We all know the face and name of Pennywise the Dancing Clown from the 1990 TV mini-series: "Stephen King’s IT". If you have seen this adaptation, I sincerely apologize for the second part of the mini-series and I hope that the directors, actors, writers, producers, and etc. would as well. I mean let’s face it, despite Tim Curry being one of the only believable actors, this was a major flop. A lot of people, even Pennywise himself, unanimously agree that the ending ruined the production. It was a three hour build up to a boat-load of disappointment.
Naturally, with a first adaptation as horrible as the first, seeing that a new R-rated production of "IT" was coming out, I was not very thrilled and did not have high hopes for the film. In fact, before the first trailer was released I pretty much dismissed it as more horror fluff to be shoved into theaters for the sake of making money and upping Mr. King’s book sales.
When the trailers started to come out one by one, my hopes and aspirations for this film grew. It looked more and more entertaining and more and more realistic. "IT" was going to be fantastic. I began feeling the hype that everyone started feeling. I was feeling the hope that this would be a fantastic adaptation, and my hopes were confirmed when I heard Mr. King himself say “I was not prepared for how terrifying this movie is.” That was it, I had to see this movie.
So, on September 8th (opening day) I went with the other four members of my family to face my fears and watch this movie. And I am glad I did. Looking back, it is very easy to see why this film made almost $120,000,000 in box office sales in three days. It was the Stephen King adaptation that lifelong and new fans had been yearning for. Once you get past the heavy use of CGI, it is an utterly fascinating story of The Loser’s Club fighting against their fears. As many Stephen King movies (and novels) are, this was jam packed with terror, suspense, humor, and raw emotion. I thought "The Green Mile" was the only King novel and movie that made me bawl my eyes out. However, I must say, this movie came very close to making me cry (I won’t say why, that is for you to find out – if you have not yet seen the film).
All in all, my message is that this movie absolutely lived up to the hype and praise it received. "IT" is a must see for everyone. So, buy a ticket, grab a popcorn, and be prepared to look your deepest fears in the face. This movie is one wild ride!
