Spoilers Stephen King's IT movie - Grading and Discussion

[shapeshifter]

Thumbs down (D) from me.

I don't get what all the excitement is about. The beginning was the only scary part for me. After that it devolved into The Goonies meet killer clown from outer space but promptly kick it's ass. R rated horror? Really? Opening sequence excepted, I've seen way scarier PG-13.

To its credit, the major part of the ride is fair enough; throughout its course it keeps upping the ante for Pennywise's terror level with each of his appearances. Each time adding a new level of implied cunning and sophistication which increasingly convince me every one is doomed, no one is getting out of this alive. But then, *POOF!* the clock runs out. Pennywise suddenly becomes an idiot, easily outsmarted by a bunch of kids, and any tragic emotional punch I was feeling drains away when a magical fairytale reset button gets pushed.

I never read the book so I cannot say how this It compares but if this is a faithful rendering then I am glad I never wasted the time reading It.

 

[Trekker4747]

Jessica Chastain or Amy Adams for Bev.

I think Chastain really has the look for an adult Bev as well as the acting chops to give adult Bev the "edge" she needs given her life. Granting that Amy Adams is no acting slouch, but Chastain has more the look.

R rated horror? Really? Opening sequence excepted, I've seen way scarier PG-13.

I suspect the violence, blood and language had more to do with the "R" than the "horror" aspects in it. Because it was more intensity and thriller than it was "horror."

Pennywise suddenly becomes an idiot, easily outsmarted by a bunch of kids, and any tragic emotional punch I was feeling drains away when a magical fairytale reset button gets pushed.

Pennywise's strength/ability was dependent on fear, since the kids, when all together, showed no fear towards him he wasn't as strong.

Though it did seem at times he was less inclined to attack the children, he attacked the kid brother from the storm drain pretty viciously and, evidently, killed him. But then with Bev he just put her in a trance and then seemed ready to "store" her and he teases at the kids a lot too. I mean, he had the Jewish kid's face in his mouth and didn't take him completely out? I guess maybe he was looking more to "store" these kids for his 30-year some odd slumber so he essentially putting these kids in comatose cocoons/webbing; but taking out the core kids seemed to be more of a challenge than it probably should have been for him. But, again, it could be because the kids weren't genuinely that afraid of him and able to push through it.

 

[Captaindemotion]

B+ from me. I loved the book when I was a teen and read it loads of times. Quite liked the miniseries and I'll watch Tim Curry in anything but it couldn't really do King's vision justice.

This is a pretty solid jump-in-your-seat shocker with good performances from the mostly unknown cast. I found it interesting that no adult had more than a handful of lines or scenes in it. Pennywise was as creepy and scary as he should be and comparisons with Curry are kinda pointless IMHO. It probably comes down to who you saw first. By the way, was there a doll like the miniseries version in the hall of clown dolls? Could've sworn there was.

I'd cast Amy Adams as Beverly (was the 'you look like Lois Lane' line coincidental? Probably!) and Tobey Maguire as Billy. Maybe Jason Miller as Stan? Not sure about the others.

 

[Dream]

IT Chapter 2 coming in September 6, 2019

New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. on Monday announced that a sequel to the horror blockbuster It will hit theaters, including Imax locations, on Sept. 6, 2019.

I knew it! I had a feeling the sequel was coming out on a September.

 

[Dream]

Burger King Russia Wants 'It' Movie Banned Because Pennywise is 'Exact Copy' of Mcdonald's Rival Clown

Pennywise the Clown from It isn’t just terrorizing the kids of Derry; he’s also struck fear in the heart of Burger King Russia.

The burger chain’s Russian operation has filed a complaint with the country’s anti-monopoly business board to ban the hit Warner Bros. movie because they think it constitutes free marketing for rival McDonald’s, which is also represented by a clown—the less murderous Ronald McDonald. No, seriously.

In the complaint, filed last week and obtained by Russian financial publication Vedomosti, Burger King bemoaned unfair competition, claiming the “protagonist of the movie,” Pennywise, “is an exact copy” of Ronald McDonald, "including the color range and the [balloons] with which the clown lures children.” The company believes that this violates Russia’s advertising laws.

Well, that is stupid as fuck!

 

[Starbreaker]

A-/B+ from me. I think it would have actually benefitted from being a 3 hour long movie. I thought all the kids were great actors, but I kind of missed their interactions in the Barrens. The one scene with the cliff diving was good, though. I'll give them that.

I was never scared and was never on the edge of my seat, but I did enjoy it overall. I thought this was going to be more of a horror movie because that's what they focused on in the trailers, but it ended up a good coming of age film.