Directed by Andy Muschietti
Release date: September 6, 2019 Rating: R
Runtime: 2 hours 50 minutes
Good Monster Grade: A-
We all float in this amazing sequel to the 2017 hit, IT: Chapter 1. This Movie is a love letter to the fans of the novel by Stephen King, IT. For your buddy the Good Monster, it was fun being in the presence of “the Losers Club” once again. The cast in this movie is phe- nomenal, but the standout performance was definitely Bill Hader as Richie Tozier. The Saturday Night Live alumni steals every scene he is in. As the Losers Club are summoned back to their hometown, Derry, Maine, I reveled in the comradery and love between the childhood friends.
Then there is that f****r Pennywise. I love Pennywise. I hate Pennywise. Once again played uniquely by Bill Skarsgard. The child-like Pennywise is VICIOUS is this film. This movie was a lot more BRUTAL than I thought it would be. The special effects used were impressive. The undead children are pure nightmare fuel. There is a scare in this movie for any horror buff. The pop- out scares are there, the psychological terror is present, and the subtle chill of evil is ever-lurking. I felt like I was indulging in a smorgasbord of scary.
There are some things that do not work, though very few. Let me make this clear, your pal he Good Monster is HAPPY a good adaptation of this story has been made. I am not complaining! GRRRrrrrrrrrrrrr….. Having said that. The voice-overs were weird. Whenever the child versions of the Losers Club were on screen, I could not help but to notice their voices were not syncing with their lips. It was distracting. It was almost as if they had recorded their lines years ago and synced it up with their performances. The kids have changed a little, but that is to be expect- ed. After all, that is what kids do. Some jokes did not land for me. It appeared that they took a couple of risks (which I appreciate in itself), but the risks did not pay off in the end. Some parts are just odd, which I think the director meant to be unsettling? I think?
For fans of “IT” and Stephen King, this is a must-see. The story does divert a little from the book, but there are so many great references. They showed some of my favorite parts of the book. I very much appreciate the consideration and care they took to translate these parts from paper to Cineplex.
Your old fiend the Good Monster says go see this s**t! This movie is a fantastic way to begin the freaky fall ahead! You can expect future reviews for the highly-anticipated Joker (coming out October 4) and Dr. Sleep, the sequel to The Shining (coming out November 8). Until then, close your closets, check under your beds, and be afraid of the dark my friends…
This review contains explicit language and personal opinions. Reader discre- tion is advised.
