Uncut Gems Film Review

Directors: Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie

Stars: Adam Sandler, Julia Fox, Kevin Garnett

Rated R for pervasive strong language, violence, some sexual content and brief drug use

“Uncut Gems” is a crime drama directed by the Safdie Brothers and starring Adam Sandler, as Howard, as a New York jeweler who is trying to sell off a precious gem in order to pay off his outstanding debts. The film showcase how things can spiral out of control of a man who is way over his head and does his best to keep order of the situation at hand.

With that in mind, “Uncut Gems” is a character study on Howard and how he tried to maintain his debts. He pawns off items that are not his and uses that money to pay off one debt. He also gambles away money he doesn’t own and we feel a bit sympathetic for the character. Howard is clearly over his head and will do anything to clear off one debt and somehow collect another. It can be compared to someone using a credit card to pay off another credit.

The reason why we sympathize with this character is because somehow Adam Sandler plays the character as a likable idiot. Sandler gives a strong performance in which the likes we haven’t seen before. Adam Sandler has been in so many duds over the years, its refreshing to see Sandler in a serious role as he has done have years ago. Sandler is great when given the right material and this is a role that fits Sandler perfectly.

“Uncut Gems” also features a rather bizarre, yet fitting score. Daniel Lopatin incorporates synths into his score to give the film an as 80’s feel to it. In any other other film, it would not have worked, but it works perfectly in multiple scenes to create tension and awe for the opening and closing of the film.

Overall, “Uncut Gems” is an enjoyable time due to the acting, score, and tension that is in the film.Yeah, the film is a bit too long and there are some things I didn’t like as much, but there is still enjoyment to be had.

3/4

The Top 5 Worst Films of 2019

2019 was surprisingly a great year for films. For every great film, there are also terrible films that were released as well. There weren’t as much bad films as I thought there would be, but there were some films that yielded mixed results. As the year comes to a close, we reflect back on the previous year on the duds that were on the big screen. Here are the top 5 worst films of the year.

5. Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbes & Shaw

Originally in my review for “Hobbes & Shaw”, I called the film stupid and fun. And yes, it is fun as it has mindless action and the film doesn’t have anything harmful. The film doesn’t terrible direction, acting, or action sequences. So why is this film on the list? Well, this film is simply a cash cow. Don’t get me wrong, films are made to sell tickets and to collect money. But when I usually watch films, I don’t get the impression that these films are made to make money. But “Hobbes & Shaw” was clearly made to make fast money. Nothing in the film advances the film series nor is the film intelligent. The film panders to the lowest common denominator, it goes for the cheap laughs and the cheap action. Did I originally enjoy the film? Yes, it is a film that doesn’t require much thinking and I’m sure everyone will like this film but after further reflection of “Hobbes & Shaw”, this is a cash cow that should have never been made.

4. The Lion King (2019)

“The Lion King” is on the list for the same reason “Hobbes & Shaw” is on this list. It is simply a cash cow made by Disney. But where “Hobbes & Shaw” was at least fun and had a somewhat enjoyable time, “The Lion King” is a lifeless remake that adds nothing to the film. It seems like the “The Lion King” is a shot by shot remake of the original film with not much added to the film. Remakes should be made when the filmmakers want to add more to the story or can improve upon on the visuals. Does the 2019 version of “The Lion King” add more to the original story that was told 25 years ago? No, not really. Does it improve on the visuals of the original film? Well, the 2019 version is beautiful to look at, but all of the film is CGI, hence being another animated film. Add to this an A list cast who deliver lines without any life and are quite annoying. Sadly “The Lion King” has grossed over a billion dollars at the box office, it doesn’t seem like Disney will be stopping these “live action remakes” anytime soon.

3. Hellboy (2019)

It’s a shame that Hellboy wasn’t as good as it predecessors. It certainly had an opportunity to be as great as the Guillermo Del Toro directed films, but it fails miserably to live up to those films. The plot is a cliche plot that we have seen so many times, it feels tiring and recycling and the CGI looks awful as well. I was surprised someone didn’t try to clean up the visual as they look like they’re from a video game 20 years ago. To add to this, the first half of the film felt very unnecessary and the last half was cliche filled. I certainly enjoyed David Harbour as the titular character, but his role as Hellboy unfortunately could not save this film.

