IT (2017) (SPOILERS)

Time to Float...

There are many writers in the world, but few have produced such a bizarre and terrifying vision as that of Stephen King, and one of his most cherished works is one with quite possibly the simplest title you could possibly come up with: IT. Now, just to get this out of the way, I have not read the novel (and quite frankly I tip my hat to anyone who has,) but I do have a decent grasp on the overall story and try to apply that to what I have seen. Back in 1990, IT was a two-part television miniseries that was mostly carried by the phenomenal Tim Curry's performance. For the most part, it was a decent movie that had occasionally terrifying moments, but it is clear that it's seen better days back then in terms of how it holds up nowadays. Of course, Pennywise the Dancing Clown had to shine on the big screen, and 27 years since the miniseries, that time has come. Now for the most part, I think they hit the mark quite well, and this was easily the best horror movie of the year so far. It has its flaws, and they will be addressed here. Now without further adieu, let's begin:

UPS

1. The child actors here are spectacular. I was truly impressed by just how damn good they were. Of course, the standouts here are Jaden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, and Stranger Things' Finn Wolfhard, who provides the funniest moments in the whole movie. ROCK WAR!!!
2. He may be no Tim Curry, but Bill Skarsgaard is a terrific Pennywise nonetheless. For me, Pennywise is one of the most evil characters in all of fiction, and Skarsgaard captures that essence of pure evil perfectly. He is creepy, terrifying, and monstrous all at once, and I can't wait to see more of him in Chapter II.
3. All the other forms of IT are great as well. The headless boy, the disgusting Leper, and of course, Judith the Flute Lady, are all unique and terrifying creations that provide just as much of the horror as Pennywise does. All in all, they are freaky as shit.
4. The scares, that aren't jump scares at least, are quite effective. They provide enough tension and unease to make anyone beg for nothing to happen, even when it seems inevitable. And it's not just Pennywise delivering the scares either. The scenes with Henry Bowers (especially when he loses his mind) and Bevy's dad are also enough to make anyone shudder. How all these no-holds-barred scares were even allowed to happen was all thanks to...
5. The R-Rating. IT is a twisted novel, so it's quite nice that the R-Rating allows the crew to adapt that twisted nature as faithfully as possible (though thankfully not too faithful.) I could say more, but honestly, seeing the Georgie scene is enough to make that abundantly clear, but beware, for it is not for the squeamish or faint of heart, so view at your own risk. 

DOWNS

1. As great as their actors are, Mike and Stan get the short end of the stick during this movie. Now while Stan has the honor of encountering Judith (which leads to a horrifying moment that will likely trigger an event in the future) and Mike has a tragic and seriously fucked up backstory that leads to intriguing character moments for him, they just aren't given much to do past that and really fall in the shadow of the others. Here's to hoping they get more to do in Chapter II, but that doesn't seem likely considering what happens to them :(
2. The jump scares, as usual in most horror movies these days, were overdone. Some were effective, like the projector scene and the ones featuring Judith (yes, she's that creepy,) but there were still too many and as a result it gets old, tiresome, and frustrating fast.
3. Some wonky CGI. CGI is a very common criticism nowadays; either you love it or you hate it. Now personally, I don't notice it that much, but hoo boy, it was glaring here. Trust me, you'll notice it when you see it. I really hope that the budget the producers gained will contribute to fixing this for Chapter II, because the final battle between the Losers and IT will not be a pretty sight to watch.

OVERALL
And that is it for this blog, guys. IT is definitely one of the best Stephen King adaptations to date. Coming up is a special list dedicated to all the movies that did their best to scare the bejeezus out of us, and that will be posted as my special Halloween post. Till then, take care.