Just saw IT! SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

  • This message board permanently closed on June 30th, 2020 at 4PM EDT and is no longer accepting new members.

Steffen

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2015
2,233
12,800
"Go blow your dad, you mullet wearing a-hole!" - Ritchie Trash-mouth Tozier.

I saw IT this afternoon for the second time. After my first viewing I was absolutely giddy. The film was so enjoyable that I didn’t trust myself to write an objective “review” just yet.

Watching it again didn’t help, unfortunately. This movie turned out to be an unexpected thrill for 2017, and while it may not be the best film I’ve seen for the year, it is certainly the most gratifying. It is difficult for me to grouse about anything here. My main complaint is the same as many others: I just wanted to spend more time with these kids. Right now, I’m positive that there are a group of WB executives kicking themselves for not having the foresight to turn this book into a trilogy: the first two chapters with the kids, and the ultimate confrontation at the end.

This, ladies and gentlemen, THIS is how you adapt Stephen King to film. This is everything that clunky 1990 mini-series never was (I was not a fan): stellar casting, beautiful cinematography, a gorgeous musical score, unexpectedly (and ridiculously) funny, romantic, and so damn full of heart it's like watching Stand By Me all over again, except with an other-dimensional monster.

Let’s start with the casting. Director Andres Muschietti displayed a rare director’s skill for working with children in his début film Mama. I loved that movie, and was particularly impressed by the casting of the young girls who acted like…young girls. James Wan displayed the same eye for young talent in both his Conjuring films. It’s so refreshing to watch movies where the children behave and react like children, and not the clichéd precocious little angels who are conveniently mature and articulate beyond their years. Every single actor brings his/her A-game to this film. The kids play, laugh, chastise each other, and in the face of this unbearable horror show real fear, even to the point of turning on each other because at times that fear overwhelms their friendship. And man, do these kids SELL it. You can see the fear in their eyes, in the cracks in their voices, the nuance of their every expression. And I don’t mean just the Losers. Pay attention to the scene where Henry Bowers discovers Pennywise’s little gift in the mail box. Henry’s just been reamed out by his abusive dad in front of his friends; see how he walks stiffly up the path, keeping his arms close to his side. Poor Henry’s a victim of the same savagery he doles out to the other kids in his school, and he’s angry at everyone but mostly with himself. Even at a generous two hours and fifteen minutes, not everything can be packed into this film, so unfortunately we don’t get to know the bullies (or Mike Hanlon) as well as we would like to. But young Nicholas Hamilton plays Henry as so full of hate and helpless rage that the viewer understands this isn’t just your average on-screen jock. Given the strength of Hamilton’s performance here, I am thankful that Muschietti exercised the discretion and good taste not to include some of the other aspects of Henry’s character from the book, specifically his hatred of Mike based on the latter’s race. It’s enough that Henry acts out his rage on everyone around him, including his fellow bullies. Having him use the N-word would have been contrived and a disservice to Hamilton’s performance.

The story smartly keeps the focus on the kids. Again, because of limited run-time, we don’t see too many of the adults of Derry. Perhaps this could be viewed as one of the weaknesses of the script, as a few more examples could have been shown of Derry’s older residents being aware that something is rotten in their town, but choose to ignore it. This however is a minor quibble. You really don’t think about it that much because you’re so caught up with these wonderful, beautiful kids. There’s just enough of the late-eighties feel without being inundated by tacky pop culture references. The director exercises a deft touch here, so anyone worrying about the shift from mid-fifties to late-eighties, rest assured nothing was lost. The heart and soul of the book is there. Bill is so earnest and the scenes between him and Georgie are so effective that you really feel for him in his quest to find out what happened to his brother.
That infamous sewer scene? When Pennywise drags little Georgie down and the last thing you hear him scream for is his big brother:
that moment will break you right there. And it was wise for the script to update the kids’ fears, although there are little nods to things like the Mummy, etc. in the film’s climax. Watching the group coalesce, their reactions to the lone female member in the face of their budding adolescence, the awful pangs of young unrequited love (we’ve all been there), they’re all there. You will absolutely fall in love with Beverly, pine for her along with Ben, empathise with poor little Eddy (the word gazeebo will never be the same for me), understand why Stan did what he did 27 years later, and be utterly astounded as to how Ritchie is such a little jackass yet you can’t help but love him anyway. And even though Mike isn’t the amateur historian here (that falls on Ben), I can see a little set-up of why he’s the one to remain in Derry (side note: as an 80s kid myself, it’s always a pleasure to see Steven Williams). The story itself is so good that it would have been a worthwhile evening at the cinema even without the supernatural element.

Ably supporting the story are some lovely cinematography and a lush, beautiful musical score. Derry looks just like you pictured it. It’s been decades since I’ve loved a film’s soundtrack so much, and I will definitely be getting the CD.