2. 47 Meters Down: Uncaged

I almost forgot this film’s name, I had to Google the name of the film, this is how awful “47 Meters Down: Uncaged” is. Speaking of the title, why is it called “47 Meters Down”? It has no connection to the first film at all and the film does not take place 47 meters below the ocean or sea. It takes place in an ancient lake that is filled with blind sharks. Yes, a lake with sharks and I am sure the film explained the reasoning for this but I do not care to recall the film. The film doesn’t make me root for any other characters, no one in this has a redeemable quality to them and the film doesn’t make me care for any of them. I am not sure what else to say but “47 Meters Down: Uncaged” would have been best as a direct to DVD or streaming sequel. It had no reason to be on the big screen.

1. Dark Phoenix

There is a method to my rankings and I decided to place “Dark Phoenix” over “47 Meters Down” because of its potential it had. No one saw the trailer to “47 Meters Down” and expected a film that was going to be exceptionally great, we all knew it was going to be mediocre. But “Dark Phoenix” could have been an excellent film. Sure, the “X-Men series” has had its duds, but there have also been well crafted films. So why is “Dark Phoenix” the worst film of the year? Well, I have a sense that no one behind the scenes cared about the film. They certainly knew that this was going to be the last Fox “X-Men” film and knew Disney would just bury the film in favor to whatever the MCU was making. There was no care or effort placed into this film. How do I know this is the case? Well the filmmakers were too lazy to place makeup on certain characters to make themselves look older. It may sound like a nitpick, but if your film take place in multiple decades, you would think the characters would start to age just a bit. There is no way that Jennifer Lawrence’s character in the early 1960’s looks the same as she did in the early 1990’s. 30 years goes by and I guess the characters are supposed to be young forever. I can forgive all the amateurish errors if the film wasn’t such a bore. I felt like I needed a nap after a viewing of “Dark Phoenix”. The worst thing to make your film is boring because then no one is interested in your story. It’s very disappointing to say that a film series that was once beloved has crashed to oblivion.

Now that that the worst of list is done and over with, the best of the year will be coming out shortly.

The Two Popes Film Review

Directed by Fernando Meirelles

Starring: Jonathan Pryce, Anthony Hopkins, Juan Minujín

Rated PG-13 for thematic content and some disturbing violent images

“The Two Popes” is a Netflix film inspired on true events detailing the relationship of then current Pope Benedict XVI (played by Anthony Hopkins) and then current Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio(played by Jonathan Pryce) , who would later become Pope Francis. The film largely follows Pope Benedict XVI’s final weeks as the Pope before his retirement and Cardinal Bergoglio’s ascension into the papacy in 2013.

“The Two Popes” is quite an enjoyable film with excellent acting from film legends Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins. The two actors are almost identical to their respective counterparts. Pryce does an impeccable impersonation of future Pope Francis and so does Hopkins with the then Pope. The story of “The Two Popes” also has a simple message of how forgiveness is the key to living a life. Both men in the story are not perfect and need to seek forgiveness to redeem themselves. I appreciate the message in the film and the message is not forced nor is it religious in any way. Anyone who has a different faith can certainly watch the film and have an appreciation of the theme of the film, without the film having to push any agenda.

The film has the tag “inspired by true events”, meaning almost none of this actually happened. It is possible that the the two men were actually friendly and aggressive towards each other in private, but it is almost certain that a good chunk of the film is made up. The flash backs in the film could be certainly real and it was nice to see how Francis was not a perfect person. I think viewers should be aware that a good portion of the film is fiction and based on assumption.

Overall, “The Two Popes” is an enjoyable film that presents a message we can all relate that is told by two great actors. Should audiences rush to see the film? Probably not and I wouldn’t say this is a must see film, but more of a film that should be seen if there is nothing to view on Netflix. This is not a dig against the film as if one were to watch “The Two Popes” audiences will certainly be delighted.

3/4

Parasite Film Review

Directed by Bong Joon Ho

Starring: Kang-ho Song, Sun-kyun Lee, Yeo-jeong Jo

Rated R for language, some violence and sexual content

Wow, I am in genuine shock how great of a film “Parasite” is. For starters, “Parasite” is a film that says so much without having to say anything. What do I mean? Well, take the plot of the film. “Parasite” is about a poor family that slowly infiltrates and gains the trust of a wealthy, upper middle class family in South Korea by misleading the wealthy family. But soon enough, things turn awry for the poor family and do their best to keep their secrets.

That description, at best, does not give out any plot detail because “Parasite” has so many twists and turns. In the first act of the film, I expected the film to go a certain way. Without giving any plot points, I thought the film would be a comedy heist, just because of the light mood the film started with. I can assure you that this film is certainly from light and is not a comedy heist. But halfway into the film, the film takes a dark turn and I thought the film would be a horror film, due to director Bong Joon Ho’s excellent camera work. There are so much in store for anyone who watches the film and will certainly enjoy those twists.

