Movie Review: It

IF YOU have a fear of clowns, you might want to approach this film with caution.
It has the unenviable task of living up to the iconic 1990 miniseries that starred Tim Curry as a demonic clown who terrorises the children of the small American town of Derry, but happily, the film manages to establish its own ­identity, while still paying tribute to the spirit of the miniseries, as well as the Stephen King novel it is based on.
The film starts out in bold fashion, depicting the clown Pennywise (Skarsgard) brutally killing a young child named Georgie. This kicks off several months of terror in which many other children go ­missing.
Georgie's older brother Bill (Lieberher) is unable to accept his ­brother's death, and attempts to search for answers with the help of his friends Richie (Finn Wolfhard), Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer), and Stanley (Wyatt Oleff).
However, the boys also have to deal with ­attacks by the local bullies, which ­eventually brings them into contact with fellow outcasts Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor), Mike (Chosen Jacobs), and Beverly (Lillis).
The seven children soon ­discover that each of them has seen terrifying visions which play up their greatest fears, and almost all of them seem to feature a strange, evil clown.
They eventually decide to band together to stop the creature from unleashing further terror upon their town.
The film's greatest strength is its young cast. I was ­impressed by how ­natural they were, both in their ­interactions with each other, and when ­portraying the terror the children were feeling, especially Lieberher and Lillis, whose characters go through some dark ­moments.
I also enjoyed all the scenes with ­Wolfhard and Grazer, who have some of the best lines of dialogue in the script.
The filmmakers also managed to capture the look and feel of the late 80s, in which the film is set.
The special effects were really effective in depicting the ­nightmarish situations that plague the children. Some of the horror imagery here will stay with you long after the film is over.
It also manages to go further than the miniseries ever could in ­depicting violence and gore, which really ­hammers home the serious threat our heroes face.
However, the film is not ­without its flaws.
Skarsgard, while perfectly ­terrifying in the role, is never ­allowed to go beyond a one-dimensional portrayal of the clown. If he had, he may have even surpassed Curry's version of the character.
The film also loses a bit of ­momentum in the final act, after delivering a strong build-up of ­suspense for the first two-thirds.
It also deviates a fair bit from the book, which some King fans may not appreciate.
However, this should not stop you from enjoying what may be the most genuinely creepy film of the year.