Based on Stephen Kings 1,138 page novel It, It Chapter Two picks up after original 2017 movie and follows the story of The Loser Club and their battles against Pennywise, the shape-shifting clown. The movie resumes 27 years later when Pennywise awakes once more and the Loser Club, all adults now, must reunite forces to defeat the clown once and for all.

Unfortunately, unlike the first movie, a cast of adults representing the kids are less charming and connected with the audience. In the first film, a group of outcast kids joining forces to defeat the clown offered a unique perspective and allowed audiences to grow emotionally invested into the characters. However, watching a movie with a grown-up cast that the audience can’t relate to fails to offer up the same distinctiveness as the characters in the first movie.

In addition, the movie’s plot feels drawn out and often unnecessary. It Chapter Two runs for 2 hours and 50 minutes compared to It which ran for 2 hours and 20 minutes.  Majority of the movie focuses on the Loser Club’s individual missions to collect tokens from their past which are  needed for a ritual to defeat Pennywise. And while these scenes are some of the more terrifying in the movie, by the time the movie approaches the final climax battle, a sense of repetitiveness seems to kick in. As a result, the movie comes off as less fun and scary than it does repetitive and boring.

Due to the producer’s attempts to fit in as much horror and plot twists with its big-budget and run time, the plot sometimes felt convoluted and messy. While It placed emphasis on the emotional value and relationships between the characters, It Chapter Two jumps straight into the action before the audience can reconnect with the now grown-ups. But it becomes evident that heavy action doesn’t necessarily mean a better plot, and at the end of the movie, the audience are still left with numerous questions including the explanation of the dead lights, Pennywise’s reappearance, character backstories, etc.

However, to its credit, the movie successfully hits on emotional and shock value during the most climactic parts. Throughout the movie, the chemistry and acting of the cast prove to make the human-eating clown and its terror more believable and fearsome.  Despite getting repetitive towards the end, the movie’s cliche string of jump scares, illusions, comic relief and gory showdown are enough to provide numerous instances of fear within the audience. The movie is successfully able to both juggle the dynamics of having six main characters and provide satisfying conclusions for each. Despite being too big and brash for its own measure, It Chapter Two provides a mediocre follow-up to an otherwise satisfying saga.