The Thing

http://www.thethingmovie.net/

For background on what I think of the original 'The Thing' go here. I should point out that this review is for the prequel which is on general release at the moment and which is also called 'The Thing'. Note I said prequel and not remake. This is not a re-telling of the 1982 film but a film about what happened before that film. Gottit? Good. Let's move on.

For anyone who's not seen the 1982 film The Thing starring Kurt Russell, it's about a bunch of American researchers stationed in the Antarctic who witness a dog being shot at by Norwegians in a helicopter, who have come from their nearby base. The helicopter crash lands, killing both Norwegians on board, which leaves the Americans with no idea why they were trying to shoot an innocent animal. The Americans decide to head over to the Norwegian base to find out what's going on. Once there they discover what the Norwegians found under the ice, an alien ship and a creature that they estimate had been there for more than 100,000 years. This film, as I pointed out, is not a remake of that, but a prequel, showing what happened to the Norwegians who found the ship and the creature and what happened when it thawed out.

I don't feel the need to go any further into the synopsis as in spite of this not being a remake it does follow the very familiar pattern of the first 'Thing'. That's not to say that this is a bad move on behalf of the film makers. It would after all be kind of hard for them to change the pattern as what happens to the Norwegians in this film is almost identical to what happens to the Americans in the first film - the alien takes over the base, one person at a time.

There are differences however, a lot more time is spent on the alien ship for one. Fans of the original will be happy to see a scene involving a test to see who is 'Thing' and who is human has been given a new lease of life, but is still as nerve wracking to watch as the original scene was. 

There are a lot of jumps in this movie but not really anything new in terms of plot. Plus I kinda think that one of the things which makes the original so scary is not knowing what the creature looked like originally. You only ever saw it in it's copied state or mid-transformation. While you don't get to see it clearly in this film, you do get more of an idea of what it looked like before it changed. 

I also wasn't keen on the use of CGI as I'd heard they were going to make this the old fashioned way to mirror the first film. But in the end they went down the CGI route, I'm guessing because this is quicker and less costly than model making. But I did love the effects in the original, even if they seem laughable to audiences now. 

I did come away liking The Thing 2011 though and felt it did wrap things up nicely, providing you stay and watch the extra bits that appear throughout the end credits. It's not as good as it's predecessor but it's enjoyable none-the-less. 7.5 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 2nd December 2011

UK Release Date - 2nd December 2011

Cast Overview:

Mary Elizabeth Winstead ~ Kate Lloyd

Joel Edgerton ~ Carter

Ulrich Thomsen ~ Dr Sander Halvorson

Eric Christian Olsen ~ Adam Finch

Kim Bubbs ~ Juliette

Jørgan Langhelle ~ Lars

Jan Gunnar Røise ~ Olav

Stig Henrik Hoff ~ Peder

Director ~ Matthijs Van Heijningen Jr

Writer(s) ~ Eric Heisserer (Screenplay) and John W Campbell Jr (Short Story 'Who Goes There')

The Thing

I'm going to confuse everyone with this as I'm going to have a personal blog and a review with the same title. It's been a while since I wrote a personal blog though and in writing my review for The Thing (2011) I felt the need to elaborate.

I'm sure I've mentioned before that I am a lifelong horror fan. Cheesy ones, scary ones, classic ones, horrors about aliens, ghosts, boogie men, vampires, werewolves. You name it, I've seen it and probably loved it. The Thing (1982) however, was something entirely different. It might not have been the first film to scare me but it's the first film that I remember being genuinely afraid of. 

But before I talk about that I should give you some background so you know how hardcore a horror fan I really was. I grew up watching Hammer Horrors. "Not scary" I hear you cry. Maybe not. But when I say grew up I mean it. I can't have been older than 5 when I saw my first. I used to sneak downstairs at night and watch them with my mum. You might think badly of her for letting me watch such things but I didn't sleep as a child, so what was a single mother with two other kids to do? I would only fall asleep with my head in my mum's lap as she stroked my hair or my back. It was soothing to me. So the chances of me falling asleep alone in my bed were slim to none unless she stayed with me and she didn't have the time. Plus it didn't turn me into a psycho so it was clearly fine. And I loved them. Christopher Lee as Dracula, Peter Cushing as Van Helsing. Great films. And so the child of horror was born.

We swiftly moved on to 'Halloween' and it quickly became our tradition to watch it every year on Halloween when BBC2 used to show it. It was only when I then showed Halloween to my neighbour (who must have been about 8 or 9 at the time) and she screamed at the pumpkin in the opening credits that I realised I was not like other girls my age. I was tougher. Able to laugh in the face of horror.

I then moved on to Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm St. Nothing could phase me. Or so I thought.

I don't remember how old I was when my brother told me 'The Thing' was going to be on TV but I must have been in my early teens. I thought nothing of watching it on his recommendation. He likely told me "You like horrors, you'll probably like this", or words to that effect. It was on late, I was the only one still awake as I'd stayed up to watch it. Lights off for dramatic effect. And it scared the crap out of me. I don't know why it resonated with me so deeply but nothing had ever scared me so much. Maybe it was the idea of being taken over by something which imitates you, you cease to exist but something is pretending to be you? Maybe it was just the grizzly deaths? Maybe the isolation? Maybe all of these factors? Whatever it was, I still find it scary - though not to the extent I did that fateful night - but it remains one of my all time favourite films, not just a favourite horror film, to this day.

My review of the prequel, which is also named The Thing, can be found here. But if you haven't seen the original I would highly recommend it. I recently re-watched it with some friends who'd never seen it before and it was a highly enjoyable if somewhat nerve shredding evening.