First It Chapter Two Reactions Praise Script, Mix Of Horror And Humour
If you’ve been patiently waiting for the return of Pennywise, rest assured the wait is almost over. The highly-anticipated horror sequel It Chapter Two is on its way here,
While the movie doesn’t open until next month, a deluge of critics descended upon a screening of the film and took to social media with their thoughts on the movie ahead of its official debut. And while there were some rumblings of pacing issues and problems with length, overall it appears viewers found it a fitting sequel to the terrifying original movie that brought Pennywise back into our nightmares and reminded us how terrifying a red balloon could truly be.
Slashfilm’s Peter Sciretta believes the movie is “probably scarier” than the first chapter since there’s more Pennywise, but felt it was quite long.
#ITChapterTwo is probably scarier than chapter one – more Pennywise imagery to haunt your dreams. But it also loses a lot of charm in the shift in focus from the coming of age to the now adult characters. At nearly 3 hours it feels long.
— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) August 21, 2019
Collider’s Haleigh Foutch called the flick a “fine piece of heartfelt horror.”
#ITChapterTwo is big and ambitious and can’t *quite* handle the weight of its aspirations, but it’s still a fine piece of heartfelt horror. The parts that work, work REALLY well and Bill Hader is every-bit the scene-stealing standout we all hoped he’d be.
— Haleigh Foutch (@HaleighFoutch) August 21, 2019
Fandango’s Erik Davis called it a “terrific companion” to It Chapter One, saying he “definitely teared up at the very end.”
#ITChapterTwo is a terrific companion to #ITChapterOne. Similar vibes, great ensemble chemistry w/ a nice mix of humor and horror. Part 2 plays heavier in tone, dealing w/ defeating the burden of childhood trauma, & I definitely teared up at the very end. Bill Hader steals it pic.twitter.com/bjiwtJufNQ
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) August 21, 2019
Uproxx’s Mike Ryan called the new adult cast “stellar,” but said the second half of the movie wasn’t as tight.
#ITChapterTwo is a terrific companion to #ITChapterOne. Similar vibes, great ensemble chemistry w/ a nice mix of humor and horror. Part 2 plays heavier in tone, dealing w/ defeating the burden of childhood trauma, & I definitely teared up at the very end. Bill Hader steals it pic.twitter.com/bjiwtJufNQ
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) August 21, 2019
Culturess’ Kristen Lopez wasn’t as enthusiastic, saying it had an “incredibly weak script.”
#ITChapterTwo lacks the spark of the original with an incredibly weak script. A good cast is wasted on CGI and wonky de-aging. Hader and Ransone are MVP. Full review coming to @CulturessFS soon.
— Kristen Lopez @ #D23Expo (@Journeys_Film) August 21, 2019
Daily Dead News’ Heather Wixson called it “pretty damn great” with some “excellent set pieces.”
So #ITChapterTwo was pretty damn great & the ending left me in tears. There are some excellent set pieces (finale had me holding my breath at times) that got under my skin & I think the adult Losers are awesome. Relies a bit too much on flashbacks tho but fans should be happy.🎈 pic.twitter.com/UKDf0frOTg
— Heather Wixson (@thehorrorchick) August 21, 2019
Film critic William Bibbiani wasn’t impressed, calling it “contrived” and noting it relied heavily on flashbacks.
#ItChapterTwo has some excellent set pieces and a few great performances, but it’s also got big problems. It’s very contrived, the jokes get in the way of the scares and it relies too heavily on flashbacks about the kid Losers instead of developing the adult versions. pic.twitter.com/SwixiPU2De
— William Bibbiani (@WilliamBibbiani) August 21, 2019
While many screening attendees tended to agree that Bill Hader should be recognized for his outstanding role in the movie and its mixture of horror and humour should be praised, others felt frustrated with its length and script. There’s a pretty homogeneous mixture of reactions here to wade through, but the only way you’re going to know whether you enjoy it or not is if you go see it all for yourself.
You can catch It Chapter Two when it debuts on September 6.
