Question: Why does Stanley kill himself? I understand in the film it is because he considered himself too weak and wanted to give his friends the best chance. However, why didn't he just stay where he was was and not return? Pennywise can't reach that far so could not influence him. Stanley could have come up with any plan, even faking his death.
Answer: It's a bit involved, but the fact is that he was never that stable with the idea to begin with. He had forgotten all the horrors of his childhood (either due to the influence of Maturin the turtle [from the book] or Pennywise it makes little difference) and when it all started to come back to him, he panicked. And frankly, he had no way of knowing whether Pennywise could get him where he was or not. He didn't know enough to know one way or the other. But he knew that where Pennywise was concerned it would never be over simply. Pennywise would have tormented and tortured them like he did when they were kids, and when faced with that prospect he decided that ending it now, especially in his panicked state, was preferable to the idea of torture.
Question: In the first It, Pennywise was defeated by the Losers because they were no longer afraid of Pennywise, which weakened him. How was he able to become strong enough to return?
Answer: Simply put, the Losers incorrectly believed Pennywise would starve during his hibernation because he couldn't eat them. This is apparently not the case and in the 27 years he was sleeping, Pennywise gained enough strength to eat the wounded Adrian Mellon when he wakes. After claiming Adrian, Pennywise was strong enough to resume his normal activities. Overcoming their fears was only good enough to win the battle with Pennywise, but it wasn't enough to kill him. In the book the Losers have no idea whether or not they have killed Pennywise, and this coupled with the fact that they get lost in the sewers causes them all to panic. The fact that Pennywise sleeps for 27 years leads them to believe that he is dead over time and all but Mike forgets about him and the rest of the Losers entirely. The film is identical to the book in the regard that Pennywise awakens after 27 years with just enough strength to murder and eat Adrian Mellon.
Question: Why does Pennywise feed on the adult at the start? I thought he only fed on children as seen in the previous movie and this movie. Or is it fear that he feeds on? I haven't read the book so maybe it's better explained in there.
Answer: Pennywise eats Adrian Mellon because he has just awoken from his sleep and is hungry. Pennywise will feed on anyone but prefers his victims to be afraid because the meal is more satisfying. It is described in the book as like "salting the meat." Likewise, Pennywise prefers children because their fear is more intense.
Answer: I think it's more of an attempt at a silly joke, juxtaposing the insane imagery with a tender song. But I've also seen the suggestion that it was an Easter Egg/reference to the book "The Langoliers," in which the song is mentioned. (And given the "It" films have some general Stephen King Easter Eggs referencing things from his other books, that makes sense).
TedStixon