“IT” Just Isn’t That Good
Disappointing end to Stephen King’s epic novel
By Colin Smith
Disappointing end to Stephen King’s epic novel
By Colin Smith
Set 27 years after the first movie, “IT II” opens with a bloody murder committed by the fear-mongering clown, Pennywise. From here, the movie jumps to our main protagonists of the first movie. Portrayed adequately by an all-star cast, the movie branches off into six separate stories where each character finds their own personal “artifacts” in order to once and for all stop Pennywise. It is here that the movie drags on for far longer than it should. The 2-hour-49-minute runtime is especially insufferable as the movie lumbers to its climax. The movie makes you jump less as the premise wears thin and the constant cliches make every scare predictable. When the end credits roll, you’ll probably be more glad that it’s over than not.
Along the way, there is some humor, some scares and some warmth to be found. One thing that the first movie did well was the banter between the main characters. “IT II” tries to replicate this, but comes up short. The one outlier was a scene where the crew meets up at a Chinese restaurant and begins to wreak havoc. As the movie drags on, your only wish will be that there were more of these scenes in the otherwise unfunny and dull film. Luckily, Beverly, Bill and Ben’s complicated love-triangle carried over the first film to this one. And the writers intertwined love and action just enough to keep you invested. That being said, you might be confused at the end of the movie by the sudden change of heart with Jessica Chastain’s character.
The seizure-inducing climactic battle that flashes on screen for 30 minutes is enough of a reason to not purchase a ticket. It’s no surprise that the end of the movie is handled in such a formulated way, but it is disheartening. I have no history with epeleptic seizures, but I can see how one could be triggered during this movie. There is no reason for the final battle to be in this setting, other than to distract you from the horrible, over-the-top special effects. It is no wonder that before the movie begins they issue a seizure warning to the audience. Viewers beware.
“IT II” is exactly what you’d expect from an underwhelming sequel. It tries to capture the fun and scares of the first, but only succeeds in getting halfway there. It’s predictable, the pacing drags and the final battle is messy. To say that “IT II” concludes its on-screen adaptation in a satisfying manner is flat-out lie. My advice, don’t go see this one in theaters.
Along the way, there is some humor, some scares and some warmth to be found. One thing that the first movie did well was the banter between the main characters. “IT II” tries to replicate this, but comes up short. The one outlier was a scene where the crew meets up at a Chinese restaurant and begins to wreak havoc. As the movie drags on, your only wish will be that there were more of these scenes in the otherwise unfunny and dull film. Luckily, Beverly, Bill and Ben’s complicated love-triangle carried over the first film to this one. And the writers intertwined love and action just enough to keep you invested. That being said, you might be confused at the end of the movie by the sudden change of heart with Jessica Chastain’s character.
The seizure-inducing climactic battle that flashes on screen for 30 minutes is enough of a reason to not purchase a ticket. It’s no surprise that the end of the movie is handled in such a formulated way, but it is disheartening. I have no history with epeleptic seizures, but I can see how one could be triggered during this movie. There is no reason for the final battle to be in this setting, other than to distract you from the horrible, over-the-top special effects. It is no wonder that before the movie begins they issue a seizure warning to the audience. Viewers beware.
“IT II” is exactly what you’d expect from an underwhelming sequel. It tries to capture the fun and scares of the first, but only succeeds in getting halfway there. It’s predictable, the pacing drags and the final battle is messy. To say that “IT II” concludes its on-screen adaptation in a satisfying manner is flat-out lie. My advice, don’t go see this one in theaters.