The sequel to 2017 film It, based on Stephen King’s novel, is now available in cinemas. Set 27 years after the events of the first film, Pennywise has returned and is stronger than ever leaving Mike Hanlon to reunite the Losers’ Club to defeat It once and for all.
I went to watch the film and I can confirm that all the reviews and all the trailers really don’t do it justice. The film was an amazing conclusion to the It franchise and tied up all the loose ends and answered all the questions I had, in a way that made the film easy to follow and easy to understand.
In all fairness, I went to see the film in 4D which really heightened the experience, from the scenes in the rain, to the fight scenes. The experience of watching a film in 4D is like no other and I highly recommend it to anyone. The effects and moving seats heighten the senses making it one of the most unique cinematic experiences.
First of all, the casting of the adult Losers’ was absolutely spot on. I recently found out that the child actors were asked which actors they would choose to play them in the sequel. Sophia Lillis (young Beverly Marsh) chose Jessica Chastain and Finn Wolfhard (young Richie Tozier) chose Bill Hader. Both were cast in their roles and were both perfect choices in my opinion. A special mention to Bill Hader for continuing to provide the comical element of the film.
All the adult actors looked similar to the actors who played their characters as children so it was easy to recognise who was who as adults. Seeing the characters as adults was very believable and made the plot more authentic because the casting was so realistic. It was literally like seeing the child actors play the same characters but as adults. James McAvoy in particular stood out for me, his scenes with Jaedan Martell (young Bill Denbrough) were flawless, both depicting the same emotions and problems that Bill’s character had always struggled with. Mainly his guilt surrounding brother Georgie’s death.
Secondly the plot, fairly similar to the first film in terms of the basic plot involving Pennywise killing children, the Losers’ tracking him down leading to a big showdown in which It is eventually defeated. However this time, it was the ultimate showdown, life or death and there was very much an element of it’s us or him. It definitely delivered. The final battle proved to be well worth the wait with each member of the Losers’ club facing their own demons through visions and forms of It. And we all know above anything else, as viewers, we love to see character development on screen.
Bill Skarsgård as always was brilliant as Pennywise, it was almost hard to believe there was a real man beneath all the make up. He seemed to slip effortlessly into character and is a role I think he’ll always be known for. His acting ability whilst portraying the creepy clown was demonstrated amazingly with the way he went from laughing, to fake crying and it was very unsettling as is the general character of Pennywise. I don’t think they could have ever cast a better actor for this role.
It was also nice to see the return of the child actors who played the Losers’ Club when they were younger. Seeing the likes of Sophia Lillis and Jeremy Ray Taylor (young Ben Hanscom) reprise their roles was a great way to remind yourself of the small subplots that existed within the first film such as the love triangle between Bill, Beverly and Ben and Eddie’s hypochondria.
One underlying theme of the sequel was the mystery surrounding fellow Losers’ Club member, Stanley Uris’ suicide. We see early on that Stan commits suicide out of fear of facing It again but his presence within the group is still very much alive. We see him in flashbacks, he is mentioned often throughout the film and it was Stan who delivered the epilogue of the film through suicide notes he had left to each of his friends. With Stan’s voice over, we see what happened to each of the Losers’ after their final battle with Pennywise and the answers to questions that arise within the film. I thought this was a very touching gesture and a beautiful conclusion to the film.
Despite it’s dark and creepy themes, It: Chapter Two is above all else, I think a film about friendship. When you read between the lines of the terrifying clown and the murders, you see a group of friends who are united by a childhood promise and who support each other through the very darkest time of their lives. It’s a film that even if you’re not a horror fan, you can appreciate.
Another great offering from Stephen King and another classic horror film that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Lau.Will 