The long-awaited sequel to this great movie has arrived that has left us full of intrigues and a lot of fear, that's why I come to give my little review, with a unique scale of 10/10. We start...
One of the great successes of the new version of IT of 2017, directed by the Argentine Andy Muschietti, had been the incredible cast of children, which had the young rising star Finn Wolfhard (Richie). In the second part this is repeated: the cast, headed by the fabulous James McAvoy (Bill) and Jessica Chastain (Beverly), is one of the things that "justify" this new film version of Stephen King's huge novel. Because, we are going to tell the truth, we who grew up traumatized by the Pennywise of Tim Curry of 1990 felt some resistance with respect to the idea of reversing what is a horror classic. But in 2017 it was appreciated, because, although it was terrifying, the television miniseries of the 90s had a lot of “problems” related to the low budget with which it was filmed and the rather bad performances in general. The megaproduction, headed by New Line Cinema, not only did not disappoint, but it liked and meant “improvements” with respect to the original version.
With this background, IT 2 was quite expected by horror lovers. I remember that when I went to see the first chapter in the cinema I felt happy because the new generations were going to be able to access this jewel of horror that is IT. And exactly the same happened to me with the second one. And the joy was also for me, because seeing this second and last part on the big screen - which I remembered much more disturbing than the first - filmed with a lot of money, resources and excellent taste was gratifying.
I don't want to do any spoiler, just comment on what we all know. Twenty-seven years after the events of the first part, Pennywise returns to make his own in Derry, and Mike (Isaiah Mustafa), the only member of the "losers club" who stayed there, is in charge of calling the rest for - nothing more or nothing less than - definitely beat "that." Muschietti's film is in several things very close to the 90's version, the narrative order of the facts is almost identical, and the whole first part is the great prelude that deals with showing us the characters, now adults (impeccable the cast also in this sense, it is very likely that they are grown children), with their "successful" lives, interrupted by Mike's call. Richie (Bill Hader) is a comedian, Eddie (James Ransone) is a risk assessor, from Stanley (Andy Bean) we don't know much (he's putting together a puzzle when he receives the call), Ben (Jay Ryan) is a thin and rich architect, Beverly is married to a violent man and Bill is a writer / screenwriter who can't write "good endings." That winking goal is very nice, as if the movie told us "this time we will finish it well." I don't know if he succeeds, the end of the film was not what I liked the most, but it is undeniable that Muschietti's IT 2 is a superior version.
Almost tracing the mythical reunion scene at the oriental restaurant, the movie is taking a toll. We see our protagonists begin to remember when they are all together. Because, for some inexplicable reason, all but Mike, who - we said - stayed in Derry, were forgetting over time the (very) traumatic events with the sinister clown. It is not enough to begin to remember better what ruined their lives when this returns in a monstrous way to torment them, in a horrifying and fun scene that shows the essence of the story: IT is what scares you. Its form is that of your worst fears, IT is "the" fear. And our protagonists, after some comings and goings, decide to go to its origin and end it in a good time.
The film imitates its own first part at this point, we see the characters - separated by a somewhat weak plot - alone, facing terrifying visions of the present or the past. The fears of childhood are not overcome, and it is not only because they were originated by a child killer alien, but because it is a time of formation and the threats are not only supernatural. The fear of getting sick, that your father hits you, that the girl you like does not give you a ball, a repressive family, discrimination based on your skin color or social origin, to be a bad older brother are fears that little and nothing have to do with the terrifying Bill Skarsgård (I mean, Tim Curry, I mean, IT). For the characters, the return to the neighborhood where they grew up does not only mean confronting the clown again, but with childhood itself that, more or less of shit, has been full of terrifying things that go from bullying to rejection or guilt. For something they had joined in the past, the losers with the losers, and what is more scary than losing? But, luckily, union is strength, and twenty-seven years later, friends come back together and succeed?
I do not know. If I remember correctly the previous one, this IT 2 has a slightly more reassuring ending than the original. The scars seem to disappear, although nothing will be as before. The final battle is not the best either, it caused me some disappointment - which I do not want to explain in order not to spoil but - which basically has to do with its dialogue with King's novel and the miniseries. At one point this is correct, the movie could not be the same, it had to be something else and it is. IT 2 is full of innumerable winks to the version of the nineties (remember the scene of the refrigerator?), Of monsters created with better technology, of endearing cameos (there is one that justifies the 169 minutes of the film, to the delirium of the fans), of scenes of the present and the past of the characters (which allow us to see our dearest children again). The film makes us hit our good scares, our good covers of eyes - it gets a little gore at times, sometimes wants to disgust and get it, the same actors advanced the scene of "Carrie with steroids" or "170000 liters of blood ”-, we get some laugh / smile and also excited. But it is a horror movie, let's not forget, that it gains in complexity with respect to the first one because this second round has characters not only traumatized by the clown (who did the same with the spectators, thanks therefore, Tim Curry) but for that failed childhood and the twenty-seven years of life that have surely had theirs. Who could go back and fight what hurt him. We have supernatural therapy or terror: it goes without saying what the funniest option is.