It: Chapter Two (2019) review

Of the many novels that Stephen King has published during his career, one of his most popular has been his 1986 novel It, which followed a group of outcasted best friends from the town of Derry, Maine known as the Losers’ Club as they band together to fight a terrifying creature that usually inhabits the form of an evil clown named Pennywise. In 1990, the novel was adapted into a two-part miniseries that aired on ABC, and while several parts of the miniseries have dated considerably, it’s still fondly remembered by many of those who grew up with it thanks in large part to Tim Curry’s scene-stealing turn as Pennywise. But then, 27 years later (a fitting time-gap given that, in-universe, Pennywise is unleashed every 27 years), director Andy Muschietti was brought in to direct a new film adaptation of the novel. And instead of just cramming the 1,138-page novel into a single film, it was decided to split the story in half with the first of what would ultimately be two films focusing on the Losers’ Club when they’re kids. Upon its release, 2017’s It: Chapter One was a massive critical and commercial hit. Critics and audiences considered it to be one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s work to date and it grossed over $700 million worldwide, effectively making it the highest-grossing horror film of all-time. But now the time has come to finish the story of the Losers’ Club’s encounters with Pennywise with It: Chapter Two. This time, the focus shifts onto the adult incarnations of our favorite Losers as they return to Derry to finish what they started, and despite facing the pressure of having to follow in the footsteps of one of the biggest horror films of recent years, It: Chapter Two is a highly satisfying and emotionally cathartic finale to its endearing tale of love, friendship… and a killer clown.  

It has been 27 years since the Losers’ Club managed to ward off the monstrous creature known as Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Bill Skarsgård) during the Summer of 1989. However, knowing that Pennywise probably wasn’t destroyed for good, they then proceed to make a blood oath where they promise to return to their hometown of Derry and confront him again if he ever came back. Sure enough, 27 years later in 2016, a new series of murders begin to occur all over Derry. Recognizing that this is all clearly Pennywise’s doing, Mike Hanlon (Isaiah Mustafa as an adult, Chosen Jacobs as a kid), the only member of the Losers’ Club to stay in Derry, gets back in touch with his old friends; Bill Denbrough (James McAvoy as an adult, Jaeden Martell (formerly Lieberher) as a kid), Beverly Marsh (Jessica Chastain as an adult, Sophia Lillis as a kid), Ben Hanscom (Jay Ryan as an adult, Jeremy Ray Taylor as a kid), Richie Tozier (Bill Hader as an adult, Finn Wolfhard as a kid),  Eddie Kaspbrak (James Ransone as an adult, Jack Dylan Grazer as a kid), and Stanley Uris (Andy Bean as an adult, Wyatt Oleff as a kid). And although many of them are hesitant to return home and deal with the most traumatizing part of their childhoods, the Losers’ Club eventually finds itself reunited after all these years. Once they’re back in Derry, the group quickly learns that it will take a lot more effort to defeat Pennywise this time, which includes them reflecting on pivotal moments from that fateful summer that they had somehow forgotten about after they had grown up and left Derry.

A lot has been said about It: Chapter Two’s runtime, which is fair considering that this film is nearly three hours long. Yes, they pack a lot into the second half of It, but this has proven to be the most polarizing aspect of the film amongst critics, and in some cases, I can see why. While the film doesn’t really drag at any point, there are a few instances here and there where they probably could’ve trimmed down certain parts that are potentially extraneous. Plus, the middle section of the film does tend to abide by a very specific formula. Namely, it keeps shifting around to almost every member of the Losers’ Club as they reflect upon a moment from their childhood when they were attacked by Pennywise before returning to the present where they experience yet another encounter with the Dancing Clown. Ultimately, though, these aren’t really that big of an issue since it all still revolves around a well-written and lovable collection of main characters in a film that dutifully retains the same great atmosphere of its predecessor. Unlike the 1990 miniseries, which had to cut certain bits out to appease network censors, the It films aren’t limited in any way when it comes to showcasing some of the most brutal and intense moments from the novel. Granted, it can be debated how truly effective these It films are when it comes to scares, but director Andy Muschietti does succeed in creating some truly suspenseful sequences whenever Pennywise attacks the Losers’ Club. Muschietti also deserves a lot of credit for his great comedic sensibilities as, just like its predecessor, It: Chapter Two boasts a great mix of lighthearted humor that helps to lighten up the mood and hilariously morbid dark comedy via Pennywise (e.g. a brilliant use of the Juice Newton cover of ‘Angel of the Morning’)   

