It - Chapter Two

Available digitally today!

- - -

When it was first announced that director Andy Muschietti was planning to split Stephen King's classic novel, "It," into two films, it was easy to cynically see the move as a simple cash grab. However, it was a wise move, allowing the material to breathe without feeling rushed.

Upon release, the first film terrorized audience with three simple words: "You'll float too." The second part, "It: Chapter Two," should have been a slam dunk, riding the wave of fan anticipation, but gets so bogged down in the middle that it has trouble staying afloat.

Things are set in motion 27 years after the first film's events when a young gay couple gets attacked at the local carnival, leading to a string of murders and disappearances. Fearing the worst, Mike Hanlon summons the rest of The Losers Club back to Maine. Except for Mike, who has stayed in Derry, the others have forgotten about their time fighting against Pennywise the clown. Upon their arrival, memories begin to flood back.

Writer Gary Dauberman, who wrote the first film as well as "The Nun" and the "Annabelle" films, has included some nice set pieces, including a new interpretation of the Chinese restaurant that serves as the locale for the big reunion in both the book and the original mini-series, and a new scene, used incessantly throughout the marketing campaign, where Bill is in a funhouse frantically trying to save a young child from the monstrous clown. These are two of the most successful scenes, as they don't rely on cheap scares.

However, "Chapter Two" does suffer from diminishing results with Pennywise. His early scenes don't have the same effect Georgie's death had in the opening of the first film, now that we know what's going to happen to his victims. Wisely, he is used sparingly through most of the film; however, the filmmakers instead rely too often on schlocky CGI monsters that are more likely to elicit laughter than fear.

With a running time of almost three hours, "It: Chapter Two" has to be one of the longest horror movies ever released. Starting out strong, the film begins to slow down during the second act as the characters split up to go on their individual quests. Throughout both films, the characters talk about how they are stronger together, and it's never more evident than during the 40 minutes that it takes for the six Losers to accomplish their missions.

For the adult versions of The Losers Club, audiences will recognize all of the actors, from well-known film stars like Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy to popular commercial actors like Isaiah Mustafa (who appeared in the Old Spice commercials) and television actors like Bill Hader and James Ransone. Having Chastain (who's reuniting with director Andy Muschietti, who directed her in 2008's "Mama") as part of the cast seems to have led to her character's prominence increasing, as she's become the second lead in the film.

Hader is positioned to break out the most from the cast. While he has dabbled in films, he's mostly known for his comedic television roles on "Saturday Night Live" and "Barry." As Richie, he's still providing the comedic relief, but also gets to flex his dramatic skills and will be taken more seriously as an actor after this film.

McAvoy, who has also worked with Chastain in the past, is the weakest link in the cast – not because he's not up to the task, but because he never really clicks with the others. In the lead role of Bill, the actor feels distant from the rest of the cast and never completely gels. The film pairs up the characters frequently throughout the film, but Bill is almost always off on his own battling his own demons rather than focusing on the group's overall goal of defeating Pennywise.

The first chapter has garnered much goodwill from audiences, but this concluding chapter will test your limits before it ramps up again the final act. There's enough at the beginning and end to provide a satisfying ending, even if it does differ from the book. Just make sure that you are prepared; other than some cheap jump scares, "It: Chapter Two" will have you sitting for a long time.