It

Helmed by Argentinean director Andy Muschietti, this horror/thriller based on Stephen King's 1986 novel about a demonic clown moves the story forward from the 1950s to the 1980s and relates only the childhood sections of the book (setting up a sequel). The terrifying tale begins in Derry, ME, with the disappearance of 6-year-old Georgie Denbrough (Jackson Robert Scott), who vanishes down a storm drain. Nightmare on Elm Street 5 is playing at the local theater and, behind closed doors, psychological, sexual, and physical abuse run rampant. Searching for Georgie are his older brother Bill (Jaeden Lieberher), along with his misfit middle-school pals who call themselves the Losers Club. Stereotypically, there's chubby newcomer Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor), African-American Mike (Chosen Jacobs), Jewish Stanley (Wyatt Oleff), smart-mouthed Richie (Finn Wolfhard), hypochondriac Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer), and self-sufficient Beverly (Sophia Lillis). Every adolescent story has a bully, and here it's Henry Bowers (Nicholas Hamilton), but the real evil is a child-eating monster known as Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård), a shape-shifting demon who can assume the nightmarish appearance of whatever is most frightening to his victim. This sure to be popular second adaptation of It—following the 1990 miniseries—is recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include the production featurettes “Pennywise Lives!” (17 min.) and “The Losers' Club” (16 min.), as well as “Author of Fear” with author Stephen King (14 min.), and deleted scenes (15 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a compelling adaptation of the first part of King's contemporary classic horror novel.] (S. Granger)