ow els , ▁but ▁his ▁ability ▁to ▁go ▁from ▁quiet , ▁le ering ▁men ace ▁to ▁night mar ish ▁attack ▁mode ▁in ▁a ▁split ▁second ▁is ▁a ▁big ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁appeal ." ▁Richard ▁Ro eper ▁of ▁The ▁Chicago ▁Sun - Times ▁spoke ▁most ▁highly ▁of ▁Sk ars g år d ' s ▁performance , ▁with ▁him ▁writing ▁" Sk ars g år d ' s ▁Pen ny wise ▁shows ▁up ▁only ▁sp aring ly , ▁and ▁that ’ s ▁a ▁wise ▁choice . ▁To ▁be ▁sure , ▁it ’ s ▁a ▁strong ▁performance , ▁and ▁the ▁c low n ▁is ▁a ▁worthy ▁successor ▁to ▁all ▁the ▁great ▁sc ary ▁c low ns ▁in ▁movie ▁history " ▁Peter ▁Tra vers ▁of ▁Rol ling ▁Stone ▁wrote : ▁" That ▁evil ▁c low n ▁Pen ny wise , ▁a ▁spect ac ular ly ▁sc ary ▁Bill ▁Sk ars g år d , ▁is ▁the ▁stuff ▁of ▁night mar es ." ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Chron icle ’ s ▁Peter ▁Hart la ub ▁granted ▁the ▁film ▁a ▁maximum ▁score ▁of ▁four ▁stars , ▁stating ▁that ▁" Mus chi etti ▁understand s ▁the ▁Spiel berg - ian ▁rule , ▁that ▁creating ▁a ▁recogn izable ▁and ▁convin cing ▁back drop ▁makes ▁the ▁super natural ▁thing ▁in ▁the ▁for eground ▁feel ▁tang ible ▁and ▁bel iev able .", ▁while ▁pra ising ▁Sk ars g år d ▁and ▁the ▁young ▁cast ' s ▁performances . ▁Ryan ▁Por ter ▁of ▁The ▁Toronto ▁Star ▁felt ▁Wolf hard ▁to ▁be ▁" ch arm ing ▁in