And yet, perhaps the most important aspect of this film is its cast. For many people, one of the biggest shortcomings of the 1990 miniseries was its second half that followed the grown-up versions of the Losers’ Club. Despite having folks like John Ritter and Tim Reid in the ensemble, the adults never even came close to having the same solid camaraderie that their younger counterparts (played by the likes of Seth Green and Jonathan Brandis) had from the first half. Thus, you’ll be pleased to hear that this isn’t the case with It: Chapter Two. Right from the moment where they finally reunite, the adult members of the Losers’ Club achieve the same great camaraderie as their younger counterparts. And while it could be argued that, just like the first film, some get focused on more than others (namely, James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain as Bill and Beverly), it can also be argued that this film balances their roles in the plot a little better than last time. This time around, the two biggest standouts would have to be Bill Hader as Richie who, as to be expected, is the primary source of the film’s humor, and James Ransone as Eddie, who’s quite arguably the most pitch-perfect bit of casting when compared to his younger counterpart in what is already a flawlessly casted group of leads. But fear not, folks, as you still get plenty of scenes with the first film’s phenomenal group of young leads thanks to the many flashbacks that are in this half of the story. And, of course, there’s still Bill Skarsgård as these films’ delightfully unhinged version of Pennywise that provides a far more serious but still darkly comic take on the character compared to Tim Curry’s Pennywise from the miniseries.

   

If you’ve been following this site for a while, you’ll know that I’ve never been a big fan of horror films. However, at the very least, these past few years have given me some excellent horror films to help me become more accustomed to the genre, and it all started with It: Chapter One, which notably became the first horror film to grace my annual Top 12 Favorite Films of the Year list. Overall, I still stand by what I’ve said about it and how it is not only a great horror film but a great film in general thanks to its phenomenal emotional poignancy, excellent direction, and strong performances from its cast, and sure enough, that is also the case with It: Chapter Two. Now with that said, I will admit that I do understand why some feel that this isn’t exactly ‘as good’ as its predecessor. Namely, there are times where you do feel the weight of its hefty three-hour runtime and the occasional uniformity of its narrative. And yet, at the same time, the film still maintains all the great emotional beats that made its predecessor so fantastic. As I’ve said plenty of times these past few years, I’m at a point now with horror films where I’m more interested in their characters than the frightening situations that they end up in. And unlike the 90’s miniseries, this adaptation of It doesn’t underwhelm in the slightest when it comes to the adult incarnations of the Losers’ Club as they’re the same lovable bunch that they were when they were kids in the first film. Because of all this, the saga that is Andy Muschietti’s adaptation of It is now, collectively, my new favorite horror film of all-time. For those of you like me who aren’t too big on the horror genre, I’d say that these two films are a perfect place to start if you’re eager to get into horror films as they’re proof of how great films of this genre can truly be.  

Rating: 5/5!

Power Rangers (2017) review

While I was only around for half of the decade, I do consider myself to be a ‘90’s kid’. And with that said, many ‘90’s kids’ will agree that one of the definitive shows of their childhoods was Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Developed by TV theme song composers Haim Saban and Shuki Levy, the series, which utilized stock footage from Toei’s Super Sentai franchise and repurposed it around an American cast, became a worldwide phenomenon when it debuted in 1993. Nearly 25 years later, the series is still going strong today with new themed iterations debuting every year, and while nowadays some feel that the original series has not aged well because of its cheesy nature, it’s still very much a landmark show of its era. I’ll admit, though, that I wasn’t really a Power Rangers fan growing up, mainly just because the original Mighty Morphin series was already over before I was even a year old. However, because it’s so directly tied to my generation, I was at least interested in seeing the new film reboot of this legendary franchise. And thus, here we are with Power Rangers, the third Power Rangers film released to date after 1995’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie and 1997’s Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie. As stated earlier, it serves as a reboot of the original Mighty Morphin series, with a new cast taking on the roles of the original Ranger team. It’s also easily the biggest Power Rangers film to date in terms of its budget and scale. But, of course, this now leads to one big question; will this succeed in appealing to fans of the franchise while also serving as an effective introduction for the uninitiated? Well, for the most part, director Dean Israelite (Project Almanac) does succeed in redefining this franchise for a new generation.  

