The Thing (2011)

I was asking myself how can one possibly top John Carpenter’s 1982 classic The Thing, which is a remake of the 1951 film The Thing from Another World? I loved Carpenter’s version. The filmmakers had a tall order to fill with this prequel and I’m pleased to say this film is filled with all the scares, chills, paranoia and twisted contorted gore that made Carpenter’s film great. It’s not as good as Carpenter’s version, but as a prequel it stacks up well. It was good to see a cast of unfamiliar faces, helping give the film a fresh feel. Some of the scenarios felt very familiar to Carpenter’s version, but when you realize that this is a prequel, separated by only minutes to the timeline of Carpenter’s version, that argument loses some steam. It should be similar. In fact, so much care was taken with this film that you can play both this film and Carpenter’s film back to back seamlessly for one continuous 212 minute thrill ride.