”It: Chapter Two” Movie Review

    I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed “It” when it premiered a few years ago.  I am not a huge horror fan nor am I a big Stephen King admirer but the film adaptation of “It” was delightfully well executed.  The book the film was based on is massive, and “It” only comes around half of the source material, notably the portion which covered the main characters as children.  I was eagerly awaiting how “It: Chapter Two” would turn out ever since the project was announced.  Luckily for me, “It: Chapter Two” was finally released last week.

    The film takes place 27 years after the first film and follows Mike contacting childhood friends Bill, Beverly, Richie, Ben, Eddie, and Stanley to come back to Derry, Maine after it is discovered that Pennywise has returned.  The friends reunite once again to honor the pact they made as kids to stop Pennywise once and for all.  To do so, they must all gather personal tokens in order to do an ancient ritual they hope will be the key to killing Pennywise once and for all.

    Luckily for me, the film largely lived up to my expectations and I thought it was among the best films of the year.  The film isn’t perfect but the pros definitely outweigh the few cons the film has.  I have to admit that I was concerned considering in the original “It” miniseries, the part featuring the adults was the weakest act despite decent actors.

    Perhaps the biggest strength of the movie is it’s cast.  I loved the young cast of the first film and I was a little on the fence about some of the adult casting in this film, mainly Isaiah Mustafa since I was afraid he would take me out of the movie because of his Old Spice commercial fame.  Fortunately, Mustafa was actually fairly good in the film (although not the highlight either).  James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain headline the ensemble cast (and reunite after appearing in “Dark Phoenix” together this year) and give incredible performances.  The real standout performance came from “Saturday Night Live” alumni Bill Hader.  Hader is at times hilarious and at other times appropriately terrified.  Bill Hader really surprised me with how good he was considering Hader’s casting was the one I was most concerned with.

    In addition to the new cast, the young actors from the first film also return to play the young versions of the main characters.  Their performances are among the highlights of the film once again.  Their scenes play like a scarier version of the film “Stand By Me” which is also based on a work by Stephen King.  As good as the adult actors were, they still did not mesh as well as the young cast did.  Perhaps that is because the group seems to be close in real life, even appearing at public events like the Motor City Comic Con together.  The only problem with the young cast some people have in this film is because they were de-aged via computer animation (though I didn’t really notice it when I watched it).  Lastly, Bill Skarsgård also returns as Pennywise the Dancing Clown and once again kills it (pun intended).

    Director Andy Muschietti once again creates a creepy atmosphere and gets incredible performances from his cast.  Muschietti will no doubt have an incredible career ahead of him and I look forward to what he brings to the upcoming DC film “The Flash”.  The cinematography of the film is also incredible and several shots are stunning throughout.

    One complaint some movie goers might have about the film comes from how similar the film feels to the first part.  This is typically a problem most sequels face and this film is no exception.  Despite the fact that this film largely serves as a scavenger hunt, much of the scares remain the same.  The film is also not as scary as the first film and focuses more on being a character study (though the scares that do come up are very well executed).

    One potential problem audiences might have as well is the runtime.  At around three hours, the film is a real workout on the bladder.  There are definitely scenes that could have been edited out without hurting the final cut.  That being said, even at three hours, the film is fairly well paced and does not feel as long as it is.

    One incredible aspect of the film that wasn’t ‘needed’ but added a lot to the film were all the little nods to the Tim Curry miniseries and the Stephen King Book.  I also loved the little Stephen King cameo in the film which also proved King has a sense of humor about his work.

    “It: Chapter Two” isn’t quite as good as “It” but it was still a very good film.  If you enjoyed “It”, the sequel is definitely a treat you would be sure to enjoy.  I am hoping that “Doctor Sleep”, the next Stephen King adaptation, lives up to these films.  Fingers crossed.

Grade: A-

“I Spy” Movie Review

    Once upon a time, I used to go out to the movies at least once a week with my parents (before they sadly passed away) and one movie I remember my dad really wanting to see was “I Spy” because he was a fan of the original show.  I never actually did see the original television show but the film looked funny and I have always been a big Eddie Murphy fan.  This movie has a special place in my heart partly because it reminds me of my dad and I am glad it is finally getting a wide Blu-ray release.

    The film tells the story of a spy named Alex Scott as he is paired with hotshot boxer Kelly Robinson on a mission to recover a stealth fighter named the Switchblade.  The fighter was taken by an arms dealer named Arnold Gundars but Scott and Robinson have to learn how to get along before taking down Gundars and recovering the Switchblade.

