My review written in September 1980 after watching the film in NY at WB's screening room:
"Oh God! Book II" is not a sequel to the hit 1977 Warner Brothers release (which amassed $31,000,000 in domestic rentals) but rather an alternate approach to the same basic premise: what would happen if God were to appear to an ordinary person with instructions to "spread my message". Absence this time of John Denver, his chemistry with lead George Burns and the original's solid comedy material lead to a bland, unstimulating film.
Script, collectively credited to five writers, has a pleasant moppet (Louanne) meeting God (George Burns) in the lounge of a Chinese restaurant. It seems that Burns (heard pre-credits voicing over his problems with mankind on Earth) to enlist a child "with belief in things you can't see" to remind people that God is still around. Since Louanne's dad (David Birney) is an adman, she sets out to concoct a slogan which will "make God a household name". Burns' quaint program is to first win over the children and then get on with various environmental projects (e.g., fight pollution and cool off volcanoes).
Louanne recruits her cute Japanese playmate Shingo (John Louie) and other classmates to spread her "Think God" slogan via posters and graffiti. This leads to her suspension from school, and when she is seen talking to the invisible (to everyone but her) Burns, the child is brought before psychiatrists to be committed to an institution. Climax has Burns materializing as a literal deus ex machina to protect Louanne at the roundtable of shrinks.
Burns is fine again, a master of the throwaway line and well-suited to tone down the religious philosophy in the script. More screen time, however, is allotted to debuting Louanne, a pleasant and talented youngster who holds one's sympathy.
Suzanne Pleshette and David Birney as her estranged parents who reconcile before the final freeze-shot are effective in limited roles, with Pleshette's beauty and strong presence underutilized. Supporting parts are all well-limned.
Director Cates is hamstrung by the talky, largely unfunny script, which contains little dramatic content and only one scene involving physical action (Burns giving Louanne a motorcycle and sidecar ride). Except for recurring gags about "boobs" the mild script is too squeaky clean for the film's good. By not expanding upon the first film, "Oh God! Book II" is extraneous. Tech credits are routine.
