In the year 1986, Stephen King released a novel called “It.” The book earned a bunch of praise and It (no pun intended) was also the best selling book of 1986. As a result of popular demand, a two part mini-series aired in 1990 starring Tim Curry as Pennywise The Dancing Clown. The 1990 mini-series earned a few positive reviews. Over time, viewers who were kids at first, were frighten by the clown, years later, the mini series unintentionally becomes silly.
After many years of development, a two part film adaptation was green-lit by Warner Bros. (WB for short) Part I is the first installment about a group of kids trying to defend themselves from a kid eating clown. Part II is the grand finale with the kids reuniting as adults to confront their enemy one last time.
It: Chapter 1, unexpectedly received critical acclaim from critics and fans of the book of the same name. Besides good reviews, the film is making money at the box office.
The following article doesn’t contain any potential SPOILERS, you’re free to read all about this picture.
Positive & Negative Elements
Positive: The Kid Actors all did an excellent job for their portrayals as each member of The Losers Club. Especially Finn Wolfhard’s performance as Ritchie, who’s the comic relief of the group. Bonus Points for Mike from Stranger Things dropping a lot of F Bombs. I hope one day in a future episode, Eleven better drop an effective F Bomb as a pre-kill one-liner on a bad guy!
The Chemistry between members of The Losers Club felt decent and there’s no Love Triangle to shove it down our throats. In my opinion, Bill & Bev’s chemistry felt normal. Each member makes you relate to one another.
Bill Skarsgård did an incredible job for his villainous performance as Pennywise The Dancing Clown. This must be the best hands down performance since Heath Ledger’s portrayal of The Joker in The Dark Knight. Tim Curry’s performance as Pennywise is the equivalent of Cesar Romero’s Joker from Adam West’s Batman.
Fun Fact: Bill Skarsgård was born in 1990, the same year Tim Curry’s It aired on television.
The movie stays true to The Source Material based on the book of the same name.
The Opening Sequence sets The Tone in a very dark atmosphere. Much bloodier and gritter than the Tim Curry version.
A combination of Practical and C.G.I. Effects were used to create Pennywise’s shapeshifting abilities.
Pennywise’s new look is very intimidating and my god, he got me scared big time! His voice is like a mix between Scooby-Doo, Beetlejuice, & Heath Ledger’s Joker! I guess Mr. Skarsgård must’ve channeled Michael Keaton & Heath Ledger, because their characters have a dark sense of humor and they both wore makeup on set.
Death Scenes are much more Hard R than the 1990 mini-series of It. Which means you better prepare yourself, because this film is gonna be a bloodbath. Literally a bloodbath filled with blood and gore with lots of dismemberments.
An Easter Egg featuring a mannequin heavily resembling Tim Curry’s Pennywise. Doesn’t that bring back old memories folks?
Cinematography felt appropriate with certain camera trickery including a few Dutch Angles to make a few scenes creepy.
In almost every Horror film, Unsympathetic Characters meet their fates and they earn themselves a one way ticket to Satan’s Realm.
Despite the fact that this movie is labeled as a Dramatic Fantasy Horror Thriller, the movie has some laugh out loud moments with a touch of Black Comedy.
Before The End Credits start, the Main Title ends with the words “It: Chapter 1.” Which means that there’s gonna be a follow up likes its predecessor from 1990 due to the fact that the book is over a thousand pages long and they had to split It into two. Does Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows ring any bells?
A Controversial Element is removed from the film. If you’ve read the book, you probably understand why, if you haven’t read the book, you don’t wanna know! I’m gonna give this pro a bunch of points for making this bold decision. Ever heard of “Everyone Has Standards” on TV Tropes?
Negative: A “we are done” cliche happened. In most buddy cop or rom-com films, you know two people or more will get back together, put aside their differences and move on. I find it predictable.
The Final Verdict: A-
Despite one nitpick, I really enjoyed this adaptation of Stephen King’s It. This picture has got to be the best King related adaptation since The Shining, The Green Mile, Stand By Me, and The Shawshank Redemption. If you don’t have any plans for the weekend, get off your tushie and support this movie right now! Trust me, you won’t regret it. Part II won’t be long, they’ll need to find the right actors to play the adult versions of the kids.
One more thing, how about a fun experiment involving a drinking game that Doug Walker/Nostalgia Critic created every time a Stephen King trope/plot device is used. I decided to partake in a non-alcoholic drinking game every time a trope is used, I take a sip of a large coke. To spice things up a bit, whenever a character says the word “it,” I take a sip, and when the movie is over, I had to go to the bathroom. This is what happens if you play this game without a DVD/Blu Ray. If you want to play this drinking game, make sure you don’t wet your pants or you’ll be embarrassed for the rest of your life!
Nickthemoviecritic.com 