Enjoyable

Rating: 7/10 (10 September 2019)

I was excited when the trailer for this movie dropped. The first trailer for this movie had me thoroughly creeped out. The second trailer looked intense.
The week of release reviews were split, some enjoyed it while others left disappointed. This made me nervous going in, wondering if it would fall short.
I left the theater pleased in the end. I enjoyed the film and time with friends. We all left laughing and chattered about our favorite moments in the following days. Honestly, I would like to see it again.
That being said, was Chapter Two Academy Award worthy? No. Is it Razzie worthy? Absolutely not. Enjoyable is the word that comes to mind. One review I read mentioned said if there were a category in the Academy Awards for the casting director, they would deserve it, and yes, I wholeheartedly agree with that statement.
The casting in this movie is excellent. The adult actors nailed their parts, and it was complimented well by supporting performances from the child actors. Humor is tastefully placed throughout the film, offering levity at the right moments.
Of all the adult actors, Bill Hader deserves recognition. Seeing an SNL alum handle a more serious role so well is great to see. Some SNL actors just can't shake the shackles of being a comedy actor, but Hader successful blends humor with seriousness.
Admittedly, I went in believing Chapter Two would turn it up notch when it comes to the creep factor, but it didn't. IT (2017) is certainly the scarier of the two, which disappointed me.
At times, the film can feel a little crammed, maybe. The film couldn't focus on each character for proper development, even though it was about 3 hours long. However, the film colors in the background with added footage filling out the child side of the story, and for once IT's origins are touched on, even briefly.
The finale was better than the miniseries, but let's be honest, those of us who have seen it know there was nowhere to go but up.
In the end, Chapter Two is an enjoyable film with excellent casting and charismatic actors/actresses. Had this element been gone, it may have turned out much different.