Doesn't hold up to the book

Rating: 1/10 (8 September 2017)

I went to an advanced screening after spending the last two weeks pummeling through the book. Contrary to what some reviewers are saying, this is not at all close to the book (but that really isn't my main reason for not being crazy about it).
I realize there were some time constraints but this felt like there was basically nothing explained about the main character's backgrounds, relationships, nor their motivations (specifically Henry Bowers as the bully for hating them SO much is just assumed to be "because he's a bully"?). At times I was confusing Eddie, Richie, and Stan because there was little definable about them besides Stan wearing a yarmulke to identify him as Jewish, and Richie wearing glasses - it felt like these physical attributes were necessary because nothing distinguished their personalities.
Pennywise was cast very well and I loved his voice and overall creepiness, but it couldn't make up for the fact that every time he and the main character's met it felt like a "Tom and Jerry" routine. They encounter him, he bumbles it or they do something random, and he runs off.
Overall I just left feeling like there was so much that could have been expanded (both story and character-wise) given the 135 minute running time. I wasn't a huge fan of the 1990 TV miniseries (probably since it was 20 years after it came out that I first saw it) but it was more accurate and explained the relationships more than this movie. I just feel like I would have liked this more if it was maybe called something else. As it is, this is not a movie version of the book 'It', but a totally different story using the same character's names.