Kidzworld checked out the Blu-ray/DVD for the scary movie It. Are the extras cool? Is this one a keeper you’ll watch every Halloween? Read our review.
By: Lynn Barker
Warning! It is rated “R” for horror violence, bloody images and language. The film was so popular with older tweens and teens that we are reviewing it on home video. Note that the movie is not suitable for younger viewers.
In It, it’s October 1988 in Derry, Maine and stuttering tween Bill’s (Jaeden Lieberher) younger brother Georgie (Jackson Robert Scott) disappears when chasing a sailboat Bill made down a gutter in the rain. We see that Georgie was grabbed by Pennywise, a weird clown (Bill Skarsgard). That summer Bill and tween-turning-13 friends loudmouth Richie (Finn Wolfhard), germaphobe Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer), sensitive Mike (Chosen Jacobs), new kid Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor), reluctant Jew Stan (Wyatt Oleff) and abused only girl Bev (Sophia Lillis) will find out that Pennywise isn’t human and only they can ban together to stop him from preying on kids.
The Loser's Club learns the town's historyCourtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Georgie and Summer
In Derry, Maine, in October, 1988, Bill Denbrough gives his seven-year-old brother, Georgie, a paper sailboat. Georgie sails the boat in the gutter in the rain and is unhappy when it sails down a storm drain. It is grabbed by creepy Pennywise the Dancing Clown who lures Georgie closer then bites his arm off and drags him into the sewer! The following summer, Bill and his friends are threatened by bully Henry Bowers (Nicholas Hamilton) and gang. Bill, whose home life has never been the same since Georgie’s death, theorizes that his bro’s body might have gone through the sewer and washed up in a marsh. Maybe Georgie is still alive! The kids will check it out.
Bill makes a paper boat for GeorgieCourtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
The New Kid
Lonely new kid Ben Hanscom realizes a lot of kids are disappearing lately and researches the town’s history. This has been happening every 27 years for centuries! When running from the Bowers gang, he meets Bill’s bunch and, after finding the tennis shoe of a missing girl, they enter the sewer tunnels to look for her. When one of Bowers’ gang follows, he is killed by Pennywise.
Bully Bowers sees the first sign of PennywiseCourtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
The Greatest Fears
Beverly Marsh, whose sicko dad makes moves on her, joins the “Loser Gang” and both Bill and Ben are crushing on her. Mike Hanlon is also beaten up by the Bowers’ gang and Bill and group defend him. All the kids realize that they have been seeing some weird crap lately like a headless kid, a threatening clown, a rotting man, ghost Georgie, a creepy painting, Mike’s dead parents etc. The newly founded “Loser’s Club” realize they are all being terrorized by some weird demon entity who lives on fear and on Derry’s kids and resides in the sewers which all meet under the local creepy haunted house. Only if they stand together can they confront this kid killer. They enter the house and encounter Pennywise but they are separated and freak out. Only Beverly and Bill seem determined to still fight this terrible creature.
Bill and the Losers decide to enter the sewer drainCourtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
The friends see Pennywise for the first time
"He’s Got Beverly!"
After seemingly killing her abusive dad, Beverly is grabbed by Pennywise and The Losers Club decide they must rescue her. In the sewers again, Bowers, who is on an It-driven killing spree after killing his own abusive dad, attacks the group but Mike pushes him down a well under the house. Going down the well, the kids discover It’s lair which is full of old circus props, possessions of the dead kids and the bodies of the missing kids that float in mid-air. Among them is the still living Beverly! Can the kids all both escape Pennywise and defeat him? Will he come back?
Creepy PennywiseCourtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Special Extra Features
- Pennywise Lives! – This extra focuses on actor Bill Skarsgard who plays clown/demon Pennywise. In his interview he’s a charming, cute 6’ 4” actor who talks about the origin of Pennywise, his audition in make-up, how physically strenuous the part was etc. The young actors tell us about the first time they saw him in costume and make-up. He was so scary that everyone stayed away from him on set. He did many of his own stunts and was thrilled that author Stephen King liked him in the role. Really fun extra.
Pennywise's smile isn't welcomingCourtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
- The Losers Club shows how the young actors met and bonded during and after hours filming the movie over a summer. They also bonded and had fun with the kids playing the bully actors who were nice and fun in person. Sophia talks about playing Bev and being one of the boys with the guy actors. You can see how much fun these young people had making the film.
- Author of Fear gives us Stephen King revealing his inspirations for the novel, the development for the characters, the setting and incidents from his personal life used for the young Loser’s Club. Really interesting!
- Deleted Scenes – there are some extended and some never seen scenes. All add to character development. Especially great is a speech by the Stan character in which he blames the adults in town for ignoring the Pennywise curse and not trying to do anything about it. There are several more that further explain character motivations. Well worth a watch.
A terrified Bev in Pennywise's lairCourtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Wrapping Up
It is a little long but certainly succeeds in introducing a bunch of unknown young actors playing it from their hearts. These are tweens and 13-year-olds you can identify with. Whether the characters are suffering from physical ailments, obesity, parental abuse, prejudice, a bad reputation, etc. you are or know somebody like all of these young people. The film has a lot to say about the power of friendship and teamwork.
Inside the old houseCourtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
The real stand-out actor however, is twenty-something Bill Skarsgard as the creepy and effective clown/demon Pennywise. His choices are great. He can even turn on the charm when needed between munching on his victims. What a performance!
Kids are floating!Courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
This Blu-ray/DVD/Digital set is visually stunning while offering a great-sounding soundtrack and the extra features are all really interesting. My fave is “Pennywise Lives!” featuring Bill talking about how he approached the role, how it exhausted him and how he actually felt lonely on set because he had to sit alone…evidently everybody was afraid of him.
Some of the Losers help Ben after his beating
The only things missing are a director audio commentary which might have been interesting and a blooper/gag reel, although one of the Deleted Scenes is an alternative…what would have happened if Georgie just grabbed his boat back and left scene. Funny!
Stan about to see a painting come to lifeCourtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
If you are okay with the scares in the film and are at least 12 or 13 and up, you will probably be fine with the movie. If you are younger, best watch this in a few years. We can go 4 stars on this home entertainment offering.
It Blu-ray CoverCourtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
It Blu-ray Review: 
It is available to buy Tuesday, January 9th.
Have Your Say
Did you see It in theaters? Was the movie too scary for you or do you want to collect it at home to watch every Halloween? Are clowns funny or frightening to you? Leave a comment below!