But as mentioned before, the halfway point of the film has a horror element to it. Never have I been so tensed in a scene. Director Bong Joon Ho does an excellent job for terrifying the audience, even though this is not a horror film. There were so many scenes where I was on the edge of my seat. And not all tense moments are scary, some are just everyday regular things. Adding to these scenes, the score truly does elevate other moments as well. There is one scene in particular where the rich father (played by Sun-kyun Lee) is just walking up the steps to talk to his wife, (played by Yeo-jeong Jo) after finding something out about a worker. That scene sounds just a normal scene, but the music in the scene somehow makes it more interesting than it is. I loved moments like this because the score compliments the film very well.

All the actors in the film also do a terrific job. But the characters the actors played made me very sympathetic. On one hand, we have a family struggling to make ends meet and have to rely on lies to do so. On the other, we have a wealthy family who want what is best for themselves and have servants to protect themselves. But a part of me also realizes that both families were guilty of being unsympathetic as well. The poor family has to lie and cheat to gain the trust of wealthy family, who are just so out of touch from the people who are struggling. The best scene that perfectly shows the class division is when one wealthy character, who is doing her makeup in a luxurious closet with beautiful clothes, is calling another character on the phone, who is in a gym with hundreds of other people and worn out clothes and trying to find some new clothes to wear in a pile of used clothes. As I alluded earlier, “Parasite” says so much about wealth and how class division is occurring all around the world, without having to say a word about it at all. Writers Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin-won perfectly use the phrase “show, don’t tell” into their screenplay.

I applaud “Parasite” for being a smart and tense film that takes the audience along for a ride. I did not expect “Parasite” to be as good as a film as it is. I highly recommend to view “Parasite”, it is certainly a treat for all audiences they will enjoy.

4/4

Terminator: Dark Fate Film Review

Directed by Tim Miller

Starring: Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mackenzie Davis

Rated R for violence throughout, language and brief nudity

It is unfortunate to say that the Terminator series has had more flops than hits. “The Terminator” first premiered in 1984 to positive reviews. Years later, “Terminator 2: Judgement Day’ was released to high praise and some state it is one of the best action films of all time. But ever since “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machine” was released, the series has gone downhill, mostly because James Cameron, the director of the first two films, was largely absent from the films going forward. But Cameron has returned back to the series, as a producer, but does that mean that “Terminator: Dark Fate” has returned to its former glory?

“Terminator: Dark Fate” is the continuing saga of the “Terminator” series. In this installment, Grace (played by Mackenzie Davis) is sent back to time to protect Dani (played by Natalia Reyes) from REV-9 (played by Gabriel Luna). The REV-9 is also sent back in time but to kill Dani. Grace and Dani are also joined by Sarah Connor and T-800, (played by Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger, respectively).

If the story of “Terminator: Dark Fate” sounds very similar to “Terminator 2: Judgement Day”, that’s because it is a carbon copy of the “Terminator 2”. The first twenty minutes of the film are almost identical to “Terminator 2” and it’s buildup at the mall. Not to mention that the story is just a re-write of the second film, but the story just ignores the entire film of “Terminator 2”. Without giving out any spoilers, but the first five minute of “Dark Fate” throws away the entire film of “Terminator 2”. Not only is this sloppy done, but this bold choice in the film made fans of the series angry. I was baffled of why this decision was done as well, it adds no context to the story being told. The terrible decision to rewrite “Terminator 2” into “Dark Fate” and making a bold decision in the first five minutes in the film makes the story poorly written.

Fortunately the actors of the film are a saving grace in the film (no pun intended). Going into the film, I was skeptical of the new characters being introduced. But to my surprise, the new characters are quite enjoyable. Gabriel Luna as the new Terminator is actually quite menacing and an actual threat to the characters. His character has the capability of splitting into two forms and it was enjoyable to see all the characters fight off these forms. Dani and Mackenzie’s story line was okay to see, the actors in the roles are done well.

Being a big fan of “Terminator 2”, I very much enjoyed seeing Linda Hamilton back as Sarah Connor. Hamilton played the role of Conner as she did in “Terminator 2”. The same goes for Schwarzenegger as the T-800. Although in the first two films, the Terminator was unable to feel emotions. But somehow, now he is able to feel something as close to emotions. It is just boggles me of how the excuse was made up of why he feel certain things. But in the end, it all comes down the screenplay. The screenplay feels like a cheap attempt to not only shock the audience, but it needs to rely on the past films to make this film work. The film would have been a return to form if it were not for the screenplay.

