In The Mind Of: Pennywise The Dancing Clown/IT (SPOILERS)

Time to Float...

For every 27 years, something comes to Derry. Something strange, something dark, something...evil. It can't be explained, and there's no way to prove what it truly looks like. It doesn't even have a real name, simply being known as IT. This creature can take many forms, but its preferred host is that of a clown known simply as Pennywise. Under this guise, IT begins to actively seek out children (its favorite food source) to frighten and feed upon, which says a lot about its character. First, that it is a sentient being who revels in causing as much pain and suffering as it can, and secondly, that it ironically is a ginormous coward that can only function when its victims are afraid. If they fight back, IT can be destroyed, which almost is the case when a young group of children known as the Losers' Club decide to fight back. Narrowly escaping death, IT goes back into hibernation and decides to seek revenge on the Losers once it awakens, leaving several bodies in its wake (including that of fellow Loser Eddie Kaspbrak) before the combined might of the Losers in their adult prime come together to destroy IT for good. 

Pennywise/IT is for me one of, if the most, evil characters to ever grace the realm of fiction. It is as nightmarish as it is jovial, hilarious as it is sadistic. There is no shortage of horrors it can conjure up, and yet you'll find yourself laughing your head off at certain times because it is, at the end of the day, a clown after all. 

IT: Chapter Two (SPOILERS)

For 27 years, I've dreamnt of you, I've craved you, I've missed you...

Every 27 years, IT comes to feed on the (preferably young) souls of Derry. In 2017, we saw the beginning of that take place. Now, two years later, that story has reached its conclusion. IT is one of, if not the all-time greatest, Stephen King story ever written, and its cinematic adaptation has done a mostly solid job of bringing that story to the silver screen. With that being said, reviews for the second outing have not been as strong as that of the first, so where do I stand? Well, I freaking loved it, and I personally found myself enjoying this one more than the first and think it's the best movie of the year so far. Here's why:

UPS

1. The Losers Club. It had to have been extremely challenging for the filmmakers to cast actors who could capture the essence of the perfectly depicted younger versions of these characters. The challenge proved to be a success, as these actors embody what it'd be like to see these characters grow up. Honestly, it's hard to pick standouts because they're all so perfect. Of course, if we're going to talk about the Losers, we naturally have to move onto...
2. Bill Skarsgaard's Pennywise. While not saying he wasn't terrific in Chapter One, there were issues I had with how they amped up the creepier aspects of the character and not have that balanced by the more cheerful and jovial side that would come with being, well, a clown. That all changed here, where we really see Skaarsgaard truly come into his own and express a wide range for the character. He's cracking more jokes, playing more innocent to those who aren't so easily fooled, and even sings a freaking song for crying out loud...all while reminding us that he is at the end of the day a ravenous monster with little to no semblance of humanity within his dark soul. Pennywise has become a staple icon in the horror genre, and although he may not match the icon status that Tim Curry has, Skaarsgaard's performance here comes very close. 
3. That glorious cameo from Stephen King himself. Nuff said.
4. There were some pretty awesome references to other horror movies throughout the movie. In particular, there is one striking reference to John Carpenter's The Thing that will surely leave fans smiling when they see it. 
5. The ending. While the final battle wasn't the best it could have been (which I'll get to in a bit,) it was still immensely satisfying to see Pennywise finally destroyed for good, emotional with Eddie's final moments, Stan's letter, and the truth about Richie's feelings for Eddie, and finally heartwarming in that everything finally seemed to work out in the end. Bill's a better writer, Mike leaves Derry, Ben and Beverly are together, and although he loses Eddie, Richie is at least comfortable with being himself and acknowledging the feelings he harbored for Eddie. Also, it seems that the Losers have kept in touch and are likely to remain friends for the rest of their lives. Overall, the ending brings everything full circle in an absolutely perfect way and is probably why I find myself liking this one more than Chapter One.

DOWNS

1. Henry Bowers! Going in, I was curious to know exactly what was gonna happen with the Losers' childhood nemesis, especially since Chapter One showed him falling to his apparent death. Let's just say that he really should've stayed dead. At the end of the day, Bowers' role was so small and minuscule that it proved an annoying distraction that could easily be cut and nothing would change.
2. It does feel too long at times. Of course, while I do find the time was allotted really well for the most part, I think it could've easily been trimmed down quite a bit. As much as I love them, I don't think we needed so many flashback scenes with the younger Losers and wouldn't be missing much if they were cut.
3. The final battle is a tad underwhelming. Yes, I loved Pennywise finally being defeated, and there were several great moments featured like Bill overcoming his guilt over Georgie's death and Ben finally professing his love to Beverly, but I guess my disappointment lies within the fact that we never got to actually see a real final showdown. It really only amounts to the Losers running around trying to hide from Pennywise, who doesn't even turn into a fully fledged spider here, something I was really looking forward to seeing. 

OVERALL

I loved IT: Chapter Two. Like I said, the sense of finality along with a more fleshed out Pennywise and a great adult cast really elevated this one for me, so I can't see any reason to bash it.

 And that's it for this post, guys! Tune in for more on the way and till then, take care :)