The colossal success of IT: CHAPTER ONE was, to say the least, unexpected. Now the highest-grossing horror film of all time, director Andy Muschietti brought Stephen King's massive 1986 novel (1,138 pages to be exact) to life in a way that seriously connected to audiences. Maybe it was the kid factor that pushed it over the edge, as we so rarely get movies where kids act and talk in an R-rated manner in films, making them far more relatable. Or, perhaps it was the brilliantly creepy portrayal of Pennywise by Bill Skarsgard or the simple popularity of the story, arguably one of King's best, as many grew up watching the old TV mini-series (which featured an equally creepy Pennywise as played by Tim Curry), leaving generations of people spooked by his very appearance. With CHAPTER ONE putting on such a great show and the promise of a second chapter on the horizon, the pressure was on to deliver a fitting adaptation of the second half of King's story that would introduce the grown-up versions of the now beloved kids, while attempting to appease fans of both the film and book, delivering a satisfying conclusion to such a gargantuan hit.
So, the big question lingers; is IT: CHAPTER TWO as good, better or worse than CHAPTER ONE? Well, that's a difficult question to answer. The fact remains that there's a variety of fans to please here, be it casual moviegoers, hardcore King fans or just genre fans in general; there's a lot of blocks to check in making sure the second chapter lives up to the hype. One of the biggest hurdles right off the bat is establishing the grown-up cast, which is made all the easier by casting alone. James McAvoy as Bill Denbraugh, Jessica Chastain as Beverly Marsh, Jay Ryan as Ben Hanscom, James Ransone as Eddie Kaspbrak, Isaiah Mustafa as Mike Hanlon, Bill Hader as Richie Tozier and Andy Bean as Stanley Uris is enough to get your attention. And, of course, Bill Skarsgard is back as Pennywise, carrying on the now iconic incarnation of the mysterious evil clown. Everyone is up to task here, emulating the look and mannerisms of their child counterparts, but the standout is, without question, Bill Hader, who steals the movie, so much so that he ends up outshining everyone else, including McAvoy and Chastain, who would probably stand out more when not competing with a genuine comedian…and a gnarly, vicious clown.
At nearly three hours, depending on how much you loved CHAPTER ONE and hoped for as much time as possible from the follow up, IT: CHAPTER TWO could easily shave 10-20 minutes off its running time and it'd never be felt. While the extra time isn't exactly wasteful, it just lingers a bit too long on scenes and sequences that probably would've been served better had they been cut down. Still, the longer runtime almost guarantees that you don't have to worry so much about not getting a satisfying conclusion as there's plenty of time to get there. However, it does take a while to get to the actual "mission" of the story, which ultimately boils down to defeating Pennywise. After a brief intro into what's happened to our hapless "Losers" since they bested Pennywise in the Derry sewers 27 years ago, they're reunited in their old hometown to slowly unravel not only a way to kill him once and for all, but also to confront the truth about themselves, which may not be what you think it is (and dependent on whether or not you've read the book).
Muschietti has crafted the second chapter without missing a beat and the film easily bookends with Chapter One. In fact, I found myself thinking that both films should actually just be viewed as one (and Muschietti himself has said he's working on a cut that combines them both), much like KILL BILL VOL. 1 and VOL. 2 or HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 and PART 2. However, that doesn't mean they don't have distinct voices. Certainly the older cast sheds a new perspective on the story; less innocent, less scary, but more traumatizing and more painful. Having left the town of Derry, everyone has fallen into a life you could almost predict, but that doesn't mean everyone got a happy ending; far from it. And that's what IT: CHAPTER TWO attempts to do; show us who these people are and who they need to be to survive and if they're even up to the task. Just as they faced their fears in CHAPTER ONE, they now face their past and how that can help them defeat the ultimate evil that haunts their hometown.
