tries a bit too hard to outdo the first one, yet there's still plenty to entertain

Rating: Null/10 (21 September 2019)

Twenty-seven years after they first encountered the killer clown, the Losers have all grown up, gone their separate ways, and settled into the uneasy routines of their respective lives, but when the ravenous Pennywise reemerges, they're summoned by Mike Hanlon (the only member to stay behind in Derry) to return and fulfill their blood oath to put the monster down for good. Not so much a sequel as it is a continuation of the source material, this time around Muschietti-clearly working with a larger budget-holds nothing back piling on the visual flourishes and gross-out effects (a bit too much at times) but makes a good decision to give his efficiently chosen adult cast a broad platform on which to explore their characters, and cleverly interweaves the narrative with pivotal flashbacks that allow viewers to revisit the young counterparts who set it all in motion. Devotees of the novel may be discouraged by some of the significant changes, and while it is difficult to maintain a consistent level of fear and suspense with the lengthy running time, it's still gripping and colorful, with some truly eerie moments, great dialogue, and a wonderful sense of humor, thanks largely to the work of Ransone and especially Hader, whose witty banter is a definite highpoint. A lot of fun, though admittedly it doesn't leave as lasting an impression as its predecessor. **½