"Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise does for IT, what Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger did, for A Nightmare on Elm Street".-Epic Film Guy Justin
The advance screening for IT at Regal Gallery Place in downtown DC was one of the most fun, and organized early screenings I've ever been to. They provided complimentary popcorn and soda, an amazing free Pennywise T-shirt, an enamel pin, and a raffle to win a yet to be release Mondo poster for the film. Ill give a few of my brief thoughts below:
PROS:
-All of the acting was top notch, the Losers Club all have a true sense of friendship and are fleshed out for the time given in the film. Finn Wolfhard as Richie, absolutely steals the show.
-It was funny! I had no idea I would laugh this much in this movie given what weve seen from the trailers so far. There was great and very realistic dialogue written for the kids of that age.
-It was absolutely terrifying. As a huge horror buff even I was on the edge of my seat at times, with the tension and sense of dread slowly building.
-It didnt pull any punches when it came to violence and gore. It was brutal and unrelenting, especially involving the kids.
-It was made with craftsmanship and by someone that loved the source material. The direction in this film is top notch, and Im glad that Andy Muschietti stepped up to the plate and hit a home run.
-Skarsgard as Pennywise. He has so much fun playing this character, almost sadistically. The variations in his voice, along with his movements and mannerisms make him the scariest version of the character yet. I havent decided yet but I think I prefer his interpretation of Pennywise to Tim Currys (which is not an easy decision to make). He is the new face of The Boogeyman, for the modern horror genre.
-It was imaginative. They get very creative with what they do with Pennywise and bringing out the fears in the kids using more fantastical elements. It felt, and looked like a modern day Nightmare on Elm Street, and theres plenty of nods in the movie to enforce that, almost sometimes literally.
CONS:
-Jump scares. While we knew there would be some, they did rely heavily at times to them but they worked quite well. The audience jumped out of their seats and I heard plenty of gasps and screams.
-The ending was fine but didnt blow me away. I liked it but it couldve been better. I still walked out on a high.
So some brief final thoughts, I think this movie is going to please the majority of people interested. The crowd I saw it with enjoyed the hell out of it. I found it to be miles ahead of the original made for TV movie in every way, and topping most modern day mainstream horror flicks. I have a feeling itll change the face of modern horror and the route studios take with these franchises, hopefully opening the door for more movies like it.