In the town of Angel Grove, suspended high school quarterback Jason Lee Scott (Dacre Montgomery), autistic nerd Billy Cranston (RJ Cyler), and ousted cheerleader Kimberly Hart (Naomi Scott) begin to bond while being forced to spend time in detention for various incidents that they were involved in at school. One night, the three end up at the local mines where they, along with truant Zack Taylor (Ludi Lin) and new student Trini Kwan (Becky G), come across five mysterious coin-like artifacts trapped within the rocks. After taking them, the five begin to find themselves imbued with new powers, namely superhuman strength. When they return to where they found the coins, they end up in an ancient spaceship buried deep underground. There, they come across Zordon (Bryan Cranston), an ancient being whose consciousness was uploaded into the ship’s matrix by his android assistant Alpha 5 (Bill Hader). Zordon tells them that they have been chosen by the Power Coins that they’ve found to become the Power Rangers, a group of warriors who protect the Earth from those who seek the Zeo Crystal, the source of their power. And, sure enough, one of those threats, former Green Ranger Rita Repulsa (Elizabeth Banks), awakens from her long slumber and plans on rebuilding her monster, Goldar, to find the Zeo Crystal, which Zordon (the former Red Ranger) had buried deep underground millions of years ago when she betrayed their team. With little time to spare before she unleashes her army of monsters upon Angel Grove, the five teens find themselves tasked with trying to band together to become the Rangers and use all their abilities to save their home and their world.  

Overall, this new Power Rangers film does away with many of the campier elements of the original series. Now, for the record, there are still some silly moments here and there (e.g. brace yourself for one ludicrous bit of product placement that literally ends up becoming a major part of the plot) but, overall, the plot is taken more seriously than previous iterations of the franchise. And while this may result in some tonal inconsistencies here and there, like whenever Rita attacks someone in a rather intense manner, the film still manages to capture the feel of the franchise without going completely campy. Plus, with the addition of various nods to the series for eagle-eyed fans to point out, some of which I’m sure I didn’t notice the first time being only a casual fan of the franchise, I think longtime fans will enjoy this new film quite fine. Based on what I’ve seen from the original series, it doesn’t seem like it pulls any major deviations from the source material, aside from new characterizations for the protagonists, that would betray what made the franchise popular in the first place. The big question, though, is how it appeals to newcomers of the franchise. It does so by way of an ‘origin story’. And, yes, I know that this phrase has sort of become a ‘bad word’ amongst filmgoers but here, it is done quite well because it’s about the five teens learning to become the Rangers instead of just being instantly able to do so like in the show. Thus, it ends up sharing a similar aspect with 1997’s Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie in that the teens don’t fully morph into the Rangers until the finale. But in this case, it does work because of their journey beforehand to become the Rangers, instead of just sidelining them in their own film like Turbo did. And once they do get into the suits, the action, which, obviously, is primarily CG-based this time around with an undeniably Transformers vibe to it, is solid.  

As fans of the show know, one of its trademark lines was ‘Teenagers with Attitude’, a phrase uttered by Zordon in the opening credits (though not the show itself) to describe the team. However, in the show, the Rangers were always portrayed as good students and, thus, more like role models and not really ‘teenagers with attitude’. Here, though, they very much emphasize the ‘attitude’ part, showcasing a group of misfits who must come together to become the heroes they’re meant to be. And, like I said before, while the show had them capable of morphing into the Rangers right out the gate, I do like how, in this film, they must work to get to that level. Also, to the filmmakers’ credit, they did pick an excellent group of leads to take on these iconic roles. Granted, some get more attention than others (namely Jason, Kimberly, and Billy, who are the first to be introduced in the film; Zack and Trini don’t come in until they get the Power Coins) but they do have fantastic chemistry with each other. Not bad for a group that’s mostly made up of general newcomers; just goes to show that perhaps Dean Israelite’s greatest strength as a director is working with younger actors/actresses. As for their supporting cast, Bryan Cranston (who notably provided villain voices for the original series and was even the inspiration for the Blue Ranger’s name, Billy Cranston) brings the proper dignified nature to the role of Zordon while Bill Hader provides some enjoyable comic relief in the role of Alpha 5 (“Ai yi yi!”). Finally, there’s Elizabeth Banks as main villain Rita Repulsa; she’s quite over-the-top here, keeping very much in line with the Rita of the original series. It’ll either work for you or it won’t. Personally, it didn’t bother me but maybe that’s because she’s not really in the film that much, as the focus is primarily on the Rangers, which is a good thing.

