Reed Alexander's Horror Review of 'It' Chapters 1 & 2 (2017 & (2019)

Man, this movie was such a fucking cock tease. We all just wanted to get to the ending and really see the big creature reveal. The original went all in and it was pretty good for the 90's. We wanted that again and I have to say, it did deliver. BUT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, a whole lot of nothing happens before we get to the meat and tatoes.

I was thinking about doing a separate review of Chapter 1 (2017), but I'm glad I didn't. I had the exact same complaints about the first chapter as the second chapter and my reviews would seem redundant. There is too much movie. Pert near three hours, and not enough material to fill them all. Chapters 1 and 2 would have been better served if they were standard length. There's just so much fucking padding when it's really just about getting to the big reveal at the end. I know they wanted to make a big fucking production of it all, but there just wasn't enough good material to justify it.

Now, I'm not telling you it's not worth it. Both movies are totally worth it. I'm absolutely glad I watch them and I think you should too. For what they got wrong, they got a lot of shit right. And it should be noted, that even me, with severe ADHD, was able to sit through both movies without much issue. Both did get a little boring at one point, but I soldiered through and I have to say it was worth it. Both movies were worth it.

Now, I bet you're wondering which I think was better, the original or the remake. What I can tell you is that both were good for different reasons in their own way. Now I'm not going to cop out, the original was better, for one reason and one reason only, the feel of the movie. There was something about the original that connected with me deeply and personally that the remake just didn't. Maybe it's nostalgia, but I think that's too simple an explanation. The original just connected better with the trials of childhood and the relationships made therein. It was more like Stephen King's other classic, Stand By Me (1986), a coming of age story. So yeah, the original is better for a very specific and important reason.

But this one did get everything else right besides the pacing and childhood trauma.

The acting was superb. Award-winning, really. Even the child actors for Chapter 1 were fantastic. But more importantly, the adult actors emulated the child actors perfectly. They were supposed to be the kids all grown up, and they were.

And holy crap, the atmosphere. When it was old and dusty, you could smell it. When it was dark and grimy, you could feel it. The lighting, the sound, the sets, it was all so good and drippy.

Now, we know the story is alright. We knew that from the original. So there's not much to discuss there other than the differences. Which brings us to the spoilers...

SPOILERS!!!

Why the fuck did they make Richie, 'Trash Mouth' gay if they weren't going to do a fucking thing with it? There was a lot of meat on that bone too. There was so much they could have worked out with it. Maybe a little more of an unrequited romance with Eddie? That would have made Eddie's death so much more powerful.

Why the fuck did everyone complain about the ending. How the fuck do you think you'd kill something that feeds on fear? By not being afraid of it, by showing it you're not afraid. Without fear it has no power over you and therefore can't hurt you. That's literally the whole fucking mythos. Of course they killed it by making fun of it. How else do you make a fear seem small and insignificant?

I have to say, the addition of indigenous mythos felt hamfisted. I wonder if they even tried to base it off actual Native mythology. I mean, did they even consult with any Natives about it? It felt super made up. It also felt like a dumb excuse for more padding. Part of the ritual is that they all had to split up, which was just a dumb excuse to have separate scenes for each actor, rather than doing it all at once. It added minutes to a movie that was already running well over time.

That being said, this movie was pretty fucking awesome and I recommend it.