*This is a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% mine.
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| Mill Creek Ent.; Amazon |
No, I'm not referring to the John Carpenter's 1982 classic scifi-horror flick, which is a remake of the 1951 classic The Thing from Another World and an adaptation of the 1938 novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell, Jr., but instead I'm referring to the 2011 prequel film of the same name. Confused yet?
Directed by Matthijs Heijningen, the prequel was originally going to be titled The Thing: Begins. However, due to producers and behind-the-scenes drama (more on that later), the film was released as The Thing, which made moviegoers believe it was a remake of a remake.
Set in the winter 1982, the prequel centers around Kate Lloyd (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a paleontologist who is sent to an isolated Norwegian research station in Antarctica to investigate a possible buried alien spacecraft. The expedition is lead by Dr. Sander Halvorson (played by Ulrich Thomsen) and his assistant, Adam Finch (played by Eric Christian Olsen). After excavating a body frozen in the ground, they accidentally release a lifeform that takes control and mutilates its victims. The movie also stars Joel Edgerton, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Kristofer Hivju.
The director shot the prequel in 35mm film so it would have the same look as the 1982 film. Animatronic special effects were used for the creatures to match the 1982 effects. However, studio politics interfered and all of the traditional effects were replaced CGI. Add in additional reshoots, which changed many scenes (especially the ending), as well as the title change, the movie ended up flopping at the box office.
Blu-ray Bonus Features include:
- Feature Commentary with Director Matthiijs van Heijningen and Producer Eric Newman
- The Thing Involves
- Fire & Ice
- Deleted/Extended Scenes
- Trailer
Final Thoughts
2011's The Thing is definitely an underrated horror flick. There are way too many horror fans who believe it's a remake of the 1982 film, thus they compare the two. In reality, the 2011 movie is a prequel to the 1982 classic and the ending directly connects to the original's beginning. If only the producers had stuck with the title The Thing: Begins or The Thing: The Beginning, then here wouldn't be any confusion. Also, the producers should have used the traditional effects that were shot instead of going with bad CGI that was added in post-production.
The picture and sound quality are pretty good on the Blu-ray. The bonus features are nothing new; there the same ones that appeared on the 2012 Blu-ray release.
Overall, The Thing is a decent a prequel to the 1982 classic. Yes, there are many problems with the CGI effects but the movie features a solid cast and an intriguing story. If you don't compare it to the original, then you might actually enjoy watching it.
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