Verdict
Summary
An underrated science fiction horror film that has garnered some respect among fans since its flop of a theatrical release in 2011, The Thing is a worthy prequel to John Carpenter’s also underrated – but now considered classic – film The Thing from 1982. Mill Creek’s steelbook edition is pretty cool for fans of the film.
Plot:
A group of Norwegian researchers in Antarctica discover an alien in the ice.
Review:
Paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a trip to Antarctica to join a team of Norwegian researchers who have stumbled upon the find to end all finds: An alien frozen in the ice. Against her advice, the team’s leader (Ulrich Thomsen) ruses to extract the thing from the ice and take a tissue sample, which results in imminent disaster: The creature is still alive and crashes out from its icy tomb and goes on an unpredictable rampage. The thing has an incredible ability to replicate other living beings, throwing the whole team into a state of disarray and chaos. The thing wants only one thing – to escape and replicate at will – but Kate’s quick thinking ensures that it won’t leave the research base at all. Using logic and simple ingenuity to outsmart the creature, she and a handful of other humans who haven’t been replicated yet use flamethrowers to keep the constantly replicating organism heeled in a desperate plan of survival, and while the number of humans dwindles at an alarming pace, Kate manages to stay one slim step ahead of the alien.
An underrated science fiction horror film that has garnered some respect among fans since its flop of a theatrical release in 2011, The Thing is a worthy prequel to John Carpenter’s also underrated – but now considered classic – film The Thing from 1982. Director Mathijs van Heijningen Jr.’s approach is much less reliant on suspense than it is on visceral jump scares and nonstop creature reveals and action, but it still works on the level with which it hoped to succeed. Thanks to impressive creature effects and design work from Tom Woodruff Jr. and Alec Gillis, the movie is really exciting from a visual point of view, especially for fans of creature features, and while it doesn’t quite match the amazing work of Rob Bottin’s work in the original film, it’s still really impressive work. Well worth a look if you missed the theatrical release, this take on The Thing is a good one.
Mill Creek recently released a Steelbook edition of The Thing that is exclusive to Walmart stores, and the package is really nice and attractive to look at for fans. The transfer of the film is on par with Universal’s Blu-ray edition, and it also includes all the special features from that release, including deleted / extended scenes, featurettes, a commentary, and more.
