By: Ali Paglia, Staff Writer
IT Chapter 2 The Movie.
Spoiler Alert... Pennywise is BACK and I'm not clowning around about that!
The movie based on Steven Kings novel IT2 hit the theaters a couple of weeks ago, to mixed reviews at best.
So, here's my take on the film...
It's possible that because I'm not a great fan of the horror genre and/or possibly because I had not seen the first film... I had no preconceived ideas about story, plot or characters. Whatever the reason... I'll get to that later...I really did enjoy the film. So, was it the story, the plot or the characters that grabbed me? Well yes, all the above. It's a great story with a well-structured plot that takes you on a roller coaster ride having well defined characters, executed by great actors. But that's not what I loved about this film.
What I really loved, was the message, which made going to see this film worth the price of admission! So, here comes a brief story outline of the film. A group of thirty something adults, known to us in the film as the losers club, return to their childhood hometown once again to battle that shape shifting monster, Pennywise who raged war against them 27 years before. We learn more about Pennywise...his origin along with his strengths and weaknesses. Likewise, we learn and observe as the members of the losers club, one by one face and conquer their deepest fears giving them the strength to team up and face the monster. The message is as obvious as the red nose on Pennywise’s face.
The film’s director, Andy Muschietti put it this way to Vanity Fair..." We live in a world where there's a culture of fear, where some leaders have a strong pull on people, which is exactly what Pennywise does. You can take it as an analogy. If you are separated, you are more vulnerable, you are weaker and easier to conquer. Your easier to be made submissive and scared. That's exactly what Pennywise does, and that's what's going on. That's what's happening in the world right now." That just may be the horror in this horror film... the world that we live in today! At least that's how this critic sees it.