History YMMV / ItChapterTwo

* EpilepticTrees: Seeing as both are coming out this year, fans are speculating that this film will have a scene to cross over with or tie into ''Film/DoctorSleep''. [[spoiler: This ultimately turned out to not be the case, though the climax does feature a ShoutOut to the other film's [[Film/TheShining predecessor]]]].

* CriticalDissonance: It's seen as SoOkayItsAverage by critics but audiences were nicer to it. Just for comparison, the film's critical score on ''Website/RottenTomatoes'' is a lukewarm 62% while the audience rating is a lukewarm but still much more positive 78%.

* ToughActToFollow: The first movie was warmly received and considered one of the best Creator/StephenKing adaptations to date, so naturally ''Chapter Two'' would have a lot to live up to. Unfortunately, the mixed (but still mostly positive) reception indicates the film couldn't quite escape its predecessor's shadow. [[note]]To be fair, the original novel suffered this problem too. As many readers also felt the section with the kids in the book was far stronger than the section with the adults[[/note]]

** The NoHoldsBarredBeatdown of Adrian Mellon loses some of its horror after the umpteenth BigNo Don lets out, while also repeatedly [[SayMyName screaming Adrian's name out]]. Not to mention, how Don screaming "ADRIAN!" can remind some viewers of a [[Film/Rocky certain boxing film]].

** The NoHoldsBarredBeatdown of Adrian Mellon loses some of its horror after the umpteenth BigNo Don lets out, while also repeatedly [[SayMyName screaming Adrian's name out]].

* ToughActToFollow: The first movie was warmly received and considered one of the best Creator/StephenKing adaptations to date, so naturally ''Chapter Two'' would have a lot to live up to. Unfortunately, the mixed (but still mostly positive) reception indicates the film couldn't quite escape its predecessor's shadow. [note]To be fair, the original novel suffered this problem too. As many readers also felt the section with the kids in the book was far stronger than the section with the adults[/note]

* ToughActToFollow: The first movie was warmly received and considered one of the best Creator/StephenKing adaptations to date, so naturally ''Chapter Two'' would have a lot to live up to. Unfortunately, the mixed (but still mostly positive) reception indicates the film couldn't quite escape its predecessor's shadow.

** Myra, Eddie's wife (who is played by his mom's actor) is not very popular with shippers, with the overwhelming majority of fans shipping Eddie with [[spoiler:Richie]] and generally ignoring her existence.

** Also Myra, Eddie's wife (who is played by his mom's actor) is not very popular either, with the overwhelming majority of fans shipping Eddie with [[spoiler:Richie]] and generally ignoring her existence. Though non shippers hate her too.

* DieForOurShip: Connor Bowers, Henry's cousin, who [[spoiler:Richie]] had a crush on as a child.

* JerksAreWorseThanVillains: Much like Greta and her GirlPosse in the previous film, the homophobic thugs who brutally assault Adrien and Don at the start of this film are far more despised and more difficult to watch than the titular shapeshifting, child eating EldritchAbomination.

* JerksAreWorseThanVillains: Much like Greta and her GirlPosse in the previous film, the homophobic thugs who brutally assault Adrien and Don at the start of this film are far more despised and more difficult to watch than the titular shapeshifting, child eating EldrichAbomination.

** While not to the extent of [[spoiler:Eddie,]] many fans also ignore [[spoiler:Stan's death]]

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** A big criticism of the first film is that Pennywise is so [[ObviouslyEvil overtly scary]] it's impossible to believe he could draw any kids in, which may have resulted from the filmmakers trying to avoid falling into {{Narm}} like Creator/TimCurry's portrayal arguably did at times. However, in this film, his encounter with Victoria shows him actively playing on her sympathies of being embarrassed about his looks, which she can relate to with her birthmark, showing his manipulative talent. Pennywise is also more deliberately comical in his behavior, addressing criticisms that he was also too scary for the clown persona to seem at all effective.
** The [[Film/It1990 miniseries]] was criticized for how the adult actors didn't resemble their characters' child selves. This movie rectified that by getting actors who not only look like their child actor counterparts, but also got their mannerisms.
** Beverly's recovery from the Deadlights turns out not to have been a clean one from a simple TrueLovesKiss, since she is revealed to have suffered prophetic nightmares for nearly 30 years.
** Many found Mike to be underdeveloped compared to the other Losers in Chapter One, especially since his role of historian was largely given to Ben in the first film. As an adult, he has the historian role like he does in the book and gets a little more to do, leading the others in the Ritual of Chüd and even ripping out IT's heart (unlike in the novel, where he isn't present for the final battle due to being critically injured in his fight with Henry Bowers).
** Several fans criticized Pennywise's tactics in regards to the use of the Deadlights, which they believe would've completely neutralized the Losers in the fight. In this film, Pennywise does use the Deadlights as an attack, but it's all-but useless as an offensive because it only works on a single target, leaves him open to a counterattack, and the victim recovers almost immediately.

