The Thing (2011) - Review

“Burn it!” A review of The Thing (2011). 

I absolutely adored the 1982 classic The Thing, so when a remake was released in 2011, I was both excited and nervous. Could it possibly capture the chilling atmosphere and suspense of John Carpenter’s 1982 classic?

Still set in Antarctica, The Thing remake explores the paranoia and terror in an empty, icy vastness, as an alien creature capable of perfectly imitating any living being is uncovered. With the plot being similar, does the remake do the 1982 film justice?

I will say this film honours the original. The visual style and unsettling tone is a clear homage to the 1982 film, but I did feel that it struggled to stand out, to carve its own identity out of the ice. Familiar, predictable plot beats and scores occurred throughout, and the special effects, whilst not bad, heavily relied on CGI rather than practical effects, which I found disappointing.

The cast aren’t bad, and I found Mary Elizabeth Winstead a compelling and determined protagonist as Kate Lloyd. She brings a sense of resourceful intelligence which made her believable and easy to cheer for. Sam Carter, played by Joel Edgerton, is a steady and solid presence amongst the chaos, and is another enjoyable character to watch.

 That being said, I found the writing to be cliché rather than nostalgic, and the character development of the ensemble cast was incredibly lacking as the film favoured jump scares and action instead. I appreciated the sense of camaraderie in the group, but it just feels… obvious. Sure, there’s suspense – but this film lacked the tension and terror of the classic masterpiece it was based on. This is a film that’s massively let down by a script which did not allow the cast to showcase their talent fully, and that’s a shame.

Overall, this remake is just okay. I would describe it as competent; it’s recognisable, but I wouldn’t describe it as essential viewing. It never quite escapes or outgrows the original, but if you’re interested in a new perspective on the classic sci fi horror, you might enjoy it for what it is.

Written by Tam Page

Posted by Mr. Tomney

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