far too long for something without feeling or engagement.

Rating: 6/10 (4 November 2019)

I was keen to see this, partly because of the Steven King origins but mainly because I was so impressed by the same director's Mama. However, it is a bit of a letdown. The CGI and special effects that everyone seems to complain about, I find fine and probably the best thing here. No, it is rather that this is really a very slight tale with so many big bangs and whistles at the expense of character development that there is nothing to care about. There are a couple of very worrying domestic scenes involving the beautiful Sophia Lillis that hold the attention but nothing else. Too much bullying, too many unfunny juvenile jokes, too much cycling in a group, oh and too much like a certain TV series. Even without the participation of Finn Wolfhard this bears a striking resemblance to Stranger Things and, okay, that may have been influenced by the writings of King but this is as if it is three episodes lashed together with all the charm, humour and adult involvement removed. Wonderfully good to look at but at over two hours far too long for something without feeling or engagement.