“Terminator: Dark Fate” is ultimately a film that yield mixed results. The actors do a fantastic job as their respective roles and the action is fun to view, but the story is executed sloppy. The foundations of any film is the story and if the story cannot stand on its own, then the film will fail as well. “Terminator: Dark Fates” proves that James Cameron was not the missing puzzle to the piece, but instead a step in the wrong direction.

2.5/4

Zombieland: Double Tap Film Review

Directed by Ruben Fleischer

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone

Rated R for bloody violence, language throughout, some drug and sexual content

In 2009, “Zombieland” was released at a time the zombie craze was beginning to emerge. “The Walking Dead” was a year away from becoming the hit it was. And while the original “Zombieland” was a fun success at the box office, a sequel was made ten years later, years after the zombie craze has died down. Yet, as “Zombieland: Double Tap” is a sequel that is years late, it is still a fun comedy like its predecessor beforehand.

“Zombieland: Double Tap” is a sequel to 2009’s “Zombieland” in which a group of survivors try to stay alive in the zombie apocalypse. Tallahassee (played by Woody Harrelson), Columbus (played by Jesse Eisenberg), and Wichita (played by Emma Stone) go in search of Wichita’s younger sister, Little Rock (played by Abigail Breslin), who has run off with with a musician to a peace loving community.

The best thing about “Zombieland: Double Tap” is Woody Harrelson, who is hilarious as the role of Tallahassee. Tallahassee is a no nonsense guy who is there to kick ass and does a good job doing so. Every line that Tallahassee quips is funny and it shows that he is having a good time in the apocalypse. If there were a spin off film with just Tallahassee, I would watch it in a heartbeat. This just goes to show that Woody Harrelson is great doing drama and comedy.

Zoey Deutch joins the cast as Madison, a not so smart person who somehow has survived the apocalypse for this long. Her personality is vastly different from the trio she interacts with, but it somehow works because it is so different. Deutch plays Madison as a clumsy and clueless person who is actually a joy when she is on screen. The fact that Tallaheesee and Madison on the different spectrum, they are fun to watch to when they are on screen. Rosario Dawson also joining the cast as the love interest of Tallahassee. She’s not as funny as the mentioned Madison and Tallahassee, but still works in the film as Tallahassee’s counterpart. Finally, Luke Wilson and Thomas Middleditch are joining the cast, but unfortunately they do not leave a mark on the film as they are not in the film for too long.

“Zombieland: Double Tap” is a funny and enjoyable sequel to the original “Zombieland”. The original cast still has their comedy chops that they had ten years ago and brings their comedy to a fun, gory zombie film. “Zombieland: Double Tap” is a great film to watch this Halloween season as it’s hilarious and gory fun.

3/4

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie Review

Directed by Vince Gilligan

Starring: Aaron Paul, Matt Jones, and Charles Baker

Rated TV-MA

Six years after acclaimed TV show Breaking Bad went off the air, it still holds up in popularity. Critics and fans rave about the show, how great of a masterpiece it is. Fans were treated to a spin off “Better Call Saul”, another acclaimed show, in 2015, yet fans were still craving for more. After rumors of a Breaking Bad movie in the works, we get “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie”. After viewing Breaking Bad and its subsequent film, fans can rejoice that we get new Breaking Bad material.

“El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie” follows Jesse Pinkman’s arc after the ending of the series finale of Breaking Bad. Spoiler alert for the show, but the last time we saw Jesse was him escaping the prison-like complex after Walter White’s rescue. Now, is it necessary to view Breaking Bad in order to understand this film? Not really, but the viewer will have a better understanding and appreciation for the characters. One can view this film without seeing the prior show and still follow the plot as there are multiple flashbacks that fill out the gaps. But this film was made for the fans of the series as there are multiple Easter eggs from the show.

As always, Aaron Paul delivers as Jesse, a man who has been beaten down, literally and mentally, and needs to pick himself up in order to move forward. The reason why Paul succeeds as Jesse is because he played that role for years and even won Emmys for his acting on the show. Paul jumps back into the role of Jesse after a six year absence and does not miss a note. The character that we loved in the series prior is in different from his show’s counterpart, as he does everything in his power to survive.

