Review of The Thing (2011) by Ilhm — 31 Jan 2013

Paleontologist Kate Lloyd is asked to join a Norwegian expedition in the Antarctic after they uncover an ancient alien spacecraft deep beneath the ice, but when one of the shape-shifting creatures awakens from its icy tomb, she will be forced to determine friend from foe in a battle for survival atop the frozen continent.

The 2011 prequel to John Carpenter's classic Science Fiction film THE THING is surprisingly well-made, and serves as a valid companion piece to the original film by filling in the events that preceded it.

Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. and his team of set designers have taken great care in recreating the Norwegian base camp and following the frightful events just as they had been described in the previous film.

The one major disadvantage that anyone would come to expect falls in the special effects department. Rob Bottin's ground-breaking make-up designs have terrified audiences since 1982, but the computerized monstrosities found here lose much of their effect despite their nasty appearances.

Although THE THING presents several new twists on the plot points from before, the plagiarized ideas border quite closely to making this a direct remake. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and her supporting cast do maintain the proper amount of fear and paranoia to make this a successful sequel/prequel/remake, whatever it may be.