IT Chapter 2: Hader Steals the Show
IT Chapter 2 takes place 27 years later after 2017's IT and Pennywise is back to torment the town of Derry. The members of the Losers' Club are brought back as adults when Mike Hanlon tracks them down and calls them to action to end IT once and for all. The film excels on giving each Loser their own distinct intro back into the universe of IT. Audiences get to see each Loser in their adult life setting before being called back to Derry. Each character is vibrant and feels as if they have been living the life of their persona for the last 27 years.
The film starts off on a harsh note with a brutal homophobic attack that ends in a thousand red balloons floating signaling the return of IT. This scene is a very hard watch and signals that the director and film are not holding back in this sequel, no one is safe. The film is more gruesome than the first and continues on this theme for its entire 3 hour run.
The overall theme of the movie is confronting your fears and letting go. Pennywise feeds on this and the years of trauma from the Losers allows him to be a bigger threat. Pennywise is more involved and integrated into the film. Throughout the 3 hours, nightmare scenarios for each character are constantly explored highlighting the years of the trauma they haven't let go. The plot heavily relies on the nightmare sequences to move the story along and show the stunted growth of each Loser who have allowed these traumas to carry over into their adulthood. Many of these scenes lagged and felt unnecessary and dragged out. There is also an unnecessary subplot of the old bully that doesn't fit in the story.
The chemistry of the group is lacking. The film constantly sends them on individual quests or in small groups which leads to uninteresting scenes that could have been cut down. James McAvoy failed to step as the gang's leader and was a disappointment. Jessica Chastain's performance is watchable but her single tear shots are overplayed and the weird love triangle between her, Ben and Bill felt awkward and sudden. The film also takes the least amount of time to develop Mike's character and leaves him as an accessory. The highlight of the film is Bill Hader's performance as Richie. Hader added comedic relief and was able to bring a vulnerable side to the character at the same time. He was the only one to successfully transfer over the persona of his child counterpart into adulthood. He brought the heart to the film and made it enjoyable.
Overall, IT Chapter 2 provides a great transition from the Summer Bust Box Office into Award Season. It provided entertainment as a movie is supposed to but was more of a comedy than a horror movie. The hype of the film didn't live up to the final product. Entertaining but as forgettable as the Losers forgetting their Derry childhood.