It
Let me make this clear straight away: this film is definitely not for the faint-hearted. It is by far one of the most horrifying experiences I've had in a long time and, even though it gave me stomach cramps from trying to sink further and further into my seat, I absolutely loved it. Delivering some of the best established scares in years while maintaining an adventurous spirit and a brilliant cast of teen actors, it is pretty much the perfect Stephen King adaptation. It's Stand by Me with a demonic terror thrown into the mix. What more could you want?
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The perfect casting really makes the whole film work, sticking by the philosophy (which Stephen King swears by) that if you care about the characters, then the scares will work.
In fact, the notoriously picky King, known for his controversial opinions on adaptations of his work, apparently loved the film so much, he went back and watched it again soon after. While I personally don't think I can put myself through that experience quite so soon, I can absolutely see why he enjoyed it so much (although he's still wrong about The Shining, a film he infamously dismissed upon its release).
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The one major criticism I've seen so far from critics is that the film suffers in its pacing, at times failing to build each scare towards something larger. Though I can see where they're coming from, it was always going to be a challenge adapting a large part of this mammoth book, which all in all amounts to over 1100 pages, into a two hour feature.
And honestly, they did a great job, managing to balance the copious scares with plenty of wit and vim, although I will admit that some of the supporting characters needed a little more time to develop.
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The one major issue I did have with "It" is the ending (don't worry, no spoilers). It fails to quite deliver the huge, horror-filled bonanza that the film builds up towards, something I hope will be remedied in the sequel to come. The soundtrack also began to grow more than a little derivative, resorting to that classic "we're going on an adventure" family friendly score that definitely belongs more in a Disney film than a Stephen King film.
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