Naturally, I saved the best for last: the main man(?) Itself, Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Let me get the obligatory comparison out of the way. I love Tim Curry lots, but early 90s network television didn’t really allow for Curry to hew closely to the book, so he compensated by camping it up. Again, this isn’t a criticism. I like his interpretation, given the constraints he was operating under. But that wasn’t the creature I read about in the book. This is the Pennywise that we were always meant to have: mean, vicious and rotten to the core, a creature that takes pleasure in torturing children because it "seasons the meat." Ironically, the 80s were known for its cinematic monsters: the Alien, Freddy Krueger, The Hell Priest, Jason Vorhees, the Predator, et al. Bill Skaarsgard has created a fantastic new cinematic monster for this generation. His wonderful mish-mash of ancient clown attire, the cadence of his speech, his child-like mannerisms created to lull Its victims, a gangly weird acrobatic frame, the uncontrollable drooling as It savours Its victim’s fear, this Pennywise is a visual feast. There are subtle moments when you can see the entity struggling to keep Its façade together. And we finally get to see him dance! Thankfully, Pennywise is used sparingly, which makes his appearances all the more effective. Skaarsgard, like Sophia Lillis, is going to be a star after this role, and deservedly so.

I know everyone wants a 20 hour re-creation of the book, and maybe we’ll get it in another 27 years with the inevitable reboot. But this film is one of the best representations of King’s horror work on screen (a rare thing indeed). IT is a heartfelt and loving adaptation of the book without being overly-enslaved to the source material. In doing so, Andres Muschietti has created a modern classic. Bring on Chapter 2, but be wary: the actors filling the adult roles of our little Losers have ridiculously huge shoes to fill. Bring your absolute best, because the audience will not be forgiving if you do otherwise.
 

muskrat

Dis-Member
Nov 8, 2010
4,518
19,564
Under your bed
"Go blow your dad, you mullet wearing a-hole!" - Ritchie Trash-mouth Tozier.

I saw IT this afternoon for the second time. After my first viewing I was absolutely giddy. The film was so enjoyable that I didn’t trust myself to write an objective “review” just yet.

Watching it again didn’t help, unfortunately. This movie turned out to be an unexpected thrill for 2017, and while it may not be the best film I’ve seen for the year, it is certainly the most gratifying. It is difficult for me to grouse about anything here. My main complaint is the same as many others: I just wanted to spend more time with these kids. Right now, I’m positive that there are a group of WB executives kicking themselves for not having the foresight to turn this book into a trilogy: the first two chapters with the kids, and the ultimate confrontation at the end.

This, ladies and gentlemen, THIS is how you adapt Stephen King to film. This is everything that clunky 1990 mini-series never was (I was not a fan): stellar casting, beautiful cinematography, a gorgeous musical score, unexpectedly (and ridiculously) funny, romantic, and so damn full of heart it's like watching Stand By Me all over again, except with an other-dimensional monster.

Let’s start with the casting. Director Andres Muschietti displayed a rare director’s skill for working with children in his début film Mama. I loved that movie, and was particularly impressed by the casting of the young girls who acted like…young girls. James Wan displayed the same eye for young talent in both his Conjuring films. It’s so refreshing to watch movies where the children behave and react like children, and not the clichéd precocious little angels who are conveniently mature and articulate beyond their years. Every single actor brings his/her A-game to this film. The kids play, laugh, chastise each other, and in the face of this unbearable horror show real fear, even to the point of turning on each other because at times that fear overwhelms their friendship. And man, do these kids SELL it. You can see the fear in their eyes, in the cracks in their voices, the nuance of their every expression. And I don’t mean just the Losers. Pay attention to the scene where Henry Bowers discovers Pennywise’s little gift in the mail box. Henry’s just been reamed out by his abusive dad in front of his friends; see how he walks stiffly up the path, keeping his arms close to his side. Poor Henry’s a victim of the same savagery he doles out to the other kids in his school, and he’s angry at everyone but mostly with himself. Even at a generous two hours and fifteen minutes, not everything can be packed into this film, so unfortunately we don’t get to know the bullies (or Mike Hanlon) as well as we would like to. But young Nicholas Hamilton plays Henry as so full of hate and helpless rage that the viewer understands this isn’t just your average on-screen jock. Given the strength of Hamilton’s performance here, I am thankful that Muschietti exercised the discretion and good taste not to include some of the other aspects of Henry’s character from the book, specifically his hatred of Mike based on the latter’s race. It’s enough that Henry acts out his rage on everyone around him, including his fellow bullies. Having him use the N-word would have been contrived and a disservice to Hamilton’s performance.