So, as I stated before, I didn’t grow up with Power Rangers. I did watch some episodes of the show before watching this film (as well as the previous films) and, like I said last time, I probably would’ve loved the show had I watched it as a kid. But, overall, going into this I was a newcomer to the franchise that had gradually become a casual fan once I finally watched some episodes of it. And overall, as a ‘casual fan’ of Power Rangers, I rather enjoyed this new film. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that it’s groundbreaking or anything but as a new iteration of a popular franchise, it manages to appeal to both longtime fans and those like me who come into it generally new to the series. In the case of the former, it does this through solid but respectful homages to the franchise while the latter will find a surprisingly engrossing origin story with solid characters portrayed by an excellent group of leads. Now, with that said, admittedly if you weren’t already big on the series to begin with, you probably won’t get much out of this. Despite the change in tone, it’s still the same generally silly premise of teens fighting aliens in giant robots. But, if you are a fan of the show, it is a nice new addition to the franchise. It’s basically the original Mighty Morphin series but with the budget and scale that it just didn’t have back when it was on. Thus, I think longtime fans will enjoy this just fine; I can tell that just from my own theater experience. When the Power Rangers theme came on, there was applause. Thus, I think it’s safe to say that Power Rangers will be a definite crowd-pleaser for fans young and old.

Rating: 4/5

Inside Out (2015) review

Ah Pixar, what a great animation company you are! Ever since they first started making computer animated short films in 1986 (technically 1984 if you count ‘The Adventures of Andre and Wally B.’), which then led to them making feature-length computer animated films starting with 1995’s ‘Toy Story’, they have consistently entertained both kids and adults alike with their excellent lineup of animated classics that are not only beautifully animated but also show amazing maturity in their writing with their great stories and characters. But since ‘Toy Story 3’ in 2010, many feel that Pixar has been in a bit of a slump writing-wise. 2011’s ‘Cars 2’ was the first major Pixar film to receive primarily negative reviews from critics and while both 2012’s ‘Brave’ and 2013’s ‘Monsters University’ received better reviews, neither of which were as beloved by both critics and audiences as much as Pixar’s previous work. Personally I’m not really one of those people who thinks that Pixar has been going downhill. While I haven’t seen it since it first came out, I remember liking ‘Cars 2’. And while ‘Brave’ was rather disappointing due to the film’s shift in tone halfway through, I actually really loved ‘Monsters University’. But as for their newest film, ‘Inside Out’, the first of two Pixar films this year (a first for the studio), and the first since ‘Cars 2’ to be directed by one of Pixar’s main lineup of directors (in this case Pete Docter (‘Monsters Inc.’, ‘Up’)), I can safely say that this is the best film Pixar has done since ‘Toy Story 3’. Of course like with every Pixar film, the animation is superb. But the film also succeeds thanks to its incredibly effective emotional depth (pun intended). It’s a film that is guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings.

The film primarily focuses on a 11-year old girl named Riley (Kaitlyn Dias), who moves from Minnesota to San Francisco with her parents (Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan) when her father gets a new job. It is established that within everyone’s mind are a group of personified emotions that help guide their humans through life and form their memories, the most important of which, which are referred to as ‘Core Memories’, help define their personality. In the case of Riley, her main emotions are Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), and Disgust (Mindy Kaling). As Riley starts to adjust to life in her new city, the other emotions start to express major concerns about the move while Joy tries to keep everything positive. But on Riley’s first day of school, trouble ensues when Sadness interferes with one of Riley’s memories. When Joy tries to fix the problem, both her and Sadness end up getting sucked out of Headquarters. Now stuck in Long Term Memory, the far reaches of Riley’s mind where all of her past memories are stored, the two try to get back to Headquarters in order to get Riley’s emotional state back to normal, which gets more and more out of whack as Fear, Anger, and Disgust try to keep everything under control back at Headquarters but end up alienating Riley from everyone around her.

