The Thing

Starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, David Clennon, Donald Moffat
Directed by: John Carpenter
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Science Fiction
1982

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A group of scientists fight off an alien invader in an isolated antarctica research station.

Review:

Tim: John Carpenter took a very good science fiction horror film from 1951, and remade it in the 1980s. I am typically not a fan of remakes, but Carpenter creates something very impressive here. The film pays tribute to the original in some inventive ways, but this is certainly a stand alone, unique movie in its own right. I really enjoyed the film, but I have to admit I might not have liked it as much as some. I've heard The Thing called one of the all time great sci fi movies. I would consider it very strong, but not quite great.

As in the original, I love the idea that the group of scientists trying to survive are completely cut off from the rest of the world. That isolation added a great deal of suspense to the original. I felt that isolation here, but not nearly as much as I should have. I wanted to feel how far these people were from civilization more than I actually did.

I love how Carpenter took the original film but definitely made it his own. The first film featured a humanoid vegetable alien (it was scarier than it sounds). I was glad the script updated that some. The alien organism in this film is much scarier, likely because of the gross out factor. The special effects in this film were truly grotesque and amazing. It is rare that I watch a movie that actually makes me squeamish, but there are some truly horrific sights in this film. I give the entire special makeup effects crew a huge standing ovation, because this movie is landmark in that aspect. The alien is far more scary and disgusting than I'd ever have imagined.

The cast is good, but not great. I really liked the casting choice of Kurt Russell in the lead role. Russell is that perfect mix of tough and contemplative, and I had no trouble rooting for him in this movie. He definitely was an inspired casting choice. I really liked seeing Wilford Brimley here, but I wanted him to have more screen time. He's such a good actor, and we needed more Brimley here. Keith David was a nice balance for Russell and I enjoyed the animosity the two men have for each other. One of the problems that hurt this movie is that it needed one another truly impressive performance besides Russell's. The film had a star, but the supporting cast was missing that strong supporter. The cast is good, but no one really elevates it.

The movie is fairly intense and entertaining throughout. From the opening scene, we already feel like we're behind in the story and spend most of the movie trying to keep up. I like the plan not to tell the audience everything, but there were a few moments when I felt a bit confused- who was who, and where were they? I suppose this was realistic because the characters felt similarly, but I needed just a bit more clarity.

The Thing features some excellent moments. Besides the nightmarish, horrifying images of the alien, there are also some chilling, unforgettable scenes. The chief among these has to be the blood test scene. This movie is worth seeing for that scene alone. It has to be one of the best sci fi scenes ever filmed. The stakes are incredibly high and Carpenter creates that moment perfectly- it is intense, suspenseful, and shocking. It was truly incredible. There was also some good scenes of the paranoia and fear among the survivors. It really is frightening- who can you trust if you can't really know who is human and who is an alien?

I really don't want to be too hard on the film, but I really believe there were opportunities to make these even more frightening and memorable. I felt like Carpenter and the team got so focused on the actual appearance of the alien that they forgot more subtle ways to make us afraid. We learn that the entire world could be taken over by these creatures, yet that plot line is never fully explored. I would have liked to see more of the back-and-forth between the different survivors. That could have created some truly tense moments.

Despite a few flaws, John Carpenter has truly created something memorable here. He took a very good sci fi film from the 1950s and remade it even better. Remakes usually don't achieve that, and I give him a good deal of credit for pulling it off. I love how he connected this film to that one, but made sure to make this a unique movie in its own right. I thoroughly enjoyed The Thing and agree it's one of the strongest horror sci fi movies out there.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Thing From Another World, The Thing (2011), Event Horizon