IT Chapter Twos Biggest Problem Is Its Inconsistent Tone

IT Chapter Two’s Biggest Problem Is Its Inconsistent Tone

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Horror sequel IT Chapter Two isn’t as good as the original, and a big factor is its inconsistent tone, which wildly swings from horror to comedy.

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IT Chapter Twos Biggest Problem Is Its Inconsistent Tone

Horror sequel IT Chapter Two isn’t as good as the original, and a big factor is its inconsistent tone, which wildly swings from horror to comedy. It’s safe to say that coming into 2019, the most anticipated horror film for most was Stephen King adaptation IT Chapter Two. After 2017’s IT film earned critical and commercial success by adapting the childhood tale of the Losers’ Club taking on Pennywise, IT Chapter Two saw director Andy Muschietti and writer Gary Dauberman return to try and satisfyingly finish the story by focusing on the Losers as adults.

However, with IT Chapter Two’s theatrical run now in the books, it seems clear that the sequel wasn’t able to recapture the magic of the first IT. That’s not to say that IT Chapter Two is hated, as that’s far from the case. Fans’ issues with IT Chapter Two are partly due to the fact that at times, the sequel shines as brightly as its predecessor, leading to disappointment when the enterprise as a whole doesn’t measure up.

As problematic as Stan’s suicide note proved to be, and as much as IT Chapter Two’s ending fell victim to the Stephen King bad ending curse, the biggest issue working against the sequel was its tone. IT Chapter Two just doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be.

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IT Chapter Two’s Biggest Problem Is Its Inconsistent Tone

While the first IT movie had its fair share of jokes (most thanks to the Losers’ Club’s resident comedian, Richie Tozier), at the end of the day, it was a horror film, with real life and death stakes. Unlike Tim Curry’s 1990 miniseries version, Bill Skarsgard’s Pennywise was never really played for laughs, and when he showed up, the fun stopped and the horror began. However, in IT Chapter two, there is at best an equal amount of comedy and horror, and at worst way too much humor.

For example, one needs only to look at the scene where Eddie (James Ransone) finds his mother inexplicably being held captive in the basement of the Derry pharmacy. It’s a pretty strange, creepy setup, but the payoff to the whole bit is a joke that’s disconnected from the rest of the film. When the Leper pukes black goo into Eddie’s face as the song “Angel of the Morning” plays, it’s a guaranteed laugh moment for audiences, but entirely undercuts what preceded it. This is true for most of IT Chapter two’s running time, as every time the tension really starts to build, a joke or sight gag serves to remind the audience that this battle against an ancient, shape-shifting being with the power to manipulate reality itself is really just a fun, Goonies-style tale of friends going on an adventure.

That’s not to say that IT Chapter Two shouldn’t have any humor, especially from Richie, played quite well by actor and comedian Bill Hader. The problem is that the sequel doesn’t seem to know when it should get serious. Another example is the scene where Beverly (Jessica Chastain) encounters Mrs. Kersh (a manifestation of Pennywise) in her childhood home. The meeting starts out creepy, then gets progressively sillier, topped off by a naked, screeching CGI monstrosity that is impossible to take seriously. Even the final battle against Pennywise is riddled with jokes, and as fun as IT turning into a Pomeranian might seem in a vacuum, it again undercuts the stakes. If IT Chapter Two had a firmer grasp on its identity, perhaps it would’ve been better received.

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Link Source : https://screenrant.com/it-chapter-twos-biggest-problem-is-its-inconsistent-tone/

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