THERE is more to It: Chapter 2 than a group of friends, now all grown up, having to reunite back in their small hometown of Derry to do battle once again against an evil entity.
There are many subtle layers to it and chief among them is how one must be able to let go of the shackles of the past in order to be able to move forward.
The incidences in this sequel to IT (2017) take place 27 years after the members of The Losers Club first fought the evil clown Pennywise.
Some aspects of the story may seem a bit lame but you need to look closer to realise why some characters choose to do what they do.
The movie begins with the ending from the first movie where Beverly (Sophia Lillis) tells the rest of The Losers Club – Bill, Ben, Richie, Stanley, Mike and Eddie (Jaeden Martell, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs and Jack Dylan Grazer respectively, reprising their roles) – that she had a vision they will come together again in 27 years to battle killer clown Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard) once more.
The seven then make a blood oath to destroy Pennywise once and for all. But as we find out early in this movie, they all left Derry except for Mike who remained to find ways to kill Pennywise forever.
When evil strikes again 27 years later, Mike (Isaiah Mustafa) contacts all his old friends, who barely remember him or what took place in Derry for some reason.
However, they all return except for Stanley (Andy Bean who really looks like a grown-up version of child actor Oleff) who kills himself after receiving Mike’s call.
How these friends come together to take that last stand against this evil entity makes up the rest of the movie. But at almost three hours long, you wish they have done it faster.
Bill (James McAvoy), who is supposed to be the heart of the story, is sometimes relegated to the side while the love triangle between Bill, Beverly (Jessica Chastain) and Ben (Jay Ryan) hampers the flow of the overall story.
The best parts come courtesy of Eddie (James Ransome) and Richie (Bill Hader) who bicker constantly and deliver the movie’s most memorable moments.
All in, this sequel has enough scares for horror movie fans and enough drama to keep us riveted. There is even a cameo by author Stephen King, on whose book the film is based.
