Year of Release: 2019
Director: Andy Muschietti
Starring: Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, James Ransone, Jay Ryan, Bill Skarsgaard, Jaeden Martell, Wyatt Oleff, Jack Dylan Grazer, Finn Wolfhard, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Jess Weixler, Xavier Dolan, Taylor Frey, Peter Bogdanovich, Stephen King, Teach Grant, Nicholas Hamilton, Joan Gregson, Martha Girvin
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
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Synopsis and Review:
Following the astounding success of the first feature, and since the first chapter only focused on the lives of the characters when they were children, the closing chapter to the Stephen King adaptation was more than expected. "It Chapter II", takes place 27 years after the occurrences of the first feature. Pennywise starts appearing once again, killing individuals from Derry, but also luring the Losers club to come back to the city. Mike who is the only one of the club to have stayed in the city, calls each and every one of the friends, warning them of what is occurring, while also asking them all to come back. They all (but one) make their way back to their hometown, to understand the severity of what is actually occurring, and collectively discuss a strategy on how to defeat Pennywise once and for all. Mike is aware of a ritual on how to make this creature disappear, and goes about explaining the whole group what to do. Pennywise however has ideas of his own, and plays with their fears in order to best create division and swiftly get rid of them.
The second part of the adaptation of Stephen King's lengthy novel, turns the focus of the story from the young children to their adult counterparts. Whereas the book goes back and forth between the two timelines, the film adaptations clearly divides them. Also where the first film and adaptation had a merger of different sensibilities to the screenplay, the sequel comes from the penmanship of Gary Dauberman, who has also written the films of the "Annabelle" series and also "The Nun". Whereas the first film took its time introducing us to the young heroes of the story, letting us slowly understand what made them all so unique, this continuation places their adult selves in the middle of an ongoing menace/threat, not giving much time to understand where they are in terms of their lives and how they actually matured. Their introduction feels somewhat rushed and therefore the connection with these characters is less impactful than the first chapter. Something that is also less effective, is the creation of an overall menacing environment. Whereas the first chapter, every corner of the small town was an opportunity for something to lurk or something to occur, 27 years later, the adults walk around the somewhat deserted city without any qualms, revisiting memories and locales. When the suspenseful and disturbing moments do occur, and they are effectively rendered, they look less integrated into the fabric of the narrative. Andy Muschietti has managed to get an effective cast, with Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader and James McAvoy creating strong performances, alongside the younger cast who steal the spotlight. The cinematography of Checco Varese is impeccable as is the score from Benjamin Wallfisch. A less accomplished version of the adaptation of the Stephen King novel, but still worth watching.
The second part of the adaptation of Stephen King's lengthy novel, turns the focus of the story from the young children to their adult counterparts. Whereas the book goes back and forth between the two timelines, the film adaptations clearly divides them. Also where the first film and adaptation had a merger of different sensibilities to the screenplay, the sequel comes from the penmanship of Gary Dauberman, who has also written the films of the "Annabelle" series and also "The Nun". Whereas the first film took its time introducing us to the young heroes of the story, letting us slowly understand what made them all so unique, this continuation places their adult selves in the middle of an ongoing menace/threat, not giving much time to understand where they are in terms of their lives and how they actually matured. Their introduction feels somewhat rushed and therefore the connection with these characters is less impactful than the first chapter. Something that is also less effective, is the creation of an overall menacing environment. Whereas the first chapter, every corner of the small town was an opportunity for something to lurk or something to occur, 27 years later, the adults walk around the somewhat deserted city without any qualms, revisiting memories and locales. When the suspenseful and disturbing moments do occur, and they are effectively rendered, they look less integrated into the fabric of the narrative. Andy Muschietti has managed to get an effective cast, with Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader and James McAvoy creating strong performances, alongside the younger cast who steal the spotlight. The cinematography of Checco Varese is impeccable as is the score from Benjamin Wallfisch. A less accomplished version of the adaptation of the Stephen King novel, but still worth watching.
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