"IT: Chapter Two" - Some Thoughts...

     

     I purposefully held off from writing any sort of review for IT: Chapter Two because, quite frankly, I needed some time to sit with it. Sometimes, movies are like delicious steaks. You gotta let them marinate for a bit before diving right in. I watched IT: Chapter Two on the Thursday night before its release, and again that following Tuesday. From the moment I watched it on the first viewing to this very moment where my fingers meet the keyboard, I have spent the better part of my days thinking about this movie, its source material, my love for Stephen King, how awesome the first IT movie was (from 2017), and when exactly I'll get a chance to watch IT: Chapter Two again...because believe me, a third viewing is inevitable. As of today, this movie is "number one in the world," an arbitrary notion  given the nature of theater marketing and lack of real competition at the box office, but a sentiment not to be taken lightly. I loved this movie, and when I say "love" I don't mean "really like" or "really enjoyed" (which I did). I mean L-O-V-E. I want this movie to be streamed through my eyeballs at the drop of a hat. I want to be able to just stop what I'm doing and dive into the world of Derry, Maine and sit at a table in the Jade of the Orient with the Losers. I want to walk the harrowing streets, traverse the Barrens, and seek for signs of Pennywise in drains and fun houses. I love it...but many don't, and that's okay.

     I reread King's gargantuan novel prior to watching this film, and each time I read it I think to myself "Yup, this is my favorite King novel." But then I read something else of his and I rethink my initial choice. However, this time around I truly think that this might be my favorite book if his. From its narrative structure--how it weaves in and out of time--to its arching discussion of fear and the transition from childhood to adulthood, all the way up to the supernatural absurdity of a cosmic, multi-dimensional turtle who created the universe by vomiting due to a stomach ache, and the central entity of evil being another multi-dimensional creature that often looks like a clown and eats children--I simply can't get enough. It's well-crafted insanity and I think it's some of King's best work. Adapting it has proven difficult (unfortunately there's no cosmic turtle in these new films and that's a bummer). The 1990 TV special was limited in so many ways, but it brought us an iconic performance of Pennywise by the great Tim Curry. Andy Muschietti's two-film adaptation has now been crowned with the highest grossing opening weekend (IT, 2017) and second highest grossing opening weekend (IT: Chapter Two) of any R-rated horror film, respectfully, and have delivered not only an equally iconic depiction of Pennywise with Bill Skarsgard's brilliant performance, but what I feel is the best and not-to-be-rivaled adaptation of the source material. Dare I say, IT and IT: Chapter Two are probably the best book-to-film adaptations that I have ever seen.

   Now, before you go thinking "Brandon, you've got your head in the clouds again!" I have no reservation in sharing that, despite how much I love IT: Chapter Two, the movie isn't without its flaws. To be specific, as a fan of the book there were things that were changed/left out/rushed that I wished were there or at least developed better. But when I say "flaws" I mainly mean the flaws in the movie as a movie, which I'll just get out of the way here because no one wants to wade into a bog of negativity forever. The biggest gripe I have about this movie was the use of de-aging technology. Between the making of the first movie and the release of this one, the child actors from IT (2017) have grown and changed in appearance, just as nature intended. In order to keep them looking like their characters from 2017, some of the actors were de-aged. For the most part this was done fairly well, but there are moments where it's extremely noticeable. They also altered the voices for some of them to make them sound younger, and again, this was noticeable. To be fair, I was more distracted on my first viewing than on my second, where I honestly didn't notice it as much.

    There have been some criticism about the length of the film (2hrs and 49mins), that it's too long and too choppy. I disagree. I didn't think it was long enough. I wanted more, and if a film can leave you wanting more, it did its job. Thankfully, there's talk that director Andy Muschietti is working on a super cut of both films, and I want desperately for that to come to fruition. Lastly, my only other weird feeling about the movie was in the dealing of the character Stanley Uris, played by Andy Bean. There's a particular event that occurs early on in the film with this character, one that happens early on in the book as well, and it fits within that character's journey. However, there's a choice that is made at the end of the narrative that almost seems to redeem his actions in a way that even after two viewings I thought was a strange choice. I know that's really ambiguous to say, but I'm trying desperately to stay away from spoilers. Once you've seen the movie I think you'll know what I'm referring to.

