When ‘It: Chapter One’ was released to the public, the reviews were stuck between liking it, but wishing it were scarier. The movie held more comic relief than horror; something the gore couldn’t make up for. With 14-year-olds defeating a demonic clown, there’s bound to be comedy in there somewhere. But now they’re all grown up and Derry is calling them back. Will the return of the Losers bring excitement to more than just Pennywise?
‘It: Chapter Two’ is the second (and last) installment of the ‘It’ series. The first movie introduced us to the “Losers” and their nightmares haunting them in the daylight. Now, 27 years later, they’ve started careers and have gotten married but their memories of that traumatic experience have vanished. Mike, played by Isaiah Mustafa, never left Derry and has kept a tab on every death and missing persons report since. Upon the pact they made in 1988, he calls all six of his old friends to bring them to Derry because “It is back”. Just as in the first movie, they must face their own demons before facing Derry’s demon. This time, with more gore.
The number one factor the audience walks into the theater for is horror. People like to be caught by surprise, jumping in their seat, and on edge. Among many, there was one specific moment where Henry Bowers found a red balloon stuck under a bed. He kept pulling on it to try to loosen it. The audience knew it was gonna pop and they anticipated a creature popping out, but it was a matter of when. The silent moment of chair gripping anticipation is what had more of an effect on the audience than the actual jumping moment. Among the chair gripping moments, there are various jaw-droppers. While the six of them sat at dinner, the fortune cookies hatched these indescribable creatures that left the audience thinking, “WTF?”. While these scenes were unbelievable, they were equally as funny. However, the transition between the different energies was timed in a way that didn’t seem forced. In fact, all of the transitions were skillfully done. There were times during the film that the scenes and time periods transitioned so smoothly, you would find yourself lost if you missed it.
This time around, serious situations are brought onto the characters that do call for comic relief. They may be older, but the banter hasn’t aged. Richie and Eddie’s “Your Mom” jokes combined with the rest of the group catching up with each other brought the audience to the forefront as if you are one of them. This is what really tied the movie together. You grow up with them, laugh with them, and reunite with them. This story is supposed to be more than just ‘scary’. It’s a coming of age story, which we all know can be funny, scary, and just weird. A general rule for all movies: watch it with an open mind.
‘It: Chapter Two’ comes to theaters Friday, September 16th, 2019.