It Chapter Two appears in an aspect ratio of 2.40:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Given that Chapter Two came from the same people who made the first film, picture and audio strongly echoed what I heard/saw there. So please enjoy this lazy cut/paste job taken from my earlier review!
Across the board, definition seemed excellent. Even with a mix of low-light sequences and wide shots, the film appeared accurate and concise.
Jagged edges and moiré effects didn’t mar the presentation, and I saw no edge haloes. Print flaws also failed to appear.
In terms of palette, Chapter Two went with a standard orange and teal orientation, though it went green for significant moments as well. Within stylistic choices, the hues seemed well-depicted.
Blacks were dark and dense, and shadows gave us good clarity. I felt pleased with this transfer.
As for the Dolby Atmos audio, it offered a mostly typical horror movie soundscape. Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, this meant a fair amount of creepy atmosphere and occasional “jolt moments”.
Along with good stereo music, the soundfield was able to open things up in a satisfying manner that embellished the story. We got a good sense of rain and other natural elements along with a useful sense of the spooky elements, with some that worked really well.
Audio quality was always good. Music appeared full and rich, while effects demonstrated nice clarity and accuracy. Low-end appeared deep and rich.
Speech was natural and distinctive throughout the film. The mix used the speakers well and created a fine sense of the material.
While the release for the first film didn’t pack a ton of extras, Chapter Two compensates. On the movie disc, we get an audio commentary from director Andy Muschietti, as he brings a running, screen-specific look at the source and its adaptation, story/characters, cast and performances, sets and locations, editing and photography, music, and related domains.
Overall, Muschietti offers a fairly good commentary. He fades a little at times, but given the movie’s length, this doesn’t become an issue. The director covers various aspects of the production in a satisfying manner.
On a second disc, the main attraction comes from two documentaries under the banner of The Summers of It. Together these span a total of one hour, 15 minutes, eight seconds.
Across the two segments, we get notes from Muschietti, producer Barbara Muschietti, acting coach Benjamin Perkins, author Stephen King, and actors Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, Jaeden Martell, Bill Skarsgård, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Nicholas Hamilton, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, Jessica Chastain, James Ransone, Jay Ryan, and James McAvoy.
“Summers” examines cast and performances, Pennywise design and makeup, sets and locations, rehearsals, and the director’s impact on the production.
Though both segments work well, the one that addresses the first film fares best, as the second gets a little more focused on happy talk. Still, we get lots of good information across the two parts, so they add up to an involving view of the production.
With Pennywise Lives Again, we find a nine-minute, 55-second featurette that includes remarks from Skarsgård, Andy Muschietti, King, concept artist Vincent Proce, and special makeup effects designer/supervisor Sean Sansom.
As expected, “Again” examines aspects of the ways Chapter Two brought Pennywise to the screen. It acts as a solid complement to the similar program on the prior film’s disc.
This Meeting Of the Losers’ Club Has Officially Begun runs eight minutes, 12 seconds and offers info from Taylor, Jacobs, Grazer, Barbara Muschietti, King, Andy Muschietti, Lillis, Chastain, Mustafa, Hader, Wolfhard, Ransone, Ryan, Martell, McAvoy, Oleff, and actor Andy Bean.
“Club” looks at casting the adult versions of the young characters. On its own, “Club” seems decent, but much of it becomes redundant after the “Summers” documentary.
During Finding the Deadlights, we get a six-minute, 18-second featurette that involves King, Barbara Muschietti, McAvoy and Andy Muschietti. King reflects on aspects of his novel and work in this short but engaging piece.
Two years after the first film, It Chapter Two concludes the tale on a positive note. While not a great horror film, it does much more right than wrong. The Blu-ray boasts excellent visuals along with very good audio and a nice set of supplements. This becomes a satisfactory resolution to the tale.