Better than the 1990 TV adaptation but...

Rating: 7/10 (12 September 2017)

If this is your first encounter with the story but haven't yet watched the film read the book first. Or even better watch the 1990 TV adaptation if you can't wait long but I suspect this film will be a disappointment.
If you haven't read the book and don't know the story you will wonder what is going on if you have watched this for the first time. The whole story isn't just about children, it is about them as adults because Mike Hanlon stays in Derry and realises that children start disappearing again and he contacts them all to promise on their vow to return.
Back in the 1990s I read the book twice and it is my favourite Stephen King story. I also had the DVD of the 1990 adaptation for a long time and to me a comparison is almost inevitable (for me anyway).
One thing I have to say is that I think the portrayal of the clown in this version is much better than Tim Curry's but the children in that version had much better chemistry and more character development in about 90 minutes than this version did in 2 hours. I think that is the only thing that really lets it down.
The other is that in the original story (if I am not mistaken) it is Mike Hanlon who does the research in to Derry's past events rather than Ben Hanscombe and that reduces Mike's contribution to the story which I think is a bit sad.