It Chapter Two adapts the second part of Stephen King’s hit novel It into a 3-hour epic that will send chills down your spine, but just not as much as Chapter One. 

     Since it’s been a while since the first part, one may have forgotten a little when jumping into part two, but the film’s plot of The Losers Club recollecting their memories to defeat Pennywise once and for all is perfect for this type of viewing experience. The first act leading up to the Chinese restaurant scene gives a good refresher on the previous film for this one to stand on its own, and what a doozy that scene is. It sets off to a good start with the grotesque CGI creatures that made the first movie so terrifying. 

     All the creepy crawlies in It Chapter Two are very well done, whether they’re disgusting amalgamations or rotten humanoids that fall right into the uncanny valley. They are also animated very well, although there are two of them that have visibly choppy movement. The only downside to these creatures is their quantity, leading to most of the jumpscares relying on off-timing to build suspense to a pay-off that isn’t worth it, rather than the scariness of the monsters being the driving force of the spooks.

     While all the monsters are almost completely new, nothing else really is. The use of the same settings and plot structure as It Chapter One are perfect for the film’s theme of remembrance, but it’s at the cost of the film feeling the same as the last. While that may be the point, it makes the film unable to stand out from its predecessor. If it weren’t for the aged cast, this would feel like more of the first chapter than a true sequel. It even has certain scenes where the adult versions of the main cast revert to their child forms from the first film, which is somewhat needed to hammer in its theme of not forgetting your past, but it just feels in bad taste given the similarity of the two films.

     Overall, It Chapter Two is a worthy successor to its 2017 precursor, though its over reliance on set pieces from Chapter One is a double edged sword that doesn’t allow it to exceed its predecessor. -Chase Olson

Rating: 3.5 out of 5