Movie Review -- It

  This weekend I saw It, a creepy clown horror movie based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. I've never read the book – nor any Stephen King book, for that matter – though I am somewhat fond of the 1990 miniseries even if it was kind of silly.

  This rendition of It isn't as funny as the previous one (though it's far from humourless), but it is significantly scarier. I don't watch too many modern horror movies, but it seems to me like most of them suck. But It doesn't, and here's why. For one thing the scares feel warranted. Most horror films today bombard the viewer with cheap and spontaneous jump scares to get some kind of reaction. Instead, It only uses jump scares after the proper tone has been set for the given scene. Not only that, but only a fraction of the scares found in this film are of the jumpy, computer-generated type; there's plenty of horrifying imagery and sounds throughout. In fact, the scene that I thought was scariest didn't even have a “Boo!” moment.

  Another thing that sets It apart from most modern horror is that it doesn't dump a load of unlikable characters whom you want to see dead. These characters are very well-acted and even better-written. I feel as is I knew each of these kids in real life when I was a kid. (At one point in life, I was the kid who constantly made “your mom” jokes.) Each of these kids has something up that you want to see resolved. And of course there's the evil clown himself, Pennywise, played by Bill Skarsgard. Needless to say this rendition of him is much creepier than Tim Curry's from 1990. I think it's in the unsettling way he moves about as well as his CG enhancements. It's a welcome update, even if he does kind of suck at catching the kids.

  And of course, when the audience cares about the characters, they'll care about the story. This one's story is more or less the same as the miniseries'. A group of seven outcast kids in a small town are terrorized not just by bullies but also an evil supernatural clown who exploits each of their greatest fears. With themes that deal with growing up, overcoming fear, and maintaining friendships, it's a horror movie that's got heart. The major difference is that the second timeline with the adults fighting It has been jettisoned and presumably left for the sequel.

  One last thing I'd like to mention is the setting. Instead of 1960, the setting's been updated to 1989. I'm guessing it's so that the sequel can take place roughly in the present day. I'm down with that; the late 80's were cooler than the early 60's! While It doesn't exactly hit you over he head with how 80's it is, it does manage to mix in a sweet cleanup montage! (The one thing that would've made that scene complete is Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega.)

  So that's It, an engaging update of a classic supernatural horror. It hits all the right notes for this type of horror film. Is it the best Stephen King adaptation out there? I have no clue, but based on the ones I've seen I'd say that's no difficult feat. Can't wait for the sequel!

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