Brilliant first half

Rating: 8/10 (11 December 2017)

After his little brother is taken by a ghoulish clown, a teenage boy and his gang of loser friends are threatened by visions of the killer and must uncover the secret past of their town to figure out how to defy him.
First instalment of an adaptation of a big, fat novel. I remember reading this way back, finding it a great story while skipping much of the overwritten prose. Then came the mini-series, which was OK but didn't do justice etc. So with all the hype, and budget, and marketing I was expecting this to be a bit bloated, and defanged in a James Wan kind of way.
But Woh! The first half is brilliantly rich and balanced. The opening sequence introduces the scares immediately, with a wonderful re-imagining of the clown, including rabbit teeth and a voice that melts from candy to bile. Then the small-town environment is introduced as we meet the characters growing up with the constant threat of bullying and adult oppression. Yet there is some lovely humour over teen awkwardness and young love - one scene has a passionate little fella trudging off with his headphones trailing on the ground. Reminded me of Homer Simpson in his tattered rags. And another where the lads gaze at the sleeping dreamy girl, only to look away when she opens her eyes.
So lots of themes and interactions are delivered, interspersed with the frights, and I don't think I've ever been as happy watching a horror movie at the 60 min mark. After that we get a climax, then suck it up and go again for a second final act. This is where the movie reaches for the big set piece, and it works well, not perfectly, with good pacing.
One thing that may have been misjudged was the synagogue scene with the strange painting, as it seemed to introduce a religious element that wasn't necessary - perhaps they were laying pipe. Whatever - there is plenty to build on for the next instalment. And one joke I thought they missed: the writing on the cast should have spelled out LOOSER.
Acting all round is good, with some stand out performances from the kids - I liked the actors playing Bev and Ben. Photography is good, but a lot depends on CGI despite the early brevity of the fright scenes. The music and sound are lavish but not overwhelming.
Overall: Brilliant introduction, plenty to chew on, and hopefully the next one reaches and maintains that standard for the whole movie.