Hey, guys! ❤ As promised, here is my post regarding the new film adaptation of Stephen King’s It. Please Note: There won’t be any spoilers, so any pics or gifs I post here will have already been released in the various trailers/ads. That said, let’s begin! *Cue the creepy clown music.*
Adaptations, reboots, remakes, etc can be really dividing when put to film. Especially ones concerning something like It, which traumatized so many people, either through the original novel, or Tim Curry’s portrayal of Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the 1990 TV mini-series. This left some pretty big shoes to fill for the new film adaptation just recently released. (“Big shoes”, get it? Because clown shoes are big. No? Okay, then, I’ll just excuse myself and take my leave.)
Anywayyyy, getting back on track. (It’s early and I am not properly caffeinated, so please bear with me.) I really enjoyed this movie, and it surprised me in a few ways. A major surprising factor for me was just how damn funny it was. The kids that make up the legendary “Losers’ Club” were great. I was really impressed by how well all the child actors did. How many times do we see kids cast in movies who fit the bill of the adorable child, but just really can’t act? That is not a problem in this movie. Far from it, actually. Each of the young actors has talent and range that allows them to flow easily between humor and terror and back again throughout the story. Excellent casting, in my opinion. Each of the “losers” has believable chemistry with one another, and their friendship really does add to the enjoyment of this film in a major way.
And while speaking of acting, we of course cannot forget the central antagonist of the story, Pennywise, played by Bill Skarsgård. First of all, I was really happy that he and the creators of the movie chose not to try duplicating the feel of Tim Curry’s performance in the 1990 version. They went off in a different direction with the look and feel of the character, and I think that was smart. Otherwise, everyone would have just been non-stop comparing the two, and forgetting that these projects are completely separate entities revolving around the same original story. Of course they are going to be different. But when someone like Curry manages to traumatize an entire generation with his portrayal, it can be difficult for people to not expect the same of the next person to don the clown makeup.
Bill Skarsgård, I feel, did a great job with the character. As I mentioned before, I’m not particularly scared of clowns, but I really loved what he did throughout the film as Pennywise. He was interesting to watch, and the guy has a natural calling to the horror genre, as seen in this and Hemlock Grove. Plus, I love that he is an actor that chooses not to just get by on his “pretty boy” looks, which is always a plus in my book. 🙂 Go for those weird and/or challenging roles! That is what makes an actor memorable in my humble opinion.

The movie was fun to watch, and never dull or dragging. It’s more like a coming-of-age story with horror splattered in for good measure than a straight-up horror movie, and honestly, I think it made the movie all the better. And this is coming from someone who loves horror. It’s a good one to see in the theater if you can, and definitely worth watching.
Thank you for the review! I have yet to watch the film but I’ve been hearing nothing but great things about it! (get it, IT hahahahha lol, loveddd your puns btw). I think I will take boyfriend for his birthday next week, should be a great dinner and a movie combo!
-Luna 🙂
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Haha Thank you! ❤ I hope you and your boyfriend enjoy It too! Lemme know what you two wind up thinking of the movie. 😀
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I really loved this movie, and I do have a very real fear of clowns 🤣. It really was so funny in so many ways. I need to read the book — I got halfway through but was borrowing it from our AirBnB so I had to leave it behind.
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Oh, no! That’s too bad you didn’t get to finish reading the book. Especially after making it halfway through, too. I need to read it, too. 🙂 I’m glad you also enjoyed the movie! People really seem to be digging it so far, which is great. You can tell they put a lot of work into the movie, so it’s nice to see it getting so much praise. 🙂
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Fantastic review! I’ve been keeping my fingers crossed about this because “It” is on my top ten list of favorite Stephen King books, and I’m a big fan of Tim Curry’s portrayal of Pennywise. Because movies are so expensive I usually wait until they’re out on DVD, but I think I’m going to cave and go see this.🎈
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Aw, thank you so much! ❤ Yeah, Tim Curry is amazing. That guy can do no wrong in my book. 🙂 I can totally understand waiting to see most movies on DVD. By the time you pay for two tickets you really could just buy and own the movie when it comes out. And then if you want popcorn it's like twice as expensive. lol And I always cave on the popcorn because movie theater popcorn is just too good to pass up. This one was really cool to see in the theater though, so if you do wind up going I think you'll find it worth it. 😀 Lemme know what you thought of it if you go to see it.
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I definitely will!
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Awesome review I really did enjoy it, I wondered going in if it would live up too all the hype that it was receiving and man did it deliver, I’m glad you mentioned the acting it there really was so much chemistry there, great post as always
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Thank you!! 😀 I totally agree, it definitely lived up to the hype. I’m glad it’s doing as well as it is, and that you enjoyed it so much as well. 🙂
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It’s really positive to hear they didn’t try a copy of Curry’s character and rebooted it instead. Sounds good, will look forward to checking it out! 🙂
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Nice! I hope you wind up liking it, too. 🙂 Yeah, I was glad they didn’t just try to copy Tim Curry’s performance and look. Best not to mess with something so iconic!
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It’s doing really well in sales for an R-rated horror movie too, so Chapter 2 happening would seem to be a sure thing, and hopefully this success will inspire companies to take a chance on some more new big budget horror movies.
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I’m so glad it’s doing so well. 🙂 I hope you’re right and that it helps the genre with getting bigger budgets so we have even more awesome horror films to look forward to. Definitely looking forward to Chapter 2!
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Great review! I really have to get around to posting mine lol
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Thanks! 😀 Haha, I feel ya, it took me like a week to get around to posting mine. 😛 Looking forward to reading yours!
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Awesome review.
I really enjoyed the original so I’m pumped about seeing the new one. I’ve never been scared of clowns but I can see why people would be, especially when some beckon kids from within a drain.
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Hey, thanks! 😀 I hope you wind up enjoying this one, too. Haha, yeah, I think just about anything beckoning me from within a drain would have me turning and NOPE-ing all the way home to hide under the covers with the lights on all night. 😛 Clown or not.
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Bill Skarsgard will always a a little dark, demented piece of my heart. ❤
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Same, girrrrl, same! 😛
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IT is one of my favourite Stephen King books, so I was really exited when they announced the remake. I haven’t actually seen the miniseries or this movie yet, but I think I will get around to seeing the movie some time soon! (Not sure about the miniseries.) I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed it. 😀
I really liked Bill Skarsgård’s performance in Hemlock Grove and I’m looking forward to seeing him as Pennywise. Great review!! 🙂
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Thank you! 😀 I really liked Bill in Hemlock Grove, too. 🙂 He did great in It as well. His movements and mannerisms combined with how he talks while in the role were really interesting to watch. I hope he continues to pick challenging and oddball roles to perform because he’s really good at it! 😀
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