When a prequel was announced for John Carpenter's 1982 seminal classic The Thing, I have to admit, I was pretty excited. I thought a prequel was a great idea (much, MUCH better than a remake), and fans would have an excuse to revisit The Thing universe. For the record, I'm also really into the whole prequel trend these days (Prometheus, *SPOILER* Final Destination 5, etc), and I was pumped to see what awesome creature designs, characters, and suspense this new film would bring.
When the prequel of the same name came out, it was met with generally negative reviews and disappointing box office numbers. To be fair, even the original got mixed reviews and was considered a flop back in '82. Just saying. Despite all of this I decided to go see it anyway. I sat there in awe and I left the theater very confused as to why people were hating on this flick. To say the least, I loved it. Here's why I think true fans of the original The Thing, or body horror movies in general should give it another chance.
Let's get the biggest complaint out of the way first; the use of CGI. I am one of the very few people that could forget that the original film had some of the best practical effects of the 80's, and just enjoy this one as a stand alone movie. I thought the CGI was really well used and gave us some amazing money shots of transformations, and incinerations as well. The filmmakers DID use practical effects, as seen in the "making of" on the DVD/Blu-Ray. After watching that, in fact, it was easier to spot the (quite a few) uses of practical effects. All of that aside, the creature designs were outstanding. They kept the feel of the original without copying anything (besides what's explained/ shown in the '82 film). The mutations are brutal and unexpected, as is the gore. To me, this film definitely lived up to the classic effects of the original.
Honestly, that was really the only big complaint about this entry, which is quite unfair, as it has a lot more going for it. Another great thing about this flick is the acting. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who is rapidly becoming one of my favorite actresses, holds her ground as the film's heroine. She gives off an almost Ellen Ripley vibe as she takes command, and she steals every scene she's in. The rest of the cast is great as well, with each character being memorable and unique. The group in this film felt real, as if they were hand picked from around the word and plopped together in this one location.
The paranoid feeling of the original film also makes an appearance in the prequel. The film delivers on the effects without sacrificing suspense, and mystery. I was constantly trying to figure out who was assimilated and how the thing would make its appearance. Nothing in this flick seemed recycled or predictable and that is a successful attempt at creating paranoia, not only for the characters but for the audience as well.
So, I urge you to give this movie another chance. It has amazing effects/creatures, an eerie feeling about it, and great acting as well. Fans will notice nods to the original like an homage to the "testing" scene, and various little things seen when they visit the doomed camp in the '82 version. The ending brilliantly ties everything up too, and it left me very satisfied. I really hope this movie gets a following like the original did, because it more than deserves it.
When the prequel of the same name came out, it was met with generally negative reviews and disappointing box office numbers. To be fair, even the original got mixed reviews and was considered a flop back in '82. Just saying. Despite all of this I decided to go see it anyway. I sat there in awe and I left the theater very confused as to why people were hating on this flick. To say the least, I loved it. Here's why I think true fans of the original The Thing, or body horror movies in general should give it another chance.
Let's get the biggest complaint out of the way first; the use of CGI. I am one of the very few people that could forget that the original film had some of the best practical effects of the 80's, and just enjoy this one as a stand alone movie. I thought the CGI was really well used and gave us some amazing money shots of transformations, and incinerations as well. The filmmakers DID use practical effects, as seen in the "making of" on the DVD/Blu-Ray. After watching that, in fact, it was easier to spot the (quite a few) uses of practical effects. All of that aside, the creature designs were outstanding. They kept the feel of the original without copying anything (besides what's explained/ shown in the '82 film). The mutations are brutal and unexpected, as is the gore. To me, this film definitely lived up to the classic effects of the original.
Honestly, that was really the only big complaint about this entry, which is quite unfair, as it has a lot more going for it. Another great thing about this flick is the acting. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who is rapidly becoming one of my favorite actresses, holds her ground as the film's heroine. She gives off an almost Ellen Ripley vibe as she takes command, and she steals every scene she's in. The rest of the cast is great as well, with each character being memorable and unique. The group in this film felt real, as if they were hand picked from around the word and plopped together in this one location.
The paranoid feeling of the original film also makes an appearance in the prequel. The film delivers on the effects without sacrificing suspense, and mystery. I was constantly trying to figure out who was assimilated and how the thing would make its appearance. Nothing in this flick seemed recycled or predictable and that is a successful attempt at creating paranoia, not only for the characters but for the audience as well.
So, I urge you to give this movie another chance. It has amazing effects/creatures, an eerie feeling about it, and great acting as well. Fans will notice nods to the original like an homage to the "testing" scene, and various little things seen when they visit the doomed camp in the '82 version. The ending brilliantly ties everything up too, and it left me very satisfied. I really hope this movie gets a following like the original did, because it more than deserves it.
No comments:
Post a Comment