10 Reasons IT Is Better Than The Original
Tim Curry carries a mediocre Stephen King adaptation.
With the much-anticipated remake of Stephen King's It releasing to critical raves and an astonishing $179 million worldwide opening weekend, it's safe to say that people can't get enough of Pennywise the Dancing Clown.
For many the new movie's release has also created a great excuse to revisit the original 1990 made-for-TV mini-series (effectively a three-hour movie), which is of course fondly remembered for Tim Curry's legendary performance as Pennywise.
However, for those who dare to re-watch the original movie after seeing the remake, you might be startled at just how much worse it generally is than you remember, and how easily the new film completely outdoes it in practically every way.
Though many film fans rightly turn their nose up at Hollywood's endless conveyor belt of remakes, reboots and re-imaginings, the 2017 It is one of the better ones in recent memory, a slick, thoughtful update that's not merely trying to coast off the original's reputation, but actively betters what came before...
10. Superior Direction & Production Values
If you haven't seen the 1990 TV mini-series in quite some time, revisiting it can be a startling experience, in large part because the general production quality is much worse than you probably remember.
The original adaptation's lower budget results in it having dated rather badly, and it doesn't help that director Tommy Lee Wallace's shot selections gave an unmistakable straight-to-TV whiff throughout.
Plus, with the mini-series being structured around TV commercials, there are a bunch of garish fade-outs that just aren't cinematic at all.
In practically every way, the new film is a far more lavish production, and while it will remain to be seen how it ages over the next three decades, its sharp cinematography and impeccable production design will probably ensure it stands the test of time relatively well.