** In Richie’s flashback at the movie theater, [[spoiler: Henry Bowers’ cousin is shown playing ''VideoGame/StreetFighterI'' with him but turns on Richie after Bowers himself arrives, even mockingly accusing Richie of trying to seduce him into something sexual]]. [[BitchInSheepsClothing Was he planning to embarrass Richie in front of Henry and the other kids at the theatre the whole time]], or did he genuinely like Richie [[spoiler: (platonically or otherwise)]] and was just trying to be on Henry's side to avoid his older cousin's wrath? What footage it does show (such as the two high-fiving while they play, fingers brushing just a little too long) could support both theories.
** There's a small amount of belief that [[spoiler: Dean itself wasn't actually a real person but rather IT attempting to manipulate not only the entire Losers, but Bill in particular, due to his lingering guilt over Georgie's death]].

** Beverly’s recovery from the Deadlights turns out not to have been a clean one from a simple TrueLovesKiss, since she is revealed to have suffered prophetic nightmares for nearly 30 years.

** Several fans criticized Pennywise’s tactics in regards to the use of the Deadlights, which they believe would’ve completely neutralized the Losers in the fight. In this film, Pennywise does use the Deadlights as an attack, but it’s all-but useless as an offensive because it only works on a single target, leaves him open to a counterattack, and the victim recovers almost immediately.

* CatharsisFactor: This is the most evil Pennywise has ever been, and unlike the '90 miniseries, there's no big spider (Well, [[spoiler: not a [[SpiderPeople whole spider]] exactly, that is)]]. [[spoiler:Like the book, you get to see Pennywise beaten down, terrified, whimpering and all but begging for his life as he's reduced to sheer powerlessness and destroyed for good.]]

** Pennywise tormenting Richie [[spoiler: [[ArmoredClosetGay about his secret sexuality]]]] would just be cruel and hard to watch if he were not doing it in the form of an [[https://youtu.be/Hu30X3m3EXE?t=36 over the top song]], complete with the [[FunnyBackgroundEvent people behind Richie swaying their heads to the tune]].

** Also worse, since Pennywise's return is always preceded by an awful event(the Black Spot fire, the Bradley Gang shooting and, in this film, the savage beating of Adrian Mellon by homophobic thugs.)

** Creator/BillHader's performance as the older Richie has been particularly singled out for praise. Hader provides the film with much needed levity while also able to express serious fear when being terrorized by Pennywise which Hader himself said he had trouble doing before and carrying some of its most emotional moments, [[spoiler: with [[HeroicBSOD his reaction to Eddie's death being especially heartbreaking]]]]. For this range Hader has, it's already gotten to a point [[https://www.indiewire.com/2019/08/it-chapter-two-first-reactions-bill-hader-oscar-1202167684/ critics think Hader deserves an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance]].

* HesJustHiding: The fandom ''overwhelmingly'' ignores [[spoiler: Eddie's death]] to the point that it's actually hard to find fanworks where [[spoiler: he dies and stays dead]].
** While not to the extent of [[spoiler: Eddie,]] many fans also ignore [[spoiler: Stan’s death]]
* HilariousInHindsight:

*** Meaning Eddie himself is bi instead of gay, meaning not only is Jack Dylan Grazer actually right about Eddie’s sexually, but the fans biggest OTP in the series also could still have also become canon, had things gone differently.

** The month before the film’s release, IMAX screenings of ''[[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing2019 The Lion King]]'' at AMC Theaters had the film’s trailer attached to it. Given this is a rated-R horror film, putting it before one of the major tentpole family films of summer 2019 wasn’t the best idea.

** Mrs. Kersh’s movements and mannerisms are supposed to be unnerving and unnatural, which is pretty effective for the most part... except for one scene where she’s watching Bev from a distance as she’s reminiscing over Ben’s postcard as a child, and then she’s shown flailing her arms around in a manner not too dissimilar to [[WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}} Zoidberg.]]

** When Pennywise appears in Ben’s locker with him, it could’ve made for an effective jumpscare if not for Pennywise’s face, which is supposed to mock Ben’s scared face, but instead comes off like it’s constipated.

** It’s new spider design has been mocked for blatantly shoehorning in the popular Pennywise persona, resulting in a weird mishmash. Aptly described on WebVideo/HalfInTheBag as “In the book there’s a giant spider. But people like the clown. CLOWN SPIDER!!!”.

