Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The Thing (2011) - A Couple Thoughts

So on Saturday I went out to Muvico to check out this prequel dealie to John Carpenter's 1982 classic, The Thing. There were a few douchebagels who showed up but they were quiet enough to not ruin the experience. And I must say, I enjoyed the film. It is suspenseful, well-made, gruesome, and has an excellent score by Marco Beltrami (a duder who is quickly becoming one of my favorite composers). I won't call this 2011 version of The Thing -I can't believe they couldn't think of something else to call it- essential or anything but if you decide to take a chance, you'll be pleasantly surprised that it doesn't suck. My biggest complaints are that the people populating this film aren't nearly quirky or memorable enough and that the practical (I call them analog) monster effects are non-existent. The CGI didn't bother me but don't expect anything like Rob Bottin's magic here.

Anyway, I do have a problem with this prequel. The ending ties in so seamlessly with Carpenter's film that I have to say it kind of pisses me off. Part of what is so great is that in the beginning of the 1982 film, you have no idea what's going on. MacReady and the crew of Outpost 31 discover the what's left of the Norwegian camp and the viewer has to use their IMAGINATION to piece together the horrors these men must have gone through. I know what you're saying: "Duder, it's a prequel. You spent $7.75 to ruin it for yourself." I'm just thinking of people who may watch this The Thing before they watch the original The Thing. I think it is better to see the 1982 flick first completely cold (as in, not knowing a damn thing about it), ponder what may have happened to the posthumous crew, and then watching this prequel as one of the potential possibilities of what occurred.

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