Hi all!

Today I’m back with my film review for IT Part 2, which just hit the cinemas last month. IT by Stephen King is my favourite book of all time. I also adore the original series with Tim Curry, as well as the remake. You can check out why here and here. I saw Part 2 the day it was released and it was fantastic. I truly loved every second of it. I’m going to provide a brief review, plus a Q&A for the books and films. Read on if you’re interested!

IT Part 2: Film Review 

27 years have passed and The Loser’s Club, are all grown up. They have moved out of Derry, Maine (save for Mike Hanlon), living somewhat respectable lives, until one day, they receive a call from home. Pennywise is back. The group will need to band together again, in order to keep the promise they made as children. That oath being, if the evil clown returns, it must die. 

I will do my best not to spoil anything, however, if you felt Part 1 did not include enough content from the book, Part 2 has your back. There are loads of flashbacks to when The Loser’s Club were children, including the creation of the clubhouse and their own individual encounters with Pennywise. I was pleasantly surprised how often we ventured back to the past. The film is just shy of three hours, packing a lot into the runtime. Never fear though, the pacing is excellent. I was not bored once. In fact, I wanted more! I would’ve happily continued watching for hours. This film has some of the best casting I have ever seen. Each adult actor matches their child counterpart perfectly. They even look alike! For me, Bill Hader, who plays the adult version of Richie, stole the show. He was funny, charismatic and a giant, lovable jerk. Part 2 allows viewers to get a good look into the origin story of Pennywise and how ‘it’ came to be. Its true form is revealed, along with what it takes to ultimately destroy it. 

There is so much action from start to finish, along with many a jump-scare. Not to mention the crazy CGI, as Pennywise morphs into strange forms, in order to frighten the characters. In my personal opinion, I found Part 1 a lot scarier. Part 2 is more comedic. I found myself laughing at the supposed ‘scary’ parts, but that wasn’t a negative. I expected there to be differences to the book. The film had to make some changes, but it did so respectfully. Stephen King was very happy with both Part 1 & 2. If I had any negatives, it would be that I wanted more Pennywise. Also, some scenes felt unnecessary, because they weren’t in the original mini-series or book. Having said all that, I loved the entire thing. I want to see it again and have not stopped raving about it, since I left the cinema. If you haven’t seen it yet, what are you waiting for? Go now!

IT: Book/Film Q&A

1.) Who is your favourite member of The Loser’s Club? 

My heart is torn between Eddie Kaspbrak and Ben Hanscom. I also have a soft spot for Beverly Marsh. 

2.) Who makes a better Pennywise? Tim Curry or Bill Skarsgard?

I love Tim Curry’s performance as Pennywise, but Bill Skarsgard is my favourite. I like his overall look better and the way he tackled the role. The original Pennywise was more of a goofy, slapstick clown. The new Pennywise is vicious, unforgiving and intense. He feels more commanding. Having said that, Tim is only a centimetre behind Bill.

3.) Do you need to watch the original to understand/appreciate the remake? 

Not at all! You can easily understand and appreciate the remake on its own. I would recommend the original however, as Tim Curry’s performance is exceptional. You’ll also get some insight from the book, that the remake does not provide. 

4.) Do both the original and remake stay true or stray far from the book? 

I believe they do. The original captures more of Pennywise’s true form, that the remake does not. The remake however, adds a lot more ‘meat’, as both Part 1 and Part 2 are over two hours long. It is hard to retain everything from the book, as it is over 1,100 pages long. There is a lot about the history of Derry that is not included, as well as the intense back-stories behind each of the characters. I completely understand, because to add all those things, is to make a movie that is 5+ hours long. 

5.) Are you Team Bill or Team Ben? 

Spoiler Alert: In Part 2, Beverly ends up with Ben, however, in the book, Beverly has a sexual relationship with Bill, despite both of them being married. I honestly like Beverly with both of them. She has such a strong connection with them both as children and as adults – it makes sense she feels torn between the pair. It’s important to remember that Bill is married and his wife is not an awful partner (unlike Beverly’s husband Tom). Ben is a much better option morally, but it’s undeniable that both couples work well. 

6.) What is your favourite quote from the book? 

I have two: 

1.) “Maybe there aren’t any such things as good friends or bad friends – maybe there are just friends, people who stand by you when you’re hurt and who help you feel not so lonely. Maybe they’re always worth being scared for, and hoping for, and living for. Maybe worth dying for too, if that’s what has to be. No good friends. No bad friends. Only people you want, need to be with; people who build their houses in your heart.”

2.) “Eddie discovered one of his childhood’s great truths. Grownups are the real monsters.”

7.) Which member of The Loser’s Club do you believe has the worst experience with Pennywise? 

This is tough because they all have a pretty awful experience. However, Stanley Uris has the worst time, both in the movie and book. In the film, he has to contend with the horrifying woman in the painting and in the book, he encounters drowned dead children, that pursue him. If you haven’t read the book or watched either the original or remake, I will not spoil it for you. I will just say that Stanley is affected the most out of all the children, which continues into adulthood. 

8.) What is your favourite scene in the book? 

I love when Beverly returns to her childhood home as an adult, encountering the creepy old lady. In the book. it is far more disturbing but also, atmospheric. You can feel it, in a way I can’t explain. It’s extremely well-written. 

9.) What is your favourite scene in the original/remake? 

In the original, I love the iconic shower scene with Eddie. Google it if you are curious! In the remake (Part 1), I can’t go past the projector scene in Bill’s garage. In Part 2, I adore the reunion at the Chinese restaurant. SO GOOD! 

10.) Does the book really need to be that long? 

Yes, yes it does. It’s a journey. It’s a coming-of-age story; each part relevant, including the history of Derry, Maine. I annotated my entire copy and it was such an amazing experience. Break it up into parts if you need to, but embrace the monster that is this book. 

I hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know which member of The Loser’s Club is your favourite. Have you seen Part 2 yet? What did you think? Thanks for reading! 

Peace & Love xoxo