Despite a phenomenal cast and a brutal opening, the second chapter is a disappointing bloated regurgitation of bad jump scares and wretched computer monstrosities. What good is great: the production values, sets and acting is all top-shelf, with a shout-out to the inspired casting director choosing adult and child counterparts. What’s bad is most else, despite a shiny luster and great camerawork. There are utterly frustrating moments where the filmmakers do a phenomenal job at building a sense of unease and tension, and then squander it in the most egregious fashion possible. An example: after setting slow building disquiet and creepiness then a bug-eyed computer generated grotesque comes running in to accompaniment of obnoxious sound cues and gibbering “BOOs!”. Another scene’s similar tension was shattered by the sudden inclusion of a country pop ballad amongst gut-churning visuals, the resultant effect coming off more comedically horrible than horrific. The studio spent a ludicrous amount of money to render creatures that look little better than garish cartoons and abandons any of the patience that made the first film’s scares far more effective. Only one sequence really delivers, a result of otherwise absent restraint, great direction and an unnerving performance by Bill Skarsgård. The script is all over the place, with far more comedy than expected that is often tonally disjointed and distracting. Despite an excessive running time it is inevitable that characters get shafted story-wise, sub-plots are abandoned, and background tidbits are thrown out randomly without follow-through. The writers attempt to expand upon the mythology and for the most part adhere closely to the novel, also makes a pretense of being profound and clever when it is glaringly anything but. Sappy lessons about the magic power of friendship and a ham-fisted arguably tone-deaf coda feel unearned and make me far more nostalgic about bad stop-motion spiders. Spoiler warning: They do lampshade quite often the ending’s going to disappoint.
IT: Chapter Two