It: Movie Review
"It" is a fun thrill ride. Much to my disappointment though, it's not because of the drooling, goofy clown, Pennywise, but because of the kids that make the film work so damn well. The relationships and backgrounds are excellently crafted, creating a connection between "The Losers" and the audience in a fifteen minute period. But "It" fails to generate the scares and spine tingling moments that are so iconic in other Stephen King adaptations.
The film is about a group of bullied kids, who eventually join together to fight a shapeshifting clown, designed to elicit your deepest, darkest fears. While the beginning scene is a masterful piece of horror, it fails to ever recreate that tension.
While I really enjoyed "It", the film relies way too heavily on the jump scares. Stephen King's writing is so creepy on it's own, it's unfortunate that they didn't take more advantage of the disturbing elements in the book (Co-writer Cary Fukunaga wrote a script previously that the Warner Bro's actually shutdown due to it's disturbing content, which I would have loved to see).
But the reason why "It" is drawing so much attention is because of the hideous clown, Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard). Skarsgard plays the role with such venom, it's excruciatingly disappointing that they used so much CGI to fill his role. At least seventy percent of his appearances in the film are all CGI which almost waters down to his performance.
Director Andy Muschietti brilliantly portrays "The Losers". All the kid actors are excellent in their roles and creates a clear distinction between all of them. Without these wonderful performances, "It" is a conventional horror movie without any real redeeming factors. The film is also surprisingly hilarious, as the banter between the kids are sometimes laugh out loud hilarious.
While Pennywise and other creatures attack the children, there are elements of the film that actually create more tension and suspense. Beverly(Sophia Lillis) who is apart of "The Losers" club is dealing with abuse from her father at home. The absolute horror every time she steps into her house is hair raising. It's beautifully done and creates a consistent thrill throughout the film. Also is the bully, Bowers, played by (Nicholas Hamilton) who terrorizes "The Losers" club. It's scary as hell and probably the edgiest part of the film.
"It" is chilling not because of the clown, but the situations that the kids find themselves in. The engaging performances, and various backgrounds the kids come from is a fun ride. Skarsgard is excellent as Pennywise, sometimes a bit too goofy, but always captivating. While it's not the best Stephen King adaptation (some Stephen King fans will be disappointed) it's a serviceable and sometimes unpredictable thrill ride.
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