Ça : Chapitre 1

While it could have used more subtlety in the scare moments, the movie delivers surprising and effectively bizarre set pieces to keep you engaged. The likable and endearing losers group make the film worth watching again long after the fright has worn off. It manages to go from terrifying to hilarious, with Richie smashing it as the comedian of the group. It also touches on deeper themes of the bonds of friendship, the traumas that take our innocence away and the courage we need to face our fears. You won't only be scared, you'll be moved and inspired. Though your opinions on clowns might take a hit.

For a younger audience, unjaded by so many horror and suspense flicks, this movie will probably be creepier. This version of the story is somewhat a victim of itself. So many derivatives have occurred over the years, many from King novels, including this one, that this remake suffers as somewhat less of the same. At my 55 years of age, it just never hit a fear climax. Sure, some great scenes, just not enough impact. For the younger audience, I expect it would be great. Also, perhaps by the edit- down for the screen play, the story seemed to leave a lot of plot holes uncompleted, and seemed to violate its own plane of existence. Appropriate for Netflix, or a young couple on a date.

So I went and saw IT, and came back unimpressed. I mean it was a good movie, no doubt about that. A bunch of kids, outcasts in their own right, being terrorized by an ancient demon that plays upon the fears of its victims is pretty much the standard in Hollywood horror movie territory. All the kids are well cast, the script is funny and tight, and there are plenty of monster shots. The cinematography is great, the pace is even and the CGI is flawless. But is more funny than terrifying- it's R rating more a justification of teenage slang in the script, rather than for true scares.

But that is what typically Stephen King is all about. His stories are studies on relationships rather than all out horror. In IT, King reversed Spielberg's E.T, and explored everyday monsters of childhood- abuse, violence and neglect. Juxtapose that with an eternal evil shape-shifting entity who wakes up every 27 years to prey, and you have a shawarma of a plot. The book is scary, the movie isn't. Probably so because today, we are used to Stranger Things.

We are used to kids doing stupendous stuff these days- whether running billion dollar companies, or bringing back lost souls from other dimensions. It all seems very easy for today's generation to figure things out- most of IT establishes this narrative. A wonderful group of actors face off against Bill Skarsgard's Pennywise the Dancing Clown, and they all nail their parts. The movie takes place in a town where all the adults are essentially villains- so its not just the kids versus the clowns everyone else. But for sheer impact, IT never reaches the highs it achieves in its first sequence.

It is a great example of how strong marketing can make mediocre movies look a billion bucks. Other reviewers are putting IT right up there with other Stephen King adaptions such as The Shining and The Thing. Oh please, that would be laying it too thick. Director Andy Muschietti's earlier take on the genre- Mama, is a far better contender.

No good horror movie can get away by being light on scares, however good the characters and the script are. So look at IT as an extension of Goonies or Stranger Things, a PG-13 romp, not an iconic horror movie. 7/10

I absolutely loved the new 'IT' movie and didn't expect it to be that good. It is a perfectly paced and beautifully shot movie that captures some of the love for 80's horror movies.

But 'IT' is actually much more than just a rehash of a plain-old horror movie: The characters are all interesting and the kids' acting skills are surprisingly convincing and moving. You really do feel for them and you want them to succeed, which is really what makes a horror movie be a hit or a flop. The emotional subplots are not too shallow as well—the love story does not feel haphazardly attached onto everything else; the interactions between the characters feel meaningful and real.

The new clown is also quite well done with some very creepy acting and a compelling voice. What's more: I didn't even mind the CGI of the horror effects. Usually CGI puts me off, but here, everything was done rather well with some really suspenseful moments.

In the end, what really got me to love the new 'IT' is that this is a movie for people who love movies. The cinematography is just like true movie fans like it: Lots of stunning landscape and wide shots, perfect lighting and atmosphere, and on top of that a great score! What do you want more?

Of all the different genres of films, I think modern horror is probably my least favorite. I love old horror films...mostly because they aren't extremely graphic and leave a lot to the imagination. But this is a case which proves I can be won over by a violent modern horror pic. The only reason I saw this one at all is because my daughter wanted to see it...and I didn't wanna disappoint her.

I am not going to make this review long...as there are nearly 800 for this hit film already. Suffice to say, the movie is scary, the story very good (the things omitted from the book are generally best not being in the film) and I enjoyed the heck out of the picture. Who knows...maybe I don't hate the genre...just the brainless teens begin slaughtered at the abandoned amusement park/roller disco by a guy in a hockey mask sort of film.