Movie Review

By​ ​Angel​ P​edroza

For​ ​weeks​ ​now, ​trailers​ ​for​ ​the​ ​film​ ​version​ ​of​ ​Stephen​ ​King’s​ ​horror​ ​classic​ ​​“It” have​ ​been preparing ​us​ ​to​ ​lose​ ​our​ ​minds.​ ​The ​evil​ ​clown​ ​Pennywise,​ played by​ ​spectacularly​ ​scary​ ​Bill Skarsgard​ ​(Alexander’s​ ​brother),​ ​is​ ​the​ ​stuff​ ​of​ ​nightmares.​ ​The​ ​full-length​ ​movie,​ ​however​ ​can’t match​ ​the​ ​trailers​ ​for​ ​the ​terror that was experienced.​ ​It​ ​runs​ ​a​ ​punishing​ ​two​ ​hours​ ​and​ ​15​ ​minutes,​ ​but​ ​It​ ​works enough​ ​of​ ​the​ ​time​ ​to​ ​deliver​ ​a severe ​case​ ​of​ ​nightmares.

Directed​ ​by​ ​Andy​ ​Muschietti,​ ​from​ ​a​ ​script​ ​by​ ​Chase​ P​almer,​ ​Gary​ ​Dauberman​ ​and​ ​Cary Fukunaga,​ ​the​ ​film​ ​is​ ​based​ ​on​ ​King’s​ ​1986​ ​novel,​ ​which​ ​featured​ ​Tim​ ​Curry​ ​as​ P​ennywise.​ ​“It” is a R-rated​ ​movie,​ ​with​ ​​gore​ ​and​ ​f-bombs to spare.​ ​And​ ​when​ ​Pennywise​ ​bites​ ​off​ ​a​ ​kid’s​ ​arm, it’s​ such ​a​ ​huge​ ​gulp, you’ll​ ​scream​ ​bloody​ ​murder.

This ​brings​ ​us​ ​to​ ​the​ ​plot. (Beware of spoilers from this point on!)

C​hildren​ ​are​ ​disappearing​ ​in​ ​the​ ​town​ ​of​ ​Derry,​ ​Maine,​ ​courtesy​ ​of Pennywise,​ ​who​ ​shows​ ​up​ ​in​ ​Derry​ ​every​ ​​ 27 ​years​ ​and​ ​scares​ ​kids​ ​to​ ​death​ ​by​ ​transforming himself​ ​into​ ​their​ ​worst​ ​fears.​ ​Our​ ​heroes​ ​are​ ​still​ ​seven​ ​high​ ​school​ ​kids​ ​who​ ​call​ ​themselves “The​ L​oser’s​ C​lub.” They’re​ ​misfits​ ​who​ ​find​ ​their​ ​strength​ ​in​ ​sticking​ ​together.​ ​Jaeden​ ​Lieberher​ ​plays​ ​Bill, the​ ​leader​ ​of​ ​the​ ​club.​ ​It’s​ his little brother that ​Pennywise​ ​sucks into​ ​a​ ​sewer​ ​in​ ​the​ ​middle​ ​of​ ​a​ ​spontaneous rain​ ​storm​.​ ​Finn​ W​olfhard​ ​plays​ ​Richie, the​ ​comic relief,​ ​Jack​ ​Dylan​ ​Grazer​ ​is​ ​Eddie,​ ​the​ ​germaphobe,​ W​yatt​ O​leff​ ​is​ ​Stanley,​ ​Jeremy Ray​ ​Taylor​ ​is​ ​Ben,​ ​the​ ​chubby​ ​one,​ ​and​ ​Chosen​ ​Jacobs​ ​is​ ​Mike.​ ​The​ ​stereotypes​ ​are​ ​completed by​ ​the​ ​spirited​ ​Sophia​ Lillis​ ​as​ ​Beverly,​ ​the​ ​token female.

Yes,​ ​the​ ​boys,​ ​especially​ ​Bill​ ​and​ ​Ben,​ ​compete​ ​for​ ​her​ ​attention.​ ​The​ ​parents​ ​are​ ​mostly absent, however​ ​when​ ​they​ ​do​ ​appear, ​​they’re​ ​pretty​ ​monstrous​ ​themselves.​ ​All​ ​seven​ ​losers​ ​must also cope​ ​with​ ​bullying​ ​at​ ​the​ ​hands​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Bowers​ ​gang,​ ​led​ ​by​ ​a​ ​brutish​ ​bully​ ​named​ ​Henry Nicholas​ ​Hamilton.​ ​But​ ​Pennywise​ ​is​ ​all​ ​their​ ​fears​ ​rolled​ ​up​ ​into​ ​one​ ​creepy,​ ​dancing​ ​clown with​ ​yellow​ ​teeth,​ ​a​ ​high-pitched​ ​squeak​ ​of​ ​a​ ​voice​ ​and​ ​a​ ​thing​ ​for​ ​the​ ​way​ ​fear​ ​induces​ ​kids​ ​to sweat.​ ​It​ ​makes​ ​them​ ​taste​ ​better… ​he​ ​literally​ ​says​ ​that.

So​ ​that’s​ “​It” ​​in​ ​a​ ​nutshell.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​see​ ​the​ ​losers​ ​grow​ ​up​ ​in​​​ ​years​ ​and​ ​tackle​ ​Pennywise in​ ​his​ ​next​ ​appearance,​ ​sorry.​ ​You’ll​ ​have​ ​to​ ​wait​ ​for​ ​art​. Watching​ ​kids​ ​form​ ​a​ ​bond​ ​to rain​ ​down​ ​on​ ​a​ ​psycho​ ​clown​ ​really​ ​does​ ​play​ ​into​ ​people’s​ ​heart​ ​strings. ​​But,​ ​IT​ ​will​ ​creep​ ​you out​ ​big​ ​time.