IT (1990) vs IT (2017)

  It (1990) vs. It (2017) 

Having just finished the 2017 remake of IT and recently watching the 1990 version with Tim Curry in preparation I thought I’d do a little comparison post between the two, both films have positives and negatives, I’m going to highlight a few things, right, where should we start!?   

As I mentioned in my IT (2017) review, Richie is a prick in the new one whereas he was a likeable character in the original, I said they should have cast Gatan Matarazzo instead and I stick by it, he’d have been perfect for the role, Finn Wolfhard was definitely the wrong choice.  

It (1990) - 1 / It (2017) - 0   

Pennywise is a bit scarier in the remake, I enjoyed Tim Curry in the role but Bill Skarsgard’s performance is more sinister and less comical which I thought was ultimately more effective for the material, that with the terrifying animation and Muschietti’s direction made the character a lot more menacing. 

It (1990) - 1 / It (2017) - 1   

The iconic storm drain opening scene was much more graphic than the original, I preferred it, poor Georgie gets his fucking arm brutally ripped off then we get a birds eye shot of Pennywise reaching out and stretching his arm all the way over to Georgie violently dragging him through the storm drain, it definitely set the tone! 

It (1990) - 1 / It (2017) - 2   

In the original Pennywise’s lair was found in a cave fairly deep into the woods, in the remake it’s just a typical looking haunted house, I liked the well in the basement but I preferred the secluded cave in the original, the run down grim looking house is too much of a stereotype. 

It (1990) - 2 / It (2017) - 2   

All the parents were complete arseholes in the remake, it was a little over the top, literally every adult is a complete cunt and it felt a little forced just to make the situation even worse and it wasn’t necessary, it’s bad enough without making every adult a complete piece of shit! 

It (1990) - 3 / It (2017) - 2   

The bully was a lot more threatening in the remake, he’s smashing people’s heads on rocks, he’s running around with a blade and the intent to carve his name into people’s stomachs, he’s a scary dude, at times more scary than Pennywise! 

It (1990) - 3 / It (2017) - 3   

There’s no ridiculous ending in the remake, Pennywise doesn’t turn into a massive alien spider thing and that’s definitely a plus, there’s a much more subtle ending which leaves the story open to a sequel, which, after the success of the remake, is definitely going to get made! 

It (1990) - 3 / It (2017) – 4   

I also felt like there were too many failed attempts on Pennywise’s part to actually kill these children, there were too many close calls which with every one took more away from his terrifying persona, that’s present in both versions though, neither gets a point! 

It (1990) - 3 / It (2017) - 4   

The intimidating runtime of the original is about three fucking hours which is way too long, the remake is about 45 minutes shorter which I greatly appreciated, it’s a lot easier to get through and at no point did it feel like it was dragging. 

It (1990) - 3 / It (2017) - 5   

I do think the characters were better developed in the original, each of their character traits stood out more which ultimately made them more memorable than the kids in the remake. 

It (1990) - 4 / It (2017) - 5   

The performances on the other hand, much better in the remake, the original contains some extremely cringe worthy moments that can’t be excused! 

It (1990) - 4 / It (2017) - 6   

The remake was too loud! They relied too much on jump scare-esque moments and I found myself continuously having to turn the volume down in these moments, the loud noises are just unnecessary! 

It (1990) - 5 / It (2017) - 6   

There’s no adult side of the story in the 2017 version, that’s neither a positive or a negative, it worked in the 1990 version (to a degree), it wouldn’t have worked in the remake, I imagine It: Chapter Two will cover that side of the story anyway but I thought it was worth mentioning. 

It (1990) - 5 / It (2017) - 6   

And that’s that, the 2017 remake just about wins and I did slightly prefer it but it’s very close between the two, they both have strong points and weak points. I like the premise of the story and both execute it in their own fairly well ways, it’s ultimately just a matter of opinion!  

Which version of IT did you prefer?