Fair Scare, short of a few 'pennies wiser'

Rating: 7/10 (29 September 2019)

This review is delayed, yet it seems befitting to talk about the sequel, cinematic adaptation of one of the most revered horror stories in modern English literature.
Part two, or say the continuation of the prior story, is 'not' all about the terrifying clown. Set about 27 years after the horrifying clown-spirit Pennywise was sent to hiding by 7 lanky teenagers (a.k.a. "Losers"), the haunting resurfaces to the town of Derry - recharged and more sinister. Bounded by their blood oath, those teenagers - now adults, reluctantly return to their hometown for the end game. Though, it shall take more than their presence for those losers to be united. As they became what they were running away from, together recollect an unsettling, fearful past to nab the 'fear' of the present.
Scary, graphic and jump-scare thrills make most of "IT: Chapter 2". Much like its first-part, Director Andy Muschietti ("IT", "Mama") and horror screenwriter Gary Dauberman carefully excerpt and modernize the even darker novel by Stephen King (who makes a rare cameo subtly criticizing his own story-endings). The allegory of facing fears as children to fight until death is remarkably executed. Given the master casting choices (with prowess and literal lookalikes to teenage actors) which include - Jessica Chastain (the girl-with-issues Beverly), James McAvoy (the stuttering Bill), Jay Ryan (the fat-boy Ben), Isaiah Mustafa (the black orphan Mike), Bill Hader and James Ransome (the latter two being brilliant as foul-mouthed Richie and hypochondriac Eddie) along with Bill "The Pennywise" Skarsgard, make worth spending nearly 3 hours in a theatre.
However, good an effort, this film feels deliberate. The terror-tainted background score (Benjamin Wallfisch, "Blade Runner 2049") is well-crafted with conventional operatic overtures and unsettling string accompaniments, yet there's too much of it. Then, just like King puts it, the film falters in concluding its characterization properly, making it look like a rush job of ending on heartfelt introspection. Though, it doesn't nose dive from its own previous benchmark of horror and would get your heart-pounding and even, laughing-out-loud on more instants.
So, there's no reason to leave this follow-up act out of your watch list for it doesn't (again, thankfully) do a "Hangover 3". Yet, for a few "pennies wiser", it would have been exceptional to match "IT" itself.