Complex Story Of The Destructive Nature Of Repressed Emotions-with a bit too much CGI

Rating: 8/10 (26 September 2017)

I have always stood by IT (1990) being the most terrifying movie of all time (despite the awful ending), so like many others I cringed at the thought of a remake. I went into the cinema expecting cheap jump scares, lack of plot line, overuse of CGI and a general mimicry of what was once the movie that terrified a generation.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by what turned out to be a great piece of cinema, and I would recommend it to anybody who is a fan of the horror genre or just wants to see something a bit different. I could give IT a 10/10 but like all films, it has its faults;
1) As I predicted, over use of CGI took away the eerie terror Pennywise possesses. Tim Curry portrayed a terrifying, yet very plain clown, leaving much to the viewers imagination, adding to the psychological tension. This pennywise has an almost laughable face and too many teeth. Other CGI moments killed the atmosphere, and it could have easily gone into "just another horror film" if not resurrected by the witty script.
2) Plot holes, as other IMDb users have mentioned, Their are a few plot holes in the movie, but as this is part of Chapter One they could be addressed in the sequel.
Now onto the good points.
* Acting- The cast were wonderful, the kids were portraying some very dark scenes, but they all handled them brilliantly and brought the unique characters to life. They were all totally believable. Bill Skarsgård had big boots to fill when it came to Tim Curry, and although I personally preferred the original pennywise he still gave an amazing performance in an alternative way.
* Overall Tone- One of my favourite things about IT was how it was full of symbolism, "easter eggs" and metaphors. So much darker than original and braving to touch themes such as Munchhausen's, Sexual Abuse, Grief and Bullying. It was gritty, but also witty. Just the right about of comic relief and one-liners. Humour and Horror combined are the pineapple and pizza of cinema.
* Comparison to the original- Just look at the promotional posters alone to sense the difference in vibe between the original and this version. In terms of cinematography, the original uses vibrant colours, and light hearted comical sounds and effects. For me, this makes the movie much scarier, when portrayed as something innocent the evil intensifies (another metaphor?) whereas the 2017 version has a blatantly depraved atmosphere, using creepy Victorian circus music, blood and gore, and an overall sense of "you should be scared" rather than "You shouldn't be scared, but you are aren't you?"
This version is much more Gothic
The original puts little emphasis on the backstories of The Losers Club, whereas this version puts it at the heart of the plot. Their definitely is a "nice" part of the film, a film of growing pains and friendship when being an outsider. Having this insight into the backstories allowed you to sympathise more, becoming emotional involved with them, and have a better understanding of their own fears and where they stem from, in this sense, this version is more psychologically intense and adds a depth that I believe was missed in the 1990 version.
In conclusion, if the caricature CGI was cut back, and the ending scene was shortened it would be near on perfect. I also think it is worth adding IT IS NOT A MOVIE ABOUT A SCARY CLOWN, YES THEIR IS A SCARY CLOWN INVOLVED BUT THIS IS NOT A MOVIE ABOUT A SCARY CLOWN. IT is a complex story of the destructive nature of repressed emotions, The fear of fear itself, Being an outsider in a world where you see things differently, and taken from a universe created by the great mind of Stephen King, if you want a film that will make you jump and scream, maybe you'll enjoy IT, If you want a film about Loss of innocence and the horrors of life, You'll love it.