     That all being said, the rest is just plain delectable. There is so much to love about this movie that it's impossible to recount everything. The casting was perfect; Bill Hader, who plays older Richie Tozier, and James Ransone, who plays older Eddie Kasprak, steal this movie in my opinion. Ransone manages to pull off the exact same mannerisms and cadences as Jack Dylan Grazer who played young Eddie. To be fair, the entire cast was able to do this, and do this well. But Ransone was just a pure delight. However, Bill Hader's performance in this movie blew me away. Despite the divisive criticism that this movie has gotten so far, the one constant has been Bill Hader. Hader not only captures the character of Richie so well, but he also manages to bring a level of emotional realism to Richie's arch. The biggest departure from the book actually comes from the narrative arch Richie takes in the movie, and not only does it make sense, but it's conveyed in such a way that it's impossible not to give the performance the recognition it deserves. Again, the rest of the cast does a phenomenal job, but for me, Hader takes the cake. The child actors were also awesome, and the few flashback scenes we get with them are some of the best parts of the film. It was great to get to see them again.

     

     Despite ALL of that...we mustn't forget good ole Pennywise. Bill Skarsgard, in one performance (IT, 2017) solidified his version of Pennywise as not only memorable, but as iconic as Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and many other famous horror franchise baddies. What he delivered in that first movie is only enhanced by his equally amazing delivery in this new one. There's a lot more Pennywise in this film, and thankfully so. Every time he's on screen, Pennywise is mesmerizing, and that's all thanks to Skarsgard. The gore, scares, and overall creep factor is turned up to eleven here, and I couldn't get enough. The physicality of Skarsgard's performance is just jaw-dropping, and he makes the killer clown terrifying beyond what we already know. All I can say is that if you loved what you got in the first film...brace yourself. Alongside Hader and Ransone, Bill Skarsgard's Pennywise is one of the best performances in the film, and one of the best horror performances in the last decade.

     As for the story...it's an emotional roller coaster. As the Losers return to face down the clown once more, they must confront the fears of the past and regain that childhood sense of wonder and courage. It's a powerful message, one that, sure, I wish was fleshed out a bit more than what we got, but what we got was still great. Was I a fan of all the changes and departures from the book? For the most part, yeah. I'm well aware that the book is the book and the movies are the movies, so in that respect I found this film to work great as is. I fear though that there's this perspective out there that IT: Chapter Two is a "sequel" and therefore should definitely be "compared" to the first film. I can understand that logic, but I don't think it's entirely fair that these two films should be in competition with each other. I look at IT: Chapter Two as the second half of a larger narrative, much like how The Lord of the Rings is made up of "three parts" rather than a movie and two sequels...if that makes any sense. The reason I bring that up is that the story behind IT, even on the page, is an experience. Even though that first movie was its own contained film, it actually only told the first half of a larger story. On a structural standpoint, sure, no movie is without its flaws. I just think it's silly to pit these two films into competition with each other when together they make a larger whole. Okay, rant over.

     So, have a blabbed on enough? If there's anything to take away from my ramblings here, it's that IT: Chapter Two is an awesome film that packs in the scares, while delivering an emotional and epic ending to a story so brilliantly laid out back in 2017. If you have yet to see this film, get your butts to a theater and see it. Maybe brush up on the first one again before hand and then float on down to see this on the big screen. It's an experience for sure. Andy Muschietti knows how to weave a tale, and his visual pallet is really quite stunning. There are some really masterfully-crafted scenes in this film that I think are really quite under-appreciated. I plan on traveling back to Derry again, sometime soon hopefully. I highly recommend you do the same.

     Just watch out for those talking sewer drains.