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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated It: Chapter Two (2019) in Movies

Sep 7, 2019  
It: Chapter Two (2019)
It: Chapter Two (2019)
2019 | Horror, Thriller
7
7.5 (55 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
Hader steals the film
The "secret sauce" of the first chapter of IT (based on the horror novel by Stephen King) was NOT the gore or scares that were thrown at the audience, it was the characters and the performances that made that first film work. The young members of the "Loser's Club" - and especially the young actors populating these characters - created people that you wanted to root and cheer for throughout their ordeal with Pennywise the Clown and the bullies of Derry.

So...it should have been a "no-brainer" for Director Andy Muschietti and the filmmakers to repeat that pattern - it worked very, very well. But, somewhere along the way they forgot what made the first film good and Muschietti and new screenwriter Gary Dauberman decided to focus on the horror, gore and frights and let their talented group of adult actors inhabit the characters with little (maybe no) help from the screenplay.

And...the result is a "fine" film that wraps up the first film just "fine", but ultimately falls short of that first film and definitely falls short of what "could have been".

IT: CHAPTER TWO picks up 27 years later when Pennywise the Dancing Clown comes back (per his cycle) to terrorize the children of Derry once again. The Loser's Club from the first film band back together (per their pact at the end of the first film) to battle - and finally destroy - this dark threat.

The filmmakers pull a strong group of actors together to play the adult versions of the Loser's Club - headlined by Jessica Chastain (ZERO DARK THIRTY) as the adult Beverly Marsh and James McAvoy (Professor X in the recent run of X-MEN films) as the adult Bill Denborough. I find McAvoy to be (for the most part) a solid, if unspectacular, actor and he is true to from here. Solid, but unspectacular in a role that was written that way. Chastain, perhaps, is the biggest disappointment for me in this film as the young Beverly Marsh (as portrayed by Sophia Lillis) was the highlight of the first film but here this character is...bland and somewhat boring. I don't fault Chastain (an actress that I usually enjoy very, very much), I blame the screenplay which saddles these two characters with an underwritten "love triangle" with the adult Ben Hascombe (Jay Ryan - somewhat of a newcomer, who has smoldering good looks, but not much else going for him). It was rumored that Chris Pratt was circling this character (I would imagine he walked away when he saw the screenplay). That's too bad, for he might have brought some life to all 3 of these characters.

Faring better is the usually reliable Isiah Mustafa (TV's SHADOWHUNTERS) as the adult Mike Hanlon, the only one of the Loser's Club who stayed in Derry to keep a vigilant watch against Pennywise' return. He has a haunted air about him - certainly in keeping with the the past that only he remembers. And Andy Bean (SWAMP THING) has a nice couple of moments as the adult Stanley Uris.

The only truly interesting dynamic of the returning Loser's Club is the characters and love/hate relationship between the older Eddie Kaspbrak, the hypochondriac (played by James Ransome, TV's THE WIRE) and smart-mouth Richie Tolzier (inhabited by SNL vet Bill Hader). While Ransome's Eddie is quite a bit more interesting than he was as a youth (and that's no slight on Jack Dylan Grazer who played the younger Eddie, I just found Ransome's portrayal more nuanced and somewhat more interesting). But it is Hader who steals this film. His Richie is constantly using humor to cover his emotions building on the interesting characterization that Finn Wolfhard brought to the younger version and giving us more. Hader is a master comedian, so handles the comedy parts as deftly as you would think he would, but it is when the other emotions - fear, rage, love - come barreling out of him that Hader elevates this character (and the movie) to a higher level. I would be thrilled if Hader was nominated for an Oscar for this role - he is that good.

Also coming back are all of the "kids" from the first film to flesh out some scenes - and set up some other scenes/moments by the adults - they are a welcome addition and shine a spotlight at how weak - and underwritten - most of the adult characters are in this film.

Bill Skarsgard is seen quite a bit more as Pennywise - and that makes him less menacing and threatening (but still scary) and there are 2 fun cameos along the way by 2 prominent individuals, so that was fun.

There is a running gag throughout the film about author Bill Denborough (the surrogate for Stephen King) not being able to write a decent ending - a critique that King receives constantly - and they changed the ending of this film from the book. I am a big fan of the book, but would agree that the ending of the book was not that good, so was open to this trying a different way to end things...and...this new ending lands about as well as the original ending (oh well...).

But that's just a quibble, for by that time you've ridden with these characters for over 5 hours and while the first chapter is stronger than the first, the journey is good (enough) for an enjoyable (enough) time at the Cineplex.

Come for the Loser's Club and the scares - stay for Hader's Oscar worthy performance.

Letter Grade: B+

7 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
  
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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Cars 3 (2017) in Movies

Sep 25, 2019  
Cars 3 (2017)
Cars 3 (2017)
2017 | Animation, Comedy, Family
7
7.2 (43 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
There was me thinking that seeing Cars 3 on a Friday morning when most of the schools are still in sessions would be a nice and peaceful affair... *insert annoyed face here* Sadly, this was not the case and I was the only person in the screen without a child. There were probably only about twenty of us there... but still, when are they going to do adult only screenings of things?! Anyway, enough of that.

Lightning McQueen and his fellow racers have been enjoying the road together for a long time. So when the newcomers start to make waves it means there are hard decisions ahead. McQueen isn't ready to take his last pit stop though and so he has to train harder, and smarter, if he's going to beat his new high-tech competition.

With the help of Cruz Ramirez, he could be about to start the next phase of his career. But is it enough to beat Jackson Storm?..

Pixar have made another winner with this one. I'm not even sure how they manage to make me cry at animated cars... damn you Pixar, I never have enough tissues.

Cars is the least successful of the Pixar franchises. Don't shoot the messenger, I checked on box office sales. (It's not the worst performing film if that's any consolation, but it was fairly close.) But even Pixar's worst is still pretty amazing. Their films are all round fun, they have the ups and downs of any adult films, PLUS you always get an amazing short to go with it. Here's a quick trailer for Lou.