After the massive success of the first film, IT: Chapter 2 continues in the same terrifying spirit with plenty of heart, emotion and humor all dragged a bit down by pacing and a questionable final showdown.
PROS
From start to finish, the one aspect audiences will remember is the incredible performance of the younger and older casts. It’s their charm and chemistry that adds plenty of heart to the film, especially the younger cast. There’s a stronger presence of emotion and tension that comes with being a kid that has to deal with the never-ending terror of Pennywise, who like the younger cast, stole the show. The film also dives deeper into the cosmic mythology of Pennywise, but in a more condensed manner compared to the book; This version fits well within the collective confines of the films.
CONS
But coming in at 2 hours and 49 minutes brings about several pacing issues, in the second act in particular. There are key points that must be touched on for each individual character and at times those scenes while sometimes genuinely scary lost the full effect it was trying to achieve. Audiences may instead just be waiting for those scenes to pass by so we can reach the third act. The final act was enjoyable, to say the least. The way it all ends felt a bit forced and comparatively basic to the cosmic concept. It would’ve been much more satisfying to see a more complex and clever approach to the ending even if said ending was a sensible approach. And like other horror icons, Pennywise also suffers from becoming too visible to the audience making him lose his full effect by the end.
IT: Chapter 2 is a decent successor to the first. It may suffer from its monstrous runtime and a simplified finale, but it’s the cast’s performances and chemistry that helps the film earn its satisfying conclusion.
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