The Thing (2011)

From NetFlix:

This terrifying prequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 classic of the same name tells the story of a team of Norwegian scientists who find an alien ship frozen in Antarctica. When the organism inside awakens, blood flows across the frozen landscape. Leading the group is pilot Carter (Joel Edgerton), who allies with paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) in a desperate attempt to rally the paranoid workers to combat the deadly threat.

When I was a mere lad of 12 (in 1951) I went with friends into downtown Baltimore to see
the first edition of “The Thing”. You never saw the alien throughout the film until the very last scene in which they burned it up leaving something resembling a baked potato. During that scene I hid under my coat so that in fact I never saw “The Thing” in all its glory.

In 1982 there was another version which I never saw.

Finally welcome to 2011. With digital enhancement there is no end of the gore you can create. In the last part of this version you get to see two mangled human bodies that have been transformed into a creature that crawls like a spider with tentacles. This is just a warning in case you are a bit squeamish. Don’t you wonder who lies awake at night just dreaming up these visual horrors?

All the cast are male with the exception of one young female scientist who dares to make a counter suggestion to the learned and arrogant lead scientist. Guess what happens!

Not for children and probably not for adults of a certain ripe old age.

Why is this called a prequel ?

One thought on “The Thing (2011)”

  1. From Chris Smith:

    Just saw your review on the 2011 Thing. That’s too bad you didn’t watch the 1982 version first, it is a great movie. This version lacks something. 1982 Was what you might call Gripping! I was around 12 when I saw it and seeing it last year still evoked those same feelings. Maybe this next generation may feel that way about this 2011 movie and think the 1982 version is too dated. Its a prequel because at the beginning of the 82 version the Husky( the same one that escaped the Norwegian camp in 2011)is running into another camp.

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