27 Years after their encounter with Pennywise the Losers Club must reunite and fulfil the oath of getting back together if IT came back, the phone call they hoped they would never receive and having to return to Derry.
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The film works in a present day feel with plenty of flashbacks to the events which occurred 27 years previously, which I guess considering its been two years since the first film came out really helps if like myself you have only seen it once for the cinema release.
Mike is the only member of the Losers Club who ended up staying in Derry, he spent 27 years trying to figure out what Pennywise/IT really was and how they could destroy him when he comes back. Mysterious deaths mainly to children started happening again and this leads Mike to making some phone calls. To his former group of best friends who are living in different states now and pretty much forgot about the events which occurred. But as soon as they received the phone call the horrific memories started to return.
Would they all show up? Well, as it turned out IT could then again speak to them and the horror was about to begin. On the return to Derry more comes back to each of them. This creates the backbone to the story as individually they must find something from 27 years ago which is key to the story. I have to admit that I found these parts very creepy indeed and a sense of dread wondering just what was going to happen to them and what they were going to have to deal with as Pennywise appeared at different moments along with some of his very odd and strange creatures.
Don't get me wrong while this kept me on edge it was also quite tough for the film to actually deserve and need the 2 hour and 49 minute running time, it did feel very long at times and I am sure it could have been more effective with a shorter time. The character development for each individual is built up again but it does require plenty of flashbacks to when they were kids and what happened to them. Which does raise the question of whether it should have just been one film rather than two chapters. But I guess that is something different to debate.
The fact that I did feel creeped out at different moments and did feel a fear of what was going to come next is a reason I must therefore praise this film. I think it was because parts hit the psychological side and that is tougher to watch than just jump out on you horror. You always knew when Pennywise was going to appear but the way and the form he was going to be in was never easy to guess.
I have to praise the overall performances of the cast and that they did channel the child actors very well. It also had a couple of unexpected twists and turns in terms of storyline and had some lovely moments. Again that was something that I was not expecting at all. Especially with the Richie storyline and Bev eventually finding out that her secret admire was Ben and not Bill. Everyone's reaction when realising who Ben was as well!