Exceeded Even My High Expectations

Rating: 10/10 (16 September 2017)

Stephen King's book "It" is my single favorite fiction novel of all-time. I have read it a number of times and am completely and utterly absorbed by its atmosphere and characters. As such, despite the big buildup, promising trailers, and positive reviews, I wasn't sure that this new film adaptation could ever quite live up to my extremely heightened expectations. Fifteen minutes into my trip to the cinema, I knew I was wrong. This one was going to be great.
For a basic plot summary, "It" tells the story of the little Maine town of Derry, which seems to have a problem with children disappearing. During the time period this film focuses on, little Georgie Denbrough (Jackson Robert Scott) is attacked and killed by a maniacal clown named Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard) in a sewer grate. That starts a pattern of child abductions (the cycle beginning again in Derry), which is seemingly only realized by the "Losers Club", a group of friends who come together because they really don't fit in anywhere else:
-Bill (Jaeden Lieberher), Georgie's older brother, is struggling to come to terms with the family tragedy, an event that afflicted him with a pronounced stutter. -Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor), the "fat kid" (pardon the judgment...this would have been me) of the group. -Richie (Finn Wolfhard), the loudmouth prankster. -Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer), the sickly drink of water with the overbearing mother. -Mike (Chosen Jacobs), the black kid in a community not always accepting of minorities. -Stanley (Wyatt Oleff), the Jewish kid who struggles to even fit in with this gang. -Bev (Sophia Lillis), the girl that of course all the others have a huge crush on.
Over the course of that summer, the Losers Club is tormented by neighborhood bully Henry Bowers (Nicholas Hamilton), while at the same time all seeing manifestations of "It", a seemingly non-corporeal being who can transform into their greatest fears (e.g. Pennywise the maniacal clown).
Director Andy Muschietti's "It" is by no means a direct adaptation of the book. The best ones aren't, as they are two completely different mediums. Some of the characters go in different directions, some events are slightly altered, and even the time frame (1950s in the book) is moved up to the 1980s here.
What doesn't change, however, is the spirit of the source material. King's novel is all about coming of age, facing fears, and having courage when no one else will. All of those things are perfectly present here. A lot of that has to do with the acting performances, starting with the camaraderie between the young child actors. This may be the best child-led ensemble cast I've ever seen on the big screen, as their antics provide some much-needed levity for material that can be very dark. Then, of course, there is Skarsgard's Pennywise, which is just as iconic as Tim Curry's earlier take on the role (this one being much more dark and violent).
A final interesting observation is how "It" so seamlessly melded together the horror, adventure, and thriller genres. If you are a fan of either, you'll find something to enjoy. The scary scenes are something straight out of, say, "The Conjuring", while the buddy adventure is so much like "Stranger Things" (Wolfhard double dipping even!) that one could almost call "copycat" (but it's so fun who cares?!). Backing everything up is a very solid story.
Of course, this is only the first chapter in the "It" story, as King's book also goes into great detail about these characters as adults. That material is saved for a later-date sequel, and this one sets it up perfectly. This original can be viewed as a stand-alone experience, yet leaves just enough unanswered questions to make a compelling "part two".
Overall, "It" was one of my favorite film-going experiences in quite some time. It did justice to a great story, even introduced some new aspects into the mix, and whetted appetites for more to come. I can't wait to return to Derry for Round Two in the future!