** The way Pennywise is defeated. The clown is essentially... ''bullied'' to death. But at the same time, it’s actually a rather fitting way for IT to die, and it shows how weak and pathetic IT really is while serving as a nice cap to the message of how standing up to bullies deprives them of power.
** Richie’s comical comebacks and remarks are so frequent and out of place in a cosmic horror story, yet given the weird shit he’s seen as a kid and what’s unfolding in front of him now, it's all but stated that he's simply using humor as a way to cope with all the dark things happening to him and his friends.
** The way Henry Bowers laughs at the sight of Pennywise’s red balloon in the mental institution is so over-the-top and hammy for an adult to act, but considering he’s practically gone mentally insane after murdering his father and his friends, it comes off shockingly realistic and turns back around to being creepy again.
** Bill reliving his childhood by riding down the road on his old bike, Silver, and laughing like a child as he’s riding, complete with him shouting "''Hi Ho, Silver!''" It’s laughable to see a grown adult acting like this, but since it plays into the main goal the Losers are trying to do (remember their childhoods for the Ritual of Chüd), add on that it’s been 27 years since Bill has even been to Derry, and it turns back into a SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoment.

** Brandon Crane, who played young Ben in ''Film/It1990'', is in the boardroom meeting of this film’s adult Ben.

** Victoria, the young girl with the birth mark, only appears in two scenes but manages to be quite cute and endearing [[spoiler: which makes her death even sadder]].

* {{Padding}}: The subplot with an older Henry Bowers escaping the asylum and hunting the Losers has been criticized for adding very little to the film besides bloating out the runtime, and something that was only in the film because it was in the book. [[spoiler: With the exception of injuring Mike and Eddie, Bowers has no other effect on the plot, and after Richie kills him to defend Mike, he is never mentioned again. He isn't even able to injure the two to the extent that he did in the book (crippling Eddie in one arm and nearly killing Mike).]]
** The scenes with the kids have also been criticized for being in the film just because of the popularity of the actors’ performances in the previous movie.

** The gang that attacked Adrian Mellon and his partner. With the time spent with them beating up the couple and throwing Adrian off the bridge, you would think they were being potentially set up the secondary antagonists much like Henry Bower’s gang in the previous film. Instead, they flee the scene and outright disappear from the rest of the film without getting any comeuppance.
** Adrian’s partner, Don, could have also potentially played a sizable role in the film. He was the only other adult character besides the Loser’s Club to see IT. Don could have filled in the void left by Stanley and could have been looking for revenge for Adrian. Even Mike could have questioned Don about IT. Instead, Don just disappears from the film and is never seen or mentioned again, though this is in accordance with the book.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Stanley’s suicide or [[spoiler:rather his "sacrifice".]] It's meant to come across as a tough but [[spoiler:ultimately the right choice, as his sacrifice would be necessary to ensure the Losers presented a united front against IT.]] But the problem is that we don’t learn of this until after [[spoiler:IT's defeat]] and most of the time until then presented it as if he were too afraid to face IT again. Instead, his [[spoiler:"not suicide"]] letter comes more across as Stanley trying to rationalize and justify his cowardice.

** The aforementioned little girl, Victoria, or "Vicky", is given a surprising amount of depth beyond 'victim'. She has a port-wine stain mark on her face, resulting in people mocking and ridiculing her, and Pennywise targets her by appealing to her sense of empathy and kindness before promising to remove the mark (by killing her). Even worse, her mother is shown to be [[AbusiveParents quite cold]] to her, meaning Adrian's act of kindness (as she was the girl that got the prize he won at the beginning) might be the one major expression of kindness she's experienced in a long time and even that didn't last as shortly afterward Adrian was brutally beaten by a group of homophobes and then killed by Pennywise meaning she lost the one person who showed her any kindness.

* {{Woolseyism}}: A very odd inversion of this happens in the Japanese dub: Unlike what happened in the Japanese translation of the original novel and in the previous 90s mini-series, the dub of the duology left the name of the Losers' Club [[GratuitousEnglish in English]] (as ルーザーズクラブ) instead of using "Make-Inu Club/負け犬クラブ". While "Make-Inu" also translate as "loser" just like in English, in Japanese the word also means "losing dog/animal" and it's very likely they didn't want to use a very degrading term for a group of already screwed-up kids who are being preyed by an inhuman monster, [[CharactersDroppingLikeFlies due to the implications that word brings out to Japanese audiences]].[[note]]"Make-Inu" brings in mind the term "dying like a dog/a dog's death", which, when is already damning enough in many western languages, the term, translated as "犬死/Inujini", is even worse in Japanese, as it's also an idiom for SenselessSacrifice, that's it, as dying like a dirty animal. This was especially used in the past during wars, when dying in such a way was considered one of the worst ways to die for anyone else, be a civilian, a soldier, a {{Samurai}}, etc.[[/note]]

* UncannyValley:
** Beverly sees an old photo of a man who looks a lot like Pennywise. It's at this moment you realize just how much of his creepy appearance ''wasn't'' the result of makeup.
** Unfortunately, the de-aging CGI process used on the younger cast comes across this way, particularly Ben, Eddie, and Richie.

