MovieChat Forums > It (2017) Discussion > Pennywise looks ridiculous

Pennywise looks ridiculous

posted 7 years ago by RainbowBlossom (4)
8 replies | jump to latest

I was very disappointed with how they portrayed Pennywise the dancing clown. With minimal make up, minimal hair, and a bulbous head, IT was not even the least bit frightening. One of the things about Tim Curry's version of Pennywise is that the evil nature with the juxtaposed with the colorful,insidious clown make up and clothing. Now part of it may be that I am not even a tiny bit afraid of clowns, in fact I even took a clowning class in college for a theater requirement (and for some fun). But that head though…

[–] bobbydallas (8556) 7 years ago

The opening scene in the sewer was pretty cool and most frightening for me. The way he froze after giggling along with Georgie was messed up! I agree however that as the movie progressed Pennywise became more and more comical... what was up with that little dance number he was doing near the end?! LOL

[–] DracTarashV2 (4493) 7 years ago

You know something, I'm actually fond of that dance. :) Ridiculous (in a good sense) but appropriate given his whole act as the dancing clown. And sure he did become more comical as the film went on... though the way I saw it he was dementedly having fun with his prey (the creepy dance being one of those moments).

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

If I remember about that dance correctly, it was freaky how his limbs and torso were gyrating wildly, but his head was NOT MOVING AT ALL. (eek)

[–] bobbydallas (8556) 7 years ago

The part that killed me was when IT smacks down on the cellar stair, after scaring Bill in the Denbrough house. It was so random.. and then IT slowly pulls off-screen. Haha

[–] ScoreKeeper (25) 7 years ago

I wish he would've creeped up on the kids better. The first scene was the best and most terrifying. After that, i felt like i was watching scenes just trying to jump-scare over and over with no real depth, just intensity. All the 80s paraphenalia they had and they missed so many opportunities to utilize Pennywise into them. I mean, the NKOTB shit was hokey, and they could've showed ben listening to his headphones and as a new kids song plays, the lyrics could've subtly changed to say something like, "you're gonna die fat boy! And you'll float too!"

Or the scene when Richie is playing the arcade game. He should've blown the gang off after their confrontation and gone back to playing the game. After his friends leave, he ends up being alone in the cafe, involved with the game. And then pennywise shows up in the game as a computer opponent and turns his head creepily towards richie, giving him eye contact and a piss-inducing grin before reaching his hands out to grab him and tries thrusting his head into the arcade machine.

It's when everyday objects become items of fear that sticks with your mind after the movie is over. That was the kind of haunting effect i was hoping to get from this movie. I want to go home scared shitless to watch tv or do normal things for fear that the clown is going to fuck with me. And this movie missed the opportunity to instill that fear. It became just another bland jump-scare flick disguised as a Stranger Things-wannabe.

[–] Nolo32 (3) 7 years ago

I agree with you. This movie missed the things that made the old one (and book) scary. Just another run-off-the mill jump scare flick.

Also the scenes where randomly dropped. The Pennywise scenes just came at random ....

Also hated that they did not follow the book at all, and created there own events.

[–] DracTarashV2 (4493) 7 years ago

"Run-off-the-mill", yet... it somehow managed to capture the spirit of the novel better than the beloved miniseries did. At least I, and maybe more than a few people, thought so...

And in terms of direction, pace and performances, this one delivered big time (far superior filmmaking to what you'll get in many run-off-the-mill horror flicks), whereas the original, as much as I like it for a number of reasons, suffered from some pretty hammy acting (not including the great Tim Curry), mediocre directing, dialogue and pacing issues.

At any event, this one could've been 99% faithful to the story, take the jump scares down a notch, make Skarsgard's look and acting reminiscent of Curry's, and I bet it would nevertheless be met with criticism by people looking for any reason to nitpick. So that said, 2017 "It" is a damn fine adaptation.

[–] incarnate1 (31) 7 years ago

Very well said friend, agree 100%. Pennywise lost some of what made him truly scary in the 2017 remake.