But the main star here is Vince Gillian, the writer and director of “El Camino”. Gilligan has a way of creating something riveting with the great writing and director. In a tense moment of the film, two characters are about to embark in a Mexican standoff. The intense music and camera work make this sense all the more suspenseful. It is also Vince Gilligan who decided to take a risk with this film as well. Breaking Bad is considered to have a perfect ending, so why take the risk of adding more to the ending? I applaud Gilligan for actually taking the risk and succeeding in the long run.

In a recent interview, Aaron Paul stated that he would only do this film if it was perfect. And that what this is, perfect. Not the film itself, but the story that so many viewers were waiting for. “El Camino” works best if the viewer has seen the series it came off, “Breaking Bad”. “El Camino” is great fan service to fans of the series, viewers will get great pleasure returning to the characters they love.
3.5/4

Ad Astra Film Review

Directed by James Gray

Starring: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga

Rated PG-13 for some violence and bloody images, and for brief strong language

“2001: A Space Odyssey” meets “Apocalypse Now”. In the near future, humans are still set to find intelligent life outside the Solar System. They have colonized Mars and the Moon are set to move forward. But when a surge hits the Earth and threatens our planet, Major Roy McBride (played by Brad Pitt) is set to the edge of the Solar System to find his father, Clifford McBride (played by Tommy Lee Jones), who is the key to the survival of Earth.

“Ad Astra” is a beautiful movie to the eyes. The visual effects are extremely well done and it has to be as the majority of the film takes place in space. There were numerous shots of beauty being shown on the screen. From the outer atmosphere of Earth to the rings of Neptune, the visuals shine in a way I have not seen on film. In addition to the visuals, the cinematography is also a standout. Hoyte van Hoytema does the camera work here and it is beautifully shot. So many shots are reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey from the colors to the futuristic technology. Finally, the sounds of the film were so different than the rest of sci-fi films. The opening scene of the film features an explosion, which sounds so different. The typical sci fi film has the same explosion sound effects that we are so used to. Not only the visuals, but the sounds of the film elevate the film to realism.

Brad Pitt has a very limited role but does an exceptional job with the role he has. The acting is not done by the words he says, but the emotions in his face. In particular, the scene where Pitt’s character, Roy McBride, has to convey a message to his father. The emotions and tear that run on McBride’s face says it all. It shows sadness, along with a longing for the past. Along with Pitt, the supporting cast of Donald Sutherland, Ruth Negga, and Tommy Lee Jones shine with the limited role their have. Unfortuantely they are only shown on screen for about ten to fifteen minutes each and don’t share enough screen time. It is understandable that McBride is the main character, but I would love to seen more of the supporting characters.

“Ad Astra” is a visual spectale that has to be seen on the big screen. The visual effects, along with the sound mixing, acting, and cinematography is what makes “Ad Astra” stand out from other sci fi films. As Oscar season quickly approaches, my hopes are that we see “Ad Astra” get a few technical nominations for the fantastic work behind the camera. This is a must see.

3.5/4

The Peanut Butter Falcon Film Review

Directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz

Starring: Shia LeBeouf, Dakota Johnson, Zack Gottagen

Rated PG-13 for thematic content, language throughout, some violence and smoking

“The Peanut Butter Falcon” is a comedy-drama starring Shia LeBeouf and Zack Gottagen as two young men running away from their problems to find comfort in another place. LeBeouf plays Tyler, a young fisher, who is still haunted of the memory of his brother passing away, running away to Florida. Gottagen plays Zak, a young man with down syndrome who is escaping his home in a retirement home to chase his dream of becoming a wrestler. All this while two men and Zak’s friend, Eleanor, tries to find the pair.

The best way to describe to this film is sweet and heartwarming. The main leads of LeBeouf and Gottagen have incredible chemistry, I am almost certain that the pair are friends in real life. Gottagen plays Zak as a wonderful character who is destined to go to the wrestling school in a video he has watched so many times. Zak realizes he is young and full of energy and won’t let down syndrome get in the way of that. I certainly appreciate the type of character Zak is, every moment he graces the screen, it was a pleasure to watch.

On the other hand, LeBeouf’s Tyler is a man who is running away from his problems and wants to start anew in Florida. Tyler had just recently been laid off from work and the memory of his brother dying is still fresh in his mind. But when Tyler meets Zak, he is almost reminded of his brother and almost sees Zak as a brother. It is the smart writing that creates this incredible chemistry between the pair. Not once when I was watching this film did I feel like I saw two actors on screen play characters. I saw two friends who were on an adventure.