There are jump scares at every turn, as well as a host of new and creepy elements that harken back to old-school horror films (as well as nods to Chapter One) once again utilizing the horrorific imagination of Pennywise to confuse and conflict our heroes with what's real and what's imagined. While much of these excursions occurred in smaller ways with Chapter One, Chapter Two makes things much bigger, expanding the scope of Pennywise's power over the adult "kids." In many ways, this makes sense, as we're dealing with grown-ups who have much more baggage to play with, but for some it may be too large in scope. Indeed, some sequences almost reach "superhero" levels in terms of what's unfolding onscreen, but thankfully there are plenty of smaller, creepier and downright nasty and shocking moments peppered throughout to balance it out.
And let's not forget the return of the young "Losers" cast, which is substantially more than a cameo. Instead, we are pulled back and forth through flashbacks that serve to enhance the backstory of the kids at various points from their time in Derry, tying together elements that help them in their battle with Pennywise in present day. These moments are a mixed bag, as they can be quite jarring when tossling between timeframes and you find yourself catching up to where you are in the story. I can't decide if it's great to see the kids again (who occassionally can't help but show that they've grown, with voice enhancements and CGI used to return them to the same age as Chapter One) or if they're a hindrance to the adult's journey. The actors portraying the kids are all back and you can't help but feel glad to see them again, but now we're sharing them with their grown-up selves and I wonder if it would've been better to have just the adults, who could've used those extra scares and development moreso than their younger counterparts.
Skarsgard is delightfully evil as Pennywise once again, although the scare factor has worn off some now that we've had time to adjust to his overrall creepiness from CHAPTER ONE. Some of his kills are slightly less shocking as well, seeing as we don't have the same development of his victims that we did before. That said, Skarsgard is simply mesmerizing and the screen is electric when he's there. The longer runtime made it feel like we got less of him, even if that's not the case, and while he most definitely delivers some creatively freaky scenarios, he's just slightly less vicious and more playful this time around. Guess he lightened up a bit after 27 years. And, even as we unravel the mystery of who (or what) Pennywise "really" is, there's still plenty of questions left by the end of the tale.
Indeed, much of the main "mission" of the film felt a tad vague and while I wanted to suspend disbelief and just go along for the ride, I was ready to invest in each and every twist and turn, but found myself wanting in details. This typically happens the bigger a film gets and we get tunnel vision toward some grand conclusion, but the details can make a huge difference. As the grown-ups attempt individual endeavors to help defeat Pennywise, the plot begins to chug along in a kind of race-against-time scenario, which is exciting, but also doesn't allow us to stop and smell the roses. Still, the film absolutely finds an emotional core, brought to life wonderfully by the main cast (including the kids) and delivers a satisfying conclusion to the epic tale, which should leave most audiences fulfilled. However, I'm sure some will toil not only over which film is better between Chapter One and Chapter Two, but also whether they even should really exist separately. Again, it feels like one complete film when comparing the two and I'm sure this debate will rage for years to come.
While I felt wanting for some more detail and conflicted over the abundant use of the young cast, IT: CHAPTER TWO left me with a ton of great impressions; Deliciously creative horror elements, from jump scares to bloody gore, a strong and dedicated cast, a villain that's so frightening you can't help but love him (or love to hate him) and one of the more coherent, faithful (but not without its detours) and satisfying Stephen King tales ever put to film. Muschietti has crafted a follow up that delivers on the promise he set forth in Chapter One, never losing sight of what it was all leading to. That's no small feat. And, finally, my biggest takeaway from the film; Bill Hader. We've already seen him creeping up on us with legit acting chops in THE SKELETON TWINS and HBO's Barry, but he absolutely shines in this, delivering a performance that's as hilarious as it is emotional, proving that he's far more than just a funnyman, but an actor to reckon with. The box office success alone will paint the IT: CHAPTER ONE/CHAPTER TWO films as a cinematic achievement, but it's even more of an achievement in delivering on the horror, spectacle and nuance of King's work in big-budget fashion, something that's so rarely been done in the decades of adapting his work.