The story smartly keeps the focus on the kids. Again, because of limited run-time, we don’t see too many of the adults of Derry. Perhaps this could be viewed as one of the weaknesses of the script, as a few more examples could have been shown of Derry’s older residents being aware that something is rotten in their town, but choose to ignore it. This however is a minor quibble. You really don’t think about it that much because you’re so caught up with these wonderful, beautiful kids. There’s just enough of the late-eighties feel without being inundated by tacky pop culture references. The director exercises a deft touch here, so anyone worrying about the shift from mid-fifties to late-eighties, rest assured nothing was lost. The heart and soul of the book is there. Bill is so earnest and the scenes between him and Georgie are so effective that you really feel for him in his quest to find out what happened to his brother.
That infamous sewer scene? When Pennywise drags little Georgie down and the last thing you hear him scream for is his big brother:
that moment will break you right there. And it was wise for the script to update the kids’ fears, although there are little nods to things like the Mummy, etc. in the film’s climax. Watching the group coalesce, their reactions to the lone female member in the face of their budding adolescence, the awful pangs of young unrequited love (we’ve all been there), they’re all there. You will absolutely fall in love with Beverly, pine for her along with Ben, empathise with poor little Eddy (the word gazeebo will never be the same for me), understand why Stan did what he did 27 years later, and be utterly astounded as to how Ritchie is such a little jackass yet you can’t help but love him anyway. And even though Mike isn’t the amateur historian here (that falls on Ben), I can see a little set-up of why he’s the one to remain in Derry (side note: as an 80s kid myself, it’s always a pleasure to see Steven Williams). The story itself is so good that it would have been a worthwhile evening at the cinema even without the supernatural element.

Ably supporting the story are some lovely cinematography and a lush, beautiful musical score. Derry looks just like you pictured it. It’s been decades since I’ve loved a film’s soundtrack so much, and I will definitely be getting the CD.

Naturally, I saved the best for last: the main man(?) Itself, Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Let me get the obligatory comparison out of the way. I love Tim Curry lots, but early 90s network television didn’t really allow for Curry to hew closely to the book, so he compensated by camping it up. Again, this isn’t a criticism. I like his interpretation, given the constraints he was operating under. But that wasn’t the creature I read about in the book. This is the Pennywise that we were always meant to have: mean, vicious and rotten to the core, a creature that takes pleasure in torturing children because it "seasons the meat." Ironically, the 80s were known for its cinematic monsters: the Alien, Freddy Krueger, The Hell Priest, Jason Vorhees, the Predator, et al. Bill Skaarsgard has created a fantastic new cinematic monster for this generation. His wonderful mish-mash of ancient clown attire, the cadence of his speech, his child-like mannerisms created to lull Its victims, a gangly weird acrobatic frame, the uncontrollable drooling as It savours Its victim’s fear, this Pennywise is a visual feast. There are subtle moments when you can see the entity struggling to keep Its façade together. And we finally get to see him dance! Thankfully, Pennywise is used sparingly, which makes his appearances all the more effective. Skaarsgard, like Sophia Lillis, is going to be a star after this role, and deservedly so.

I know everyone wants a 20 hour re-creation of the book, and maybe we’ll get it in another 27 years with the inevitable reboot. But this film is one of the best representations of King’s horror work on screen (a rare thing indeed). IT is a heartfelt and loving adaptation of the book without being overly-enslaved to the source material. In doing so, Andres Muschietti has created a modern classic. Bring on Chapter 2, but be wary: the actors filling the adult roles of our little Losers have ridiculously huge shoes to fill. Bring your absolute best, because the audience will not be forgiving if you do otherwise.

Couldn't have said it better myself.
 

Steve in WI

Active Member
Sep 17, 2017
38
172
39
You really don’t think about it that much because you’re so caught up with these wonderful, beautiful kids. There’s just enough of the late-eighties feel without being inundated by tacky pop culture references. The director exercises a deft touch here, so anyone worrying about the shift from mid-fifties to late-eighties, rest assured nothing was lost. The heart and soul of the book is there. Bill is so earnest and the scenes between him and Georgie are so effective that you really feel for him in his quest to find out what happened to his brother.

Steffen, great review; I agree with most of your points but especially what you said right here. I had a lot of trepidation going into the movie about the changes I knew that were made compared to the book, and having had some time to reflect after seeing the movie twice, I think for the most part the changes worked. The only ones I am still having trouble with relate to Mike's character.

I am so impressed at the acting and how well established the relationship between Bill and Georgie is when they have, what, 2 minutes of screen time together at the beginning before Georgie is attacked? Everyone is talking about how believable the friendship of the Loser's Club comes across (and it does!), but I also completely buy Bill and Georgie as brothers which impresses me more just because there's so little time to see them interact.
 

Steffen

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2015
2,233
12,800
Steffen, great review; I agree with most of your points but especially what you said right here. I had a lot of trepidation going into the movie about the changes I knew that were made compared to the book, and having had some time to reflect after seeing the movie twice, I think for the most part the changes worked. The only ones I am still having trouble with relate to Mike's character.

