By CASSANDRA GILBERT
Staff Writer
As is suggested by its $123 million dollars in ticket sales opening weekend, more than double the horror film launch record, according to the LA Times, “It” is a must- see.
Whether a lover of the book, a fan of the miniseries, or a fan of a good old fashioned killer-clown movie, Andrés Muschietti’s take on “It” is sure to thrill.
For those who actually read Stephen King’s novel, this lm felt as if King wrote it himself. Some scenes were nearly identical portrayals of those from the book. However, the liberties that Muschietti did take, unless the book was fresh in your mind, you’d hardly even pick up on.
If you’ve never read the book (because, let’s face it, it’s about 1300 pages), but fell in love with the miniseries released in 1990: don’t worry, you won’t feel like you’re missing out. Although the most iconic scenes have been removed, this version will still be the “It” that made you scared of clowns all these years.
You won’t be able to predict exactly what’s coming next as they really did what they could to minimize the similarities (and by extension the comparisons), but this new take is precisely why you’ll want to see it: to rekindle that fear again.
Even those who don’t have any sense of nostalgia with this storyline, but just like horror or killer clown movies, “It” is a must see. This has the nice modern day effects that so many have come to require with their monsters, but while managing to maintain the quality dialogue that is often lost when these effects come into play.
True to the book, this lm was the perfect balance between horror and comedy.
If your only experience of King’s “It” was the miniseries starring Tim Curry, creating
a horror lm that’s 50% comedy may seem like an odd route to go, but this comedic aspect leaves the viewer never quite at ease because of this constant, sudden tone change up.
This comic aspect to the lm also really fits right along with Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise. Skarsgård is a twisted, near lunatic kind of clown that you’re never too sure when he’s going to snap. Instead of the raspy voice of Curry, whose entire persona screams killer, Skarsgård seems more like a deranged mental patient, with his constant drooling and often high pitched coaxing, combined with his twitchy movements.
Not only was Skarsgård a surprisingly perfect Pennywise, but the casting of the children was absolutely flawless. In addition to fitting their characters exactly, the chemistry you feel among this band of Losers is something we have mostly lost in films as effects and technology advance.
The setting and cinematography in this version also felt more natural for this story. Derry really does look and feel like a quaint small town that isn’t quite right, unlike in the miniseries that just looked like a rundown poverty stricken town that could have been anywhere.
While upon first viewing, this lm truly is enjoyable from many angles, but unlike the original lm lacks any real suspense.
Suspense in a horror lm is what really gives a horror movie replay value. It’s what makes a lm stay with you long after the credits roll. It’s what makes you reflect on the topic and see creatures in the shadows as you walk from the theater to your car. It was this aspect, unfortunately, that was distinctly missing.
Although you can still enjoy the movie watching it again for the sheer fact that it is a good lm in all aspects that define good cinema, the scare factor is much lessened after the initial viewing.
This is not to say, however, that the theater was not full of screams and panic throughout the duration of the lm. Although definitely not the scariest lm out there, it will definitely give you a thrill.
To sum it up, unless your movie going is strictly reserved for romantic dramas or documentaries, this is definitely a film to check out.
