It (2017) repeats the strengths and weaknesses of King’s original book and the 90s series. I.E., an unforgettable villain in Pennywise. A repetitive and predictable story flow.
It (2017) Synopsis
Seven-year-old Georgie Denbrough goes missing after venturing out during a storm to play with a paper boat made by his loving elder brother Bill. Months later, Bill is still deeply affected by the loss of Georgie while more children have gone missing. With his close friends and while evading local bully Henry Bowers, Bill then discovers that their town Derry has an unusually high rate of missing persons. When they each start experiencing horrific illusions, they determine everything has to do with Derry’s grim history. Particularly a monstrous clown named Pennywise.
Snappy Review
Pennywise the Dancing Clown has long been a favourite horror movie villain of mine. This is largely, no, I should say entirely, thanks to Tim Curry’s incredible portrayal in the 90s television series.
Oh, how fondly I remember those evenings when the series played on Singaporean TV! How I squealed and guffawed each time the killer clown pranced and executed one of its outrageous illusions!
As much as I love Pennywise, though, I really can’t express the same fondness for It as a story or as a book. I read King’s tome in 1993 and till today, I consider that my greatest reading accomplishment. (Or should I say, survival?)
In my opinion, the novel was so outrageously repetitive and dragged out. I also greatly disliked the ending third, which weaved a certain “cosmic” perspective into the tale and had a most disturbing scene.
At the risk of offending King aficionados, I’d say It the book was in many ways, Stephen King at his most indulgent. He began a great story. It’s obvious he enjoyed writing the story too. And then he couldn’t stop and because the story became so wild, he couldn’t end it properly.
Like the cast in that other famous King adaptation i.e. Stand by Me, the kids in this movie are also a riot. Here, I must add that if you enjoyed Netflix’s Stranger Things, you would definitely love the performances here. Other than the similarities in storytelling style, young Finn Wolfhard fully demonstrates his potential to be one of tomorrow’s most versatile and brightest actors. This is one rising star to follow.
Vice versa, and exactly like what I said about the book, the movie demonstrates the weaknesses of its source material at every corner. There is a regimental feeling to everything, as in that need to “get through” all seven backstories of the Losers’ Club. Following up closely are their respective, almost systematic scares by Pennywise. For me, this strict structure discounts the horrors of those hallucinations, and whether I know the original story, or not, I soon stop feeling any threat in them.
To summarise, like the story, like the 90s TV series, It (2017) is really all about the clown. You watch the movie to love and fear Pennywise. In between his appearances, there’s a bunch of hyperactive, trash-talking kids to laugh about.
As for the story, there is little surprise or emotion. Everything is as the book, overshadowed by a looming sense of obligation and structure.
Click here to view the trailer.
Update 2019: It Chapter Two Review.
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 movie review. Like the book and tv series, this is all about Pennywise the Clown, and not about the story or surprises.){kind=link}