In 2016 when teasers for a reboot to the original It film began to surface, fans and critics were excited. When the film was finally released in September 2017 after months of high anticipation it was received with mostly positive feedback from both moviegoers and critics alike. So it would seem likely that the second chapter of the film would create a similar experience coming two years later. Though the film had generated large amounts of hype, it fails to deliver in many ways leading to what feels like a lackluster experience.
Set several years in the future we are introduced to the adult versions of the children we watched in the first film. The now adult version of the “Loser’s Club” is now tasked with defeating Pennywise who has returned, once and for all. The acting throughout the film is one of the things that this film does excellently. The adult version of the “Loser’s Club” is just as enjoyable as their past child-selves, my personal favorite being Bill Hader who plays adult Richie. The cast did an amazing job recreating the same personality traits from the children in the last film into forming the same chemistry but in adult versions.
However, everything else about the film just isn’t as great as the previous film. One of the biggest flaws the film has is the overuse of CGI throughout the film. Pennywise, in my personal opinion, has one of the most brilliant costume designs done in recent years. However he is rarely shown in his true creepy clown-self, instead we have many CGI varrients of him which at times are almost more laughable than scary. Another thing the film does not capitalize in is creating a creepy atmosphere where the viewer feels more unsettled. Instead the film defaults to the typical horror movie jump scare which has become more cliche over the years. The first few might catch you off guard but by the end of the film you’ll be able to pick them up right before they happen. I really wish they hadn’t followed using this approach on this film. The concept of a creepy clown could’ve set the tone for the film where the viewer could be in fear and constantly uncomfortable, but instead the film allows you to learn the pattern and anticipate when the big scare is coming. “Oh closed curtain, here comes the jump scare”, and that type of thing will happen again and again in the film thus making it not scary at all.
Assuming that this is the final chapter of the modern iteration of It we are getting, the ending was one of the most botched things about this film. It didn’t feel like it was the correct way to end such a film. People were walking out of the theater mocking the film and I think that speaks volumes about the overall quality of this film.
So is It Chapter 2 a horrible film? No I don’t think it is, but I certainly think it is a bad sequel to a great first chapter. Instead of a great film we get a cookie-cutter follow up that I personally wasn’t too fond of. It lacks the qualities that could’ve put this above and beyond its predecessor.
