30 Second Movie Review:The Thing

The Thing,2011 model is a prequel to the outstanding 1982 film by john Carpenter,which is also a remake of a 50's film.You would normally expect a prequel to a remake be terrible,but I am happy to report good results.

As a fan of the '82 version,I was really pleased with the amount of detail and continuity that the filmmakers used in stringing this story directly into the Carpenter version.In that film we are made aware that there was another scientific base(manned by mostly Norwegians)that had run afoul of the alien terror found deep beneath the Antartic ice.This is the story of what happens to those characters and how the events lead to the '82 film.Despite knowing the fate of these characters can't really be good,there is still tension built,and hope that survival is an option.

The cast is solid,the effects are a good mix of CG and practical,and the film is a credit to it's predecessor.Stay thru the credits to see the definitive bridging scene between this film and the Carpenter version.4 Stars.