Review of The Thaw (2009) by Brandon C — 12 Sep 2015

There's just barely enough here to be worthwhile. Lots of creepy bugs and the effects are above average for direct-to-DVD fare. That's really about all I can say on the positive side. The plot is lifted directly from the 1982 version of The Thing, substituting bugs for a shape-shifting monster.

There's a laughably histrionic and preachy global warming message baked into the film, presented with all the balance and thoughtfulness of a 6th grade book report. Our heroes sternly warn us that personal sacrifice is necessary to combat this environmental disaster - however as with many environmentalists, this sacrifice doesn't extend to them, and their globally sourced petroleum based designer clothes, their globe-trotting lifestyles, helicopter rides, ATVs, fume-belching generators or power sucking computers.

But they'll, you know, tell the rest of us what to do. The bugs are incredibly successful predators, and yet are completely absent from the fossil record - an omission never addressed in the film.

I felt like Kilmer was massively underused, which may account for his performance which I'll be kind and describe as "subdued". The younger characters were portrayed as over-privileged, impulsive, completely lacking in common sense and even basic survival skills.

I found myself rooting for the bugs to sacrifice each one for the good of the environment.