less than enjoyable in all its bold, audacious ways.
However, in other ways, it doesn't feel like it was long enough. One area in which the film struggles to deliver the depth of King's original is in the very opening scene: after a vicious homophobic attack sends a weakened gay man into the clutches of Pennywise, Chapter Two struggles to explore the "curse" that has tarnished the residents of Derry, beyond a fleeting mention. Supposedly (but explaining this as someone who hasn't picked up the original book), Pennywise's reign over the town polluted the resident's mind, causing the hate crime that facilitates his new spate of mayhem. Without this additional knowledge, the opening scene sits a little uncomfortably, despite registering as emotionally affecting and unfortunately relevant: it never quite justifies the viciousness of the attack of two gay men as a hate crime. Marrying this with Ritchie's "dirty little secret" - a new addition for the film - which doesn't receive the emotional resolve it was building towards, Chapter Two attempts more than it had the means to effectively examine, unfortunately boiling down to the same thematic ground.
Chapter One made its young actors into stars while Chapter Two turns to the already-established to carry the torch for these characters we now know and love. James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain lead as Bill and Bev, both turning in sturdy performances in two of the more serious roles; McAvoy's accent wobbles but the tortured anguish of the character shines, while Chastain cuts her teeth on horror glass once again after her standout performances in Mama and Crimson Peak.
Most will agree that Bill Hader is a scene-stealer, demonstrating his deft ability to balance the dramatics with the comedy to the terrific effect: The Skeleton Twins superbly showcased his impressive ability for those keen to delve into his filmography. Hader particularly shines with scenes opposite James Ransone, who is a most fantastic piece of casting as the adult Eddie. Elsewhere, the younger cast continues to capture our hearts. New and extended scenes (complete with unconvincing de-ageing technology, but I digress) are presented to us as flashbacks, and time has only increased our fondness of the ensemble that brought the Losers to us in 2017.
Once again though, It doesn't realise what a talent they have in Bill Skarsgard, who can be utterly terrifying as Pennywise - with the aid of CGI actually mitigating his chilling turn. His standout moment occurs as he paints himself into Pennywise, almost entirely absent of the special effects that can be so distracting of his committed turn. It is, far and away, one of the scariest moments of Chapter Two and, used more consistently, could have brought the sequel up to the first film's level. Nevertheless, Skarsgard is an electric presence and has valiantly attempted to strengthen the horror in a pair of films in which the horror has been easily its weakest element.
It: Chapter Two may be a step down from its predecessor but it remains an entertaining and enjoyable feature as grand as the genre gets. It still struggles with the balancing the horror set-pieces tonally, the time jump loses some of the heart and it somehow feels both too long and not long enough, but it's difficult not to marvel at a film that insists on having its cake and eating it too. Fantastic production values, great cast performances and slick visuals (discounting weak effects) keep Chapter Two afloat, with a clear love and respect for Stephen King's iconic source material placed at the heart of this adaptation. We'll probably never get a horror film on this scale for quite some time, so float on down to your local cineplex for a date with the clown.
7/10
Summary: Fantastic production values, great cast performances and lovable characters keep the inferior but still entertaining sequel, It: Chapter Two, afloat.