A Satisfying Final Act

Rating: 8/10 (4 September 2019)

As a massive fan of the first chapter, I counted down the days until I get to feast my eyes on the closing segment of the saga. And while CHAPTER 2 certainly delivers on ramping up the production (more blood, brutal kills, intricate set pieces) a compelling aspect of the first part was sorely missing.
What made CHAPTER ONE absolutely bone-chilling was that the terror wasn't confined to Pennywise alone, but by other residents of this mysterious town who are hellbent on terrorizing these poor kids. From the adults to the parents to the bullies, fear was at every turn, and the killer clown was more than happy to exploit this.
And while it does occasionally touch upon this in this second half (the brutal hate crime, the bullied little girl with the birthmark) that element seems to be discarded altogether, giving the viewer less chance to feel absolute dread for the new batch of victims in this go around.
Of course, they are not the focus of the story. With the grown-up Losers Club returning to Derry with all their baggage in hand, the horror seems surface-level, at times even comical and groan-inducing. You don't really get the teeth of the terror, as in-your-face as the brutality may be.
What does translate is the tremendous chemistry between the actors much like the cast of its' predecessor. There is a fair amount of levity (albeit misplaced at times) that equals the first chapter and a genuine sense of camaraderie between the actors. The highs are high and the lows are heartbreaking.
Shortcomings aside, its still a fitting end to a saga that deals with some heavy topics coupled with effective scares and even a dose of heart. It's not even a question of "is it worth watching?" If you've seen the first one, the answer simply is "yes".