[THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!] It is a 1990 miniseries that focuses on the “lucky seven” and their battle vs. Pennywise the Clown in the city of Derry, Maine. This “lucky seven” is a group of friends that met during childhood and all have one thing in common, they see Pennywise and all the atrocities he brings forth. I went into this movie thinking it was about a clown that runs around and kills people. I was also under the impression that Pennywise was vicious and would kill with a very blunted effect. I couldn’t have been more wrong; instead, Pennywise is a silly boy that can only hurt people if the people believe he is real. Therefore, if you wake up tomorrow and see Pennywise hopping around, just tell him he isn’t real, at which point he will whine and disappear.
This movie tackles a lot of different motives and reasons for why Pennywise even exists and why only kids can see him. Apparently, in the town of Derry there were repeated atrocities that occurred every 30 years. The individual that causes all the havoc is It, but he comes forth in different physical representations. So, when the "lucky seven" were kids, the physical representation was an actual clown, but in the end it ends up being the worst spider I have ever seen represented in a movie. If Gumby made a spider with the same clay he was made out of, it would be this spider. Still, the “lucky seven” can see the clown, but apparently he isn’t the physical representation that he was years before. If you are confused by this, don’t worry I am too. Another side story in this movie is the villainous nature of the citizens of Derry. The town bully, who has a subtly strong role due to his friendship with Pennywise, loves to hurt the "lucky seven." The citizens of Derry openly watch the physical pain the bully inflicts without doing anything at all. The reasoning behind this is that Derry itself puts a veil over the eyes of adults. I honestly think that is bullshit and the movie came up with way too many plotlines.
It’s also necessary to note that this miniseries was originally a Stephen King novel and was then transferred to movie form. It is a miniseries that is 3 hours and 13 minutes long. Of course, it was originally viewed in separate parts, but if you just buy the movie now then you are probably going to watch it in its entirety. It’s long and becomes boring due to how repetitive the format is. In the beginning, we learn how each character met Pennywise and you can actually see exactly where the commercial would come in. So in essence, Character 1 background, cut, commercial, Character 2 background, cut, commercial, etc. After a while this just gets old and annoying.
Of course, not everything is bad in It. The clown is creepy and has some wonderful one-liners. All of the actors do a pretty fair job and there is even John Ritter, which gives the movie some bonus points. Also, while the plotlines are completely off the wall, they do make the viewer intrigued by the whole story. This is especially the case when the bully is taken in by Pennywise. There were a couple times when I actually thought the clown was just an intrusive thought due to PTSD, since all of the kids in the "lucky seven" had a pretty traumatic childhood. I even fell in love with the "lucky seven", but I wasn’t scared for them in the least, because if they had the mental power to withstand It’s mental attacks, then they were completely safe. How can I really be scared for a person when all they have to do is tell the villain that he doesn’t exist? Still, many people are going to argue the courage it took to take on the physical manifestation of It took bravery and whatnot, but frankly that spider was so horribly constructed that I was amused, not scared for the "lucky seven."
Horror island receives a clown that is just that, a clown. These circus puppets are covered in fake hair, noses, and makeup. Somehow I feel like the monsters on horror island will see right through this façade. I wish Pennywise could be safe by telling the individuals on horror island that they don’t exist, but I have a feeling that it isn’t going to work.
If you liked It, you might also like Sinister and Psycho.