It (1990) Movie Review, Trailer, Film Still and Poster

U.S. 1990
Director: Tommy Lee Wallace
Cast: Tim Curry, John Ritter, Annette O'Toole, Richard Thomas, Seth Green, Jarred Blancard, Harry Anderson
Rating: Not Rated
Release Date: November 18th 1990 (TV, USA)
Running Time: 3 hours 10 minutess

The Movie Review

IT's written by the famous horror writer Stephen King and IT was originally released for television back in November 1990. Exactly 4 years after the movie Stand by Me which was another work from Stephen King. I'm telling you that because the resemblances between the two are apparent, and the quality differs quite greatly between those two films.

IT's storyline divided into 2 acts, the first tells about seven pre-teens forming a club named the Losers club since they feel they don't belong to the rest of the world and also to fight the bullies at their school. In the same time, the town where they live, Derry, is being terrorized by a series of


IT
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mysterious deaths that occur over and over but only take little kids as the victims. It seems the losers are the only ones who realize who the killer really is. The killer often takes a formal form of a freakish looking clown called himself Pennywise, but since Pennywise (Tim Curry) often terrors its victims by transforming into a form that each kid personally fear the most, then the stutter Bill, the fat kid Ben, the pretty Beverly, the joker Tozier, Stan, Mike and Eddie call the killer as IT. Pennywise or IT of course also tries to kill those kids and those seven losers have to bond more tightly to defeat not only the more-aggressive-bullies but also the killer. Their struggle will be continued 30 years later when they are grown-ups and this is where the second act of the movie begins.

IT confuses between horror and drama, usually that combination is deadly awesome, but in this film it backfires throughout the movie. The dialogue is easily forgettable and the actors themselves seem bewildered with their parts and act awkward. The moments of supposed-to-be-tear-inducing scenes are corny. I actually feel embarrassed at it, it goes more or less like this..."Oh I have a problem, please guys hold me and make me strong", and that's what you're going to get not from the child actors but from the grown up actors with all their lines.

If you have seen a masterpiece entitled Stand by Me, you will notice many resemblances, the stereotype kids, the bonding between them, how they deal with the bullies, in this part everything is a rip-off from Stand by Me. Quite ironic since IT was written by the same person. The difference is that Stand by Me is a drama movie while IT is a horror movie and IT's original novel even contains more controversial substance than the movie. So IT could be said, the horror version of Stand by Me.

Glad didn't have him for my Birthday

IT still has its glory, and what could that be? The clown of course and kudos for Tim Curry and the make up team, that's one scary as$ character that is far from being forgettable, especially for kids. This is horror for kids really, if your little ones might have the itch for some heart-pumping movie, I'm pretty sure IT will do the work. That also means that your little ones would not mind the mediocre-to-bad performance of the actors.

--Spoiler Possibility Alert
From a slasher IT turns into a psychological thriller and at some point it turns into a supernatural thriller and then it turns out to be a nature gone wild thriller. They are just too much. For adults prepare for the ending that really sucks with, oh my, really bad graphical imaging. The real form of the killer at the end of this horror movie is probably taken from the old Japanese tale that I've read in many places. Or maybe it's just a mere coincidence.

© iwan pranowo of Movielogy.com