* HollywoodHomely: Downplayed in Richie's case. Upon seeing the adult Ben and Beverly, he [[SelfDeprecatingHumor remarks "what the fuck happened to me?" in a pretty disappointed voice]], despite being played by Creator/BillHader who at worst is just a little unkempt with a permastubble. Then again, it is ''Richie'' we're talking about, and that is something he would say. No one else ever says that he looks ugly throughout the second film.

* ToughActToFollow: The first movie met with incredible acclaim, considered one of the best Creator/StephenKing adaptations to date, so naturally ''Chapter Two'' would have a lot to live up to. Unfortunately, the mixed (but still mostly positive) reception indicates the film couldn't quite escape its predecessor's shadow.

* FanPreferredCouple: Richie and Eddie, again. [[spoiler:It almost happens, too, what with Richie being confirmed as gay in this adaptation.]]

** To a much lesser extent, Bev/Ben, Mike/Bill, and Stan/Bill are well-liked ships.

** Also Myra, Eddie's wife (who is played by his mom's actor) is not very popular either, with the overwhelming majority of fans shipping Eddie with [[spoiler:Richie]] and generally ignoring her existence.

*** Which Eddie’s sexually could actually be instead of gay, meaning not only is Jack actually right about Eddie’s sexually but the fans biggest OTP in the series also could have also become canon, have things gone differently.

* OlderThanTheyThink: [[spoiler: Adrian Mellon's death drew controversy, with many criticizing the real-life parallels to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Charlie_Howard the murder of Charlie Howard,]] a real gay man who died very similarly, minus Pennywise. The scene was accused of being added into the movie for "gay-bashing" or simply shock value but this scene was actually a scene from the original book that was cut from the [[Film/{{It1990}} TV miniseries]] and was meant to show just how monstrous IT was, drawing on Charlie Howard's murder two years prior to the release of the novel.]]

** A bloopers video featured Jack Dylan Grazer in 2017 saying he didn't think [[spoiler:Eddie and Richie were gay]]. ''Technically'' he [[spoiler:might be correct only about the former, but definitely not the latter]]. Still better than Finn Wolfhard, who described them as "brothers" after the release of Chapter One. Even funnier, is that Jack Dylan Grazer later came out as bisexual. Which Eddie could actually be instead of gay meaning not only is Jack right but the fans OTP is still intact.

** A bloopers video featured Jack Dylan Grazer in 2017 saying he didn't think [[spoiler:Eddie and Richie were gay]]. ''Technically'' he [[spoiler:might be correct only about the former, but definitely not the latter]]. Still better than Finn Wolfhard, who described them as "brothers" after the release of Chapter One. Even funnier, is that Jack Dylan Grazer later came out as bisexual

** While the second trailer is indeed very powerful, there's a moment in the aforementioned AdultFear and TearJerker scene where Pennywise has a long tongue coming out of his mouth. While it is supposed to be scary, it can easily be compared to the dog-filter from Instagram.

* IronyAsSheIsCast: Here, Creator/NicholasHamilton plays a violent homophobic bully. But in real life Hamilton is part of the LGBTQ+ community, and is a staunch progressive and LGBTQ+ ally.

** A bloopers video featured Jack Dylan Grazer in 2017 saying he didn't think [[spoiler:Eddie and Richie were gay]]. ''Technically'' he [[spoiler:might be correct only about the former, but definitely not the latter]]. Still better than Finn Wolfhard, who described them as "brothers" after the release of Chapter One.

* {{Woolseyism}}: A very odd inversion of this happens in the Japanese dub: Unlike what happened in the Japanese translation of the original novel and in the previous 90s mini-series, the dub of the duology left the name of the Losers' Club [[GratuitousEnglish in English]] (as ルーザーズクラブ) instead of using "Make-Inu Club/負け犬クラブ". While "Make-Inu" also translate as "loser" just like in English, in Japanese the word also means "losing dog/animal" and it's very likely they didn't want to use a very degrading term for a group of already screwed-up kids who are being preyed by an inhuman monster, [[JustForFun/DyingLikeAnimals due to the implications that word brings out to Japanese audiences]].