It Chapter Two (2019)

7 September 2019

It: Chapter 2 (2019) is the sequel to the first film from 2017. I rewatched that this morning so I'll be updating that review a little later. The second film includes actors James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, and Isaiah Mustafa.

I think it's pretty much in line with the first film - similar feel, more visuals and jump scares in this one than the first. Also more humor, certainly with the help of Bill Hader on that one. For being a 2h49m film, it felt like parts were still glazed over or omitted from the book, which was a little surprising. The ending also is a little random and confusing, with even less story going on than in the book. I think those were probably good changes though, to tighten the story some.

It felt like the first film in a lot of ways: atmosphere, pacing and occasional cinematography embellishment lapses. I liked how additional story was weaved into this film similar to the book. That was one of the reasons I found the book more engaging, since it would switch between the story timelines. I also felt like Chapter Two glazes over the characters more: motivations felt dated, and the adult characters weren't given as much time to identify how they really grew (or didn't). A lot of this was noticeably cut out from what was in the book.

In any case, I did think it was a pretty solid film. I may think less of it in the future, especially since it's very long and the rewatch may not be worth the time investment. So I think 7/10 for the time being. 7/10