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2019 "It Chapter Two" Closes The Book

30th, On A Clownish Horror Story

October

| By Brad Balfour and scents along with the Starring Jessica Chastain, “Maleficent: Mistress of
ince Summer’s season standard video and audio.” James McAvoy, Bill Hader,
EXAMINER SFall's anticipated almost stimulating even James Ransone, and Andy Evil” Proves That She’s Very
of horror has ended,
Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan,
Well, it did just that,
surprises
should
more terror thanks to a feel-
Much More Than Just That
Bean as the adult versions of
shock
the Losers' Club, it’s fun to
have been around the cor-
ing of nearly falling out of my
IRISH ner all the way into seat every few minutes. Both see how they all compared to
Halloween.
Yet,
“It
“Its” are directed by Andy
their childhood counterparts
Muschietti, written by Gary
— played by Jaeden Martell,
Chapter Two” won so
many fans this September, Dauberman and are based on Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard,
that it outsold other hor- Stephen King’s 1986 novel. Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray
ror movies and is still stir- Split into two sections 27 Taylor, Jack Dylan Grazer,
ring fans of the Losers years apart from each other, and Wyatt Oleff reprise their
Club, the kids featured as the second is set in 2016, roles as the younger Losers.
the survivors in the first when evil Pennywise the Once “It Chapter Two”
“It.” Now they aren't kids Dancing Clown (again bril- runs through its plethora of
anymore, and “It Chapter liantly rendered by actor Bill terrifying scenes, audiences
Two” delivers memorable Skarsgård) returns to terror- start to get a sense of where
scares as a terrific compan- ize Derry, Maine. Now Pennywise came from and
ion to the previous film. adults, the childhood friends what it really is. Then the
While “It Chapter Two” who made up the Losers' film shifts into being more of
offered enough moments of Club — which defeated him science fiction thriller.
fright and shock to serve up those many years ago are Though the movie offers an
the scares, there was more to forced back together. Gone internal logic to Pennywise
my experience of the film. their separate ways, they are torturous antics, it offers By Brad Balfour
Enhanced by the roller coast- still trying to recover from more answers than necessary. Given that “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” is a sequel and
er ride of the Regal’s 42nd their first encounter. But But much like its prede- inspired by Disney's classic animated film, this Maleficent does-
Street E-Walk Cinema’s 4DX when people start disappear- cessor, “It Chapter Two” n’t appear as much of an evil sorceress as the title suggests, and
screening room, seeing this ing, Mike Hanlon calls the garnered praise for the act- with Angelina Jolie playing the lady mage, she looks pretty good
movie provided a perfect others back home to make ing (particularly Hader, even when showing a hint of fang and an occasional scowl. This
opportunity to try out a new one final stand because he Skarsgård and Chastain) recently released, digitally enhanced feature is less about being
style of motion picture-view- believes he’s found a way to and faithfulness to King’s bad and more about being conflicted. She loves her adopted
ing. Using a technology fully defeat this seemingly tome. Though more pre- daughter Aurora but distrusts humanity in general and the King
owned and developed by a supernatural monster who dictable shocks — at least and Queen of the neighboring kingdom of Ulstead even more.
South Korea’s the CJ Group, feeds on human fears. compared to its predecessor While Elle Fanning provides the dose of innocence needed
4DX, as their literature Though damaged by their — may have diminished the for Aurora to connect, she also looks a little too much like a
describes it, “allows a motion past, the united Losers must sequel a bit, it nonetheless tween to be consistently convincing that she’s ready for mar-
picture presentation to be conquer their fears to destroy make for perfectly horrific riage and children. Nonetheless, her relationship with Prince
augmented with environ- the shape-shifting Pennywise fare — whether viewed in Phillip (with Harris Dickinson replacing Brenton Thwaites from
mental effects such as seat -- more powerful than ever — that special screening space the first film) endears while some of his other actions seem less
motion, wind, rain, lights, once and for all. or not. C than sensible.
But the best part of this sequel is Michelle Pfeiffer's skill at
being the nasty, deceptive Queen Ingrith. Pfeiffer does evil well
and turns the tables on everyone with just the right amount of
self-justifying nastiness to make her expected comeuppance sat-
isfying.
Embracing by a complex mythology and backstory — some-
thing of a departure from “Sleeping Beauty,” the original classic
Disney cartoon that inspired this live-action series — this
Maleficent is far more like a living being — emotional and con-
flicted. Jolie adds depth and even a dose of camp; Fanning’s inno-
cence and light.
As a sequel to the 2014’s “Maleficent,” this film comes out of
Disney’s universe, so it can only go so far. But it offers some rich
alternate world building and greater detail to the characters who
were first set into motion in the first film. With a solid cast con-
sisting of Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley
Manville returning to their previous roles; and Chiwetel Ejiofor,
Ed Skrein and Pfeiffer join the cast as new characters, the film
comes alive.
Though it received mixed reviews, with some criticism lev-
eled at a "muddled plot and overly artificial visuals,” the per-
formances made the film far more convincing than expected.
And between the detailed costumes and production design, the
films’s a wonder to view and one to provide some great cos-
tumes ideas for Halloween .C