I am so impressed at the acting and how well established the relationship between Bill and Georgie is when they have, what, 2 minutes of screen time together at the beginning before Georgie is attacked? Everyone is talking about how believable the friendship of the Loser's Club comes across (and it does!), but I also completely buy Bill and Georgie as brothers which impresses me more just because there's so little time to see them interact.

Man, that little kid playing Georgie broke everyone's hearts. When it opened last week I went to see it in IMAX. The last scene between Bill and Georgie? Everyone went dead silent in the theatre. There were a lot of people leaving afterwards and grumbling about getting something in their eyes.

I also really wanted to see more of Mike and his grandfather (shout out again to Steven Williams, he will always be the uber-cool Captain on 21 Jump Street to me), and I suspect Muschietti will develop that a bit more in the Chapter 2. He's already made it clear that he will be filming more scenes with the kids to facilitate the shifting timelines of the book, and they will fill in some of the gaps he knows the existing film has.

I'm going to watch this a third time before it leaves cinemas.
 

Steve in WI

Active Member
Sep 17, 2017
38
172
39
I'm going to watch this a third time before it leaves cinemas.

I've got my 3rd viewing penciled in for Monday morning...luckily my day off means that I can go see it again in a mostly empty theater I would imagine. My 2nd viewing was in a nearly full theater and while there were no issues with people being rude or loud, I'm looking forward to experiencing it one more time on the big screen without being distracted by screams and laughter at various points.
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
...I have finally decided to wait and buy a DVD of the film.....I know I will miss out on the big screen experience, but I'll also be less likely to beat the hell out of some noisy a-hole at my own house....I know my limitations and I don't want the experience spoiled....gonna grab a copy of the DT and do the same thing....
 

Steffen

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2015
2,233
12,800
...I have finally decided to wait and buy a DVD of the film.....I know I will miss out on the big screen experience, but I'll also be less likely to beat the hell out of some noisy a-hole at my own house....I know my limitations and I don't want the experience spoiled....gonna grab a copy of the DT and do the same thing....

Any chance your schedule will permit a viewing at an odd time (like mid-afternoon) when the theatres are less crowded? It worked for me the first two times I went. Of course, that's if your schedule permits. I know how it is with work & life stuff.
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
Any chance your schedule will permit a viewing at an odd time (like mid-afternoon) when the theatres are less crowded? It worked for me the first two times I went. Of course, that's if your schedule permits. I know how it is with work & life stuff.
....the schedule would put me in the midst of the maddening throng....I am a true grumpy old man when it comes to trying to watch something....shaddap and get outta mah face, off mah lawn and outta mah house.....the talkin' pitcher is on!!!....
 

Steffen

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2015
2,233
12,800
Yeah I hear you on that. I've been going to movies less frequently over the years on account of these nitwits that can't leave their cell-phones alone for 2 hours, or the chatterboxes. So when a film does come along that I'm interested in, I try to either go at odd times or wait until the crowd dies down. Movie execs are bawling over things like streaming TV threatening the cinema business, but a lot of it I think is just because the communal experience is being ruined by inconsiderate people.

Can't wait for you to see this movie though, buddy.
 

Robert Gray

Well-Known Member
...I have finally decided to wait and buy a DVD of the film.....I know I will miss out on the big screen experience, but I'll also be less likely to beat the hell out of some noisy a-hole at my own house....I know my limitations and I don't want the experience spoiled....gonna grab a copy of the DT and do the same thing....

Well if you make it up to Bangor in the near future or with the group considering coming for 2018, I'll be able to show it to you on the big screen at my place. I'm going to purchase a copy as soon as available also. My house rules are cellphones OFF and courtesy when people watch a film. There is also the perk of comfy seating at a meal served with the film. :)
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
Well if you make it up to Bangor in the near future or with the group considering coming for 2018, I'll be able to show it to you on the big screen at my place. I'm going to purchase a copy as soon as available also. My house rules are cellphones OFF and courtesy when people watch a film. There is also the perk of comfy seating at a meal served with the film. :)
....very gracious and thank you.....
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
Yeah I hear you on that. I've been going to movies less frequently over the years on account of these nitwits that can't leave their cell-phones alone for 2 hours, or the chatterboxes. So when a film does come along that I'm interested in, I try to either go at odd times or wait until the crowd dies down. Movie execs are bawling over things like streaming TV threatening the cinema business, but a lot of it I think is just because the communal experience is being ruined by inconsiderate people.

Can't wait for you to see this movie though, buddy.
...it'll be for my oldest son & I.....he loves Pennywise....
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
sometimes-all-you-need-is-one-billion-us-dollars-men-s-premium-t-shirt.jpg