Coming into this film, I did not know what to expect. I read great reviews of the film, but that does not mean that I will enjoy the film as well. But when I left the theater, I was surprised how much enjoyment I had. For most films, there is a section where things begin to slow down and pacing falls flat. I never got bored or felt that things were slowing down. Each scene of the film was well paced and very humorous, when it needed to be.

The rest of the cast are top notch. Dakota Johnson, who plays Zak’s caretaker, plays her role very well. Every moment she is on screen, especially the last act, she has fun with the role. She was a joy to watch and this role proves that Johnson is capable of acting. John Hawkes is also in the film but his role is very limited. I was surprised to see Bruce Dern and Thomas Haden Church in the film as well. Both actors play their respective roles with much charm, both actors have great scenes with Gottsagen. In addition to the great cast, there is a fun little cameo that most wrestling fans will admire. But in short, there is not a false note in the cast.

“The Peanut Butter Falcon” was a shock to me. I did not realize how much I would have fun I would have with this film. It’s a shame that this film will not reach the masses but it certainty deserves to be viewed. “The Peanut Butter Falcon” is a humorous and touching film with exceptional casting, that certainly deserves to be viewed.

4/4

It Chapter 2 Film Review

Directed by Andy Muschietti

Starring: Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader

Rated R for disturbing violent content and bloody images throughout, pervasive language, and some crude sexual material

Two years after the original “It” film was released, we finally get the second half of Stephen King’s novel. “It” is terrifying, suspenseful, and funny in all the right ways, but with flaws within the film. “It Chapter 2” is the sequel of “It”, both based of the novel, the novel being divided into two parts. In “It Chapter 2”, the “Losers Club”, reunite 27 years later after the events of the first film, to defeat Pennywise, a human eating clown, once again.

The selling point of “It Chapter 2” is the Losers Club all grown up and shown as adults, in particular Bill Hader and Isaiah Mustafa. Both actors portray two totally different characters who fear Pennywise and are set to defeat him. Hader plays Richie, a stand up comic who uses comedy throughout the film to ease the tension and fear of Pennywise. Hader is funny when he needs to and very emotional as well. The final scenes of Hader being emotional is sold so well that it takes you out of the film and makes you believe the emotions coming out of Hader. Mustafa, on the other hand, plays Mike, a character who is set and obsessed with Pennywise. Mustafa plays Mike as a bit crazy who can’t seem to let go of the past, while all his former friends have seem to let go of the past and moved on with their lives. Both Hader and Mustafa are the highlights in the cast, in my opinion. Not to say that the other adults are good but these two stand out from the cast.

“It Chapter 2” shows how all horror films should be done. The film does not rely on cheap jump scare, but instead it builds upon suspense. For instance, the Chinese restaurant was not only a heartwarming scene but terrifying and suspenseful. The reason why this scene is sold so well is because all the characters get ominous fortunate cookies, therefore foreshadowing something dark yet to come. There are many scenes such as these, where the tension is built only for the horror elements to be revealed.

Many critics have pointed out the excessive run time of the film, as the film is over two and a half hours. There is nothing wrong when a film has an excessive run time, but those films have each scene feel important and relevant. The problem that “It 2” has is that there are many scenes that either run too long or feel irrelevant. In the film, it is revealed that Bowers, the bully from the first film, was place in a mental institution only for for him to break out with a dead corpse. Bowers is set to kill the Losers Club but this side plot is just wasted. For starters, this is shown in the beginning of the film and feels forgotten after it is shown. Once this plot point is shown again, it feels tacked on, as if the director almost forgot about this side plot. With this film being very long, it would have helped to cut this plot point. It may have been included in the original Stephen King but when a book is translated to a film, many plot points have to be cut out.

Towards the second act of the film, the Losers Club separate and find their own version of It. This part of the film feels dragged out and certainly feels long. We see the majority of the characters enter an old building only for something to terrorize the characters. It is understood that “It” was formerly a book and these scenes may have been in the book. But screenwriters do have to understand that not everything that is included in the book has to be on the big screen. If these scenes needed to be shown, then it would have been best that only one character being terrorize and remembering the past, not multiple characters.

I certainly had much enjoyment with “It Chapter 2”, it certainly has many scares that actually got me jumping out of my seat. Pennywise is a horrifying clown that proves why people should be afraid of clowns. “It Chapter 2” is not only frightening, but it is heartwarming and hilarious due to in part of the characters and the actors portraying them. If only the film had more scenes left on the cutting room floor, “It Chapter 2” would have been the perfect sequel to the original “It”.

3/4