Drama, Horror, Thriller (R) 2h 15m
Release Date: September 8, 2017
Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Jaeden Lieberher, Finn Wolfhard, Sophia Lillis, Jeremy Ray Taylor
Director:Andy Muschietti
Writing Credits:Chase Palmer, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Gary Dauberman
Cinematography: Chung-Hoon Chung
FAVORITE QUOTES:
“You’ll float, too!"
“Tasty, tasty beautiful fear.” ~ Pennywise
In a world full of remakes, all other remakes/reimagining's/revisioning's should take note and be more like 'IT'.
'IT' 2017, takes Stephen King’s classic tv miniseries and improves upon it with an enticing display of amazing acting, cinematography, music, sounds effects, set pieces, and character/story development; every element is [perfectly] immaculate. The end result presents its audience with a great period piece with so many fine details that will take you back in time; right down to the A Nightmare on Elm Street marquee intricately posted at the downtown Paramount Theater. This is nostalgia at its best for horror fans of the 80s.
I’ll be honest … I was never a fan of the tv miniseries or the costume design and appearance of Tim Curry’s Pennywise. I know ... complete blasphemy, right? Tim is a legend, and his performance was outstanding, but Pennywise looked horrible. I acknowledge that technology has advanced, which accounts for many of the improvements. The original was well-done for its time. I will also [forever] hold a special place in my heart for Tim and I have complete respect for all of his works of art, BUT Bill Skarsgard is my Pennywise. Bill’s performance continues to amaze me with each subsequent viewing. This is worth mentioning because I was initially turned off by the new 'look' of our beloved iconic character (Pennywise) when I saw the first tv spots and trailers. Even though I welcomed a fresh take because I wasn't fond of the original, the initial impression of the remake was a big "nope" from me, too. BUT I admit that I love when my initial feeling is wrong, and I end up loving the movie.
'IT' is a coming-of-age film and [small town terror] horror movie wrapped up into one neat little package. The child actors were perfectly cast, and their performances were nothing short of phenomenal.
The cast of the remake had much more chemistry and likability than the original cast. I think I feel this way because the remake has the story of the kids and the story of the adults broken up into two chapters, which eliminated the back and forth that was in the mini-series. I didn't like the story being intertwined like that and found it painful to watch. It felt more organic with the remake and allowed better character development.
The 'IT' remake's storyline follows the [original] made for tv mini-series pretty closely, with some exceptions, of course. But 'IT' is basically the same story with tweaks here and there. Bill’s brother, Georgie, goes missing and was never seen again after he ventures outside to play in the rain with a sailboat Bill made him. Bill searches endlessly for Georgie after his disappearance and he seeks answers hoping to find out where Georgie disappeared to and why. Bill recruits his friends [Loser's Club] to help him, but not only do they have to get face to face with Pennywise, they repeatedly come up against a group of thug-boys that find every opportunity they can to harass and assault Bill and his friends. [For those of us who have gone through an awkward phase(s) and for those of us who have been bullied, it is no wonder why we find ourselves cheering for Bill and his friends to kick these guys butts, or for Pennywise to come along and decimate these jerkoffs.]
The story is set around a malevolent force that returns every 27 years to feed off the fears of the people in Derry, Maine, and feast off their flesh. Pennywise expresses his hunger for their fear in a scene where he states, "Tasty, tasty, beautiful fear." Bill truly embodies the spirit of Pennywise with his ability to physically convey the emotions of this character through the most candid expressions and body language. Bill's big, beautiful, soulful eyes and his ability to salivate at will, not only show his dedication, but it also demonstrates his incredible talent.
As the group begins their search for Georgie, they soon welcome Beverly to their circle. [Beverly may very well be the toughest out of all of them.] She, too, falls victim [on a daily basis] to bullying and harassment amongst her peers. Even worse, she is subjected to unthinkable abuse, at home, by the hands of her father. Beverly's character tells an emotional tale of a victim who refuses to partake in victim mentality. Her presence in the group adds a symbiotic component that creates a complete circle in this ring of friends. Her story is very dark and is an awful reality for too many. Soon after the group comes together to begin their investigating, more kids begin to go missing in Derry … Bill and his friends each have their own personal encounters with Pennywise and one-by-one they begin to realize that Pennywise is not only terrorizing them all, but he is the reason Georgie disappeared. Each encounter supports the mythology surrounding Pennywise, as every child is faced with their worst fears when Pennywise presents each child's fears by mutating his form to match each one those fears. At one point, Pennywise's image is identical to the image in a painting that one of the boys is frightened of.
Visually speaking, this movie is hands down superior to the original. I know technology makes that possible, but a lot of credit should also go to the talent involved in the creation of this film [both in front of and behind the camera]. This remake falls into the passion camp, rather than the just made for money camp. It is undeniable that a lot of heart went it to the making of 'IT" and there was certainly a genuine and insurmountable understanding of the original material made apparent through the finished product. A lot of people still prefer the original to this remake and I understand where they are coming from, even though I don't agree with them, I can certainly appreciate their perspective.
With all that said, I think this is one of the best Stephen King movies to date. In the past, most of the movie adaptations of his books just don’t match up with his literary vision. The 'IT' remake is, no doubt, one of the exceptions. There is so much nostalgia and passion permeating every facet of this film. I love that the lead character’s name is Bill and the actor playing Pennywise is Bill Skarsgard. There is absolutely no other actor I could ever imagine playing this role. Bill has certainly earned his keep and made his mark in the horror genre, and he needs to stick around! Bill belongs in horror movies, and not only do I hope he enjoys them enough to continue portraying these types of roles, but I hope directors continue to seek him out, too.
I didn’t find this movie particularly scary at any point, which may be shocking considering I not only "like" this movie, but I LOVE it. I have heard others compare the remake to the Goonies, and to be quite honest - I definitely get that vibe, too. So, while it wasn't "scary" to me, lack of scare-factor didn’t take away one ounce of my enjoyment and appreciation. I can certainly understand how this could be an issue for many horror fans. Pennywise is one scary guy in theory, but to capture the true essence of his evil through a camera lens is not altogether easy and mostly ineffective, unless you have a deeply embedded fear of clowns. This might be more of a shortcoming on the child-actors, at least in part. [I know - shame on me for saying something like that.] It's just that the kinds never really seem like they are genuinely scared or frightened, and that is probably, at least in part, because Bill comes across as a charming guy even through all those layers of latex and make up. Granted, if this was a real-life scenario - I am certain it would be frightening at any capacity, even if Bill was actually Pennywise.
Overall, I enjoyed the film as well-acted solid entertainment, and it was a very well-done update on a classic. I will also back track a bit and touch on a point I brought up a couple of paragraphs above and let it be known that I have never had a fear of clowns. That is probably the biggest contributing factor for my viewing outcome to lean more toward fun and enjoyment than fright and disgust. It doesn’t help that I love and adore Bill Skarsgard so much that, as I said before, his charm seeps through all those layers hiding his gorgeous face. So, yeah, I think the character is more cute than scary in my eyes. I’m not sorry about it either. It didn’t affect my enjoyment of this film, nor do I consider that a negative outlook - because the end result is still the same. I loved the movie.
So, if you still haven’t had the pleasure of watching this fun-filled remake of 'IT', I highly recommend you check it out. As of 10-15-2022 you can stream 'IT' on Netflix. If you are like me and still collect DVD’s, I would recommend this movie as a purchase.
If you have already seen 'IT' - Chapter one ... please share your thoughts below. [COMING SOON - 'IT" - Chapter Two - Review]
I give 'IT' two severed bloody thumbs up.
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