    “I Spy” was met with mediocre reviews and was quickly forgotten.  While I don’t think the film was a masterpiece at all, I did find the film to be fun.  The biggest fault I can say about the film is that it played everything a little too safe and was a bit by the numbers.  “I Spy” actually had a few well executed action set pieces but they often got overshadowed by the constant banter of Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson.

    The original television show starred Robert Culp as Kelly Robinson and Bill Cosby as Alex Scott (the film swapped the character’s races around).  Unlike this remake, the television show also featured both men as spies and equals from the very beginning.  The original show had more in common with James Bond than “Beverly Hills Cop”, which is part of the reason many critics considered this film to be a ‘in name only’ remake.

    The original television show also pioneered new grounds by featuring the first black lead actor in a drama series.  Both Owen Wilson and Eddie Murphy do a decent job with the material they are given, but they also don’t have much chemistry together either.  Malcolm McDowell as Arnold Gundars is the real scene stealer in my book.

    I actually got a chance to meet Robert Culp before he passed away at the Motor City Comic Con and he ironically autographed an “I Spy” script for me.  I wonder if including Culp and Cosby might have made this remake a little better.  Side note: I did not know that Robert Culp had a grandson who raps (stage name Bones) who was raised in my town of Howell, Michigan.  You learn something interesting everyday and it really is a small world.

    Thank you Mill Creek Entertainment for providing me a review copy and letting me relive a fond memory I have of seeing this movie with my dad.  I also had a fun time rewatching this movie as well.  “I Spy” is definitely an overlooked action/comedy that deserves more attention.

Grade: B-

Buy “I Spy” on Blu-ray Here!!!

“Jury Duty” Movie Review

    It is hard to explain the phenomenon that was Pauly Shore.  Well, a lot of things that were popular in the 90s are hard to explain now.  Remember how hot Pogs were?  Trying explaining Pogs to a kid now, you will be lucky to only get a blank stare.  In that respect Pauly Shore sort of equates to Pogs, a lot of people seemed to love him in the 90s but we didn’t exactly know why and we still can’t explain the appeal.  Pauly Shore enjoyed a string of modest hits despite critics hating his films and then he disappeared as mysteriously as he arrived.

    Of course, not all of Pauly Shore’s films were a success, the film “Jury Duty” for instance was a box office bomb.  Still, box office figures are just numbers and critics such as myself can only tell you their opinions so I had to see this film for myself.  Thankfully, the generous folks at Mill Creek Entertainment were kind enough to provide me a copy of the film so I could tell you my take on it.

    The film follows a young man named Tommy who lives a carefree life but must find a place to stay while his mom gets married.  After being let go as a male stripper, Tommy decides that his best option for room and board is to be put on jury duty.  Though the case seems pretty straight forward, Tommy prolongs the jury deliberation in an effort to keep his hotel room and to get closer to Monica, a fellow juror who Tommy has a crush on.

    I personally think much of the appeal of Pauly Shore can be traced to his key demographic at the time, teenagers.  Pauly Shore had a very over the top and cartoonish style of comedy and that is very prominent in this film.  Critics tend to enjoy slightly more mature fair and it’s part of the reason Pauly Shore was so hated by them.

    “Jury Duty” was a loose reimagining of the teleplay “Twelve Angry Men” and it doesn’t exactly carry the same weight the 1957 Henry Fonda film did.  I would be curious to see what the YouTube channel LegalEagle would make of this film.

    This is exactly the kind of movie I would expect critics to tear apart but I have to admit, I kind of liked it.  Yes, it’s dumb and it certainly won’t stay with you but it isn’t made to be profound or change someone’s life.  It is just made to get a cheap giggle or two and it succeeds in that way.  Plus it is fun to see some great comedic character actors in some of their early roles.  Heck, even Stanley Tucci turned up in this film...and he even had hair!  It should be noted that Andrew Dice Clay also appears in an uncredited cameo at the beginning of this film.

    I saw Pauly Shore at the 2019 Motor City Comic Con in Novi, Michigan and while I didn’t get a chance to meet him personally, from what I saw, he seemed legitimately nice.  He greeted and interacted with all his fans and he seemed to have a good time.  It made me appreciate Pauly Shore a little more, I have to admit.

Grade: B

Buy “Jury Duty” on Blu-ray with a Retro VHS Slipcover Here!!!