Like with any Pixar production, the animation is superb; in fact, I’d argue it’s one of Pixar’s best-looking films to date. It’s definitely one of the company’s more ‘cartoonish’ visual styles but it results in some truly eye-catching imagery with all that goes on in Riley’s mind, particularly when Joy and Sadness go through Riley’s imagination and dreams. And that really correlates to how I describe this film as a whole; imaginative. It’s a fun concept that is explored further as we see inside the minds of other characters, including both of Riley’s parents and a whole slew of characters during the credits. But what really makes the film work is that it very much succeeds when it comes to its emotional depth and substance. For one thing, the events of the story are things that I’m pretty sure that we have all gone through at some point in our lives, whether it’s moving to a new town/city or being the new kid at school. And it’s all handled with the maturity that you would normally expect from Pixar. I guarantee you that you will get emotional at certain points in the film, with some scenes in particular being really hard-hitting. But at the same time, the film also manages to lighten things up at just the right moments with its fair share of humorous moments/dialogue. And really it couldn’t be any more fitting that a film primarily about the emotions in you heads highly succeeds in making you feel all sorts of emotions.

Speaking of said emotions, this film features a great cast of characters as personified by Riley’s emotions. One of the things that I really liked about the film was that, while the main conflict of the film (Joy and Sadness getting sucked out of HQ and having to find a way back) is caused by Sadness and the rest of the emotions, especially Joy, are rather hesitant about her due to her tendency to cause problems, it doesn’t try and paint her in a negative light. It shows that there will be times where you will feel sad and that this is perfectly okay. And as a result, it’s fun to see the interactions between all of the emotions, especially the polar opposites that are Joy and Sadness. And in regards to the film’s voice cast, Pixar couldn’t have gotten a better cast to fill these roles. Amy Poehler is incredibly charming and likable in the role of Joy while managing to not make Joy too overly, for lack of a better term, ‘joyful’, which admittedly could’ve made the character rather annoying. Phyllis Smith just has the perfect voice to fill the role of Sadness as does Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling as Fear and Disgust, respectively. And Lewis Black as Anger? I mean come on, that is the very definition of ‘perfect casting’. But then you also have arguably the standout character of the entire film in the form of Bing Bong (Richard Kind), an elephant, cat, and dolphin hybrid (you’ll understand what I mean when you see the film) and Riley’s former imaginary friend who helps Joy and Sadness get back to headquarters. He too also gets a few emotional moments as well; without giving anything major away, prepare to get ‘taken to the moon’.

As I noted earlier in the intro, I’m not one of those people who believes that Pixar went downhill after ‘Toy Story 3’. I mean sure, at the end of the day, I couldn’t say that ‘Cars 2’, ‘Brave’, or even ‘Monsters University’ are amongst Pixar’s absolutely best work but that doesn’t mean that I think that they’re terrible. They each still have their own unique good qualities to them that at the very least make them good for kids. But that’s not what many people expect from Pixar; to just be ‘good for kids’. Pixar’s greatest works have been able to transcend the limits of animated films with their mature writing, strong stories, and iconic characters, which ultimately makes many of their films highly appealing to adults just as much as they are to kids. And that is why ‘Inside Out’ is the best film that the company has made since ‘Toy Story 3’. Of course it’s got Pixar’s trademark excellent animation, which in the case of ‘Inside Out’ produces a whole lot of colorful and imaginative imagery, as well as a pitch perfect voice cast. But the term ‘imaginative’ goes even further than that as the film’s great premise also results in some of Pixar’s most mature story-telling to date. It captures the emotional side of its characters in ways that we can all relate to given some of the things that happen to the character of Riley as she and her family move to a new city. As silly as this next sentence may sound, you will get emotional over a film that is primarily about emotions. This is easily not only the best animated film of the year so far but also easily one of the best films of the year period. After some missteps the past few years, Pixar finally strikes pure gold for the first time in a while.

Rating: 5/5!