This adaptation isn't so much a horror story but a condensed coming of age story with suspense elements. The story while dark and menacing is mostly about the journey of the protagonists - the true gruesome stuff is incidental and takes center stage presumably in the second chapter.
I found our protagonists relateable - I had flashbacks to my childhood and experienced a ton of nostalgia - especially during the lighthearted swimming scene and those awkward teenage moments. If you're around a certain age the latch-kid key nature of the Losers' Club was your life - the good and the bad. There's a lot of Derry Maine in my hometown - secrets just under the surface or out in the open and ignored. I forgot how much my small town life related to the book. King nailed the strange undercurrent that can insulate communities
The film has humor, my main concern was that without Curry the comedic timing would be off - the comedic timing in this adaptation was better and much more endearing to take nothing away from Curry's performance in the TV adaptation but the comedic moments in this one don't take you from the moment.
The special effects are good, though not spectacular. The ending of the first chapter suffers from the same silliness that the 90's version did but it's forgivable
I'd say this film is a solid 8 of 10. I will view this in the theater again.
