The Thing (2011)

   
Directed by: Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.

Written by: Eric Heisserer

Story by: John W. Campbell

Starring:

Mary Elizabeth Winstead .... Kate Lloyd
Joel Edgerton .... Sam Carter
Ulrich Thomsen .... Dr. Sander Halvorson
Eric Christian Olsen .... Adam Goodman
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje .... Jameson
Paul Braunstein .... Griggs
Trond Espen Seim .... Edvard Wolner
Kim Bubbs .... Juliette
Jørgen Langhelle .... Lars
Jan Gunnar Røise .... Olav
Stig Henrik Hoff .... Peder
Kristofer Hivju .... Jonas

Release Dates: Universal City, California Premiere: October 10, 2011; Theatrical: October 14, 2011; Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival: October 15, 2011; Night Visions Film Festival: October 26, 2011 (Finland); Leeds International Film Festival: November 5, 2011 (UK); Iik!! Horror Film Festival: November 12, 2011

*Images courtesy at: www.moviepilot.de

 

 

 

 

 

Rating:

 

A group of researchers are up in Antarctica doing some research there in which they have found a UFO crashed deep in the ice and then thaw out an alien in which they plan to do some research on it thinking that it's still frozen dead.
This alien springs to life and attacks many of the people there using it's blood cells
spread on them in which many people are affected changing into a bunch of deadly parasites.
A student there named Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) studies the rest of the survivors to see if anyone else is infected in order to keep safe from them but yet things happen very quickly with these things springing to life and acting indestructable along with having problems on a greedy scientist named Dr. Sander Halvorson (Ulrich Thomson) in which things get more complicated for the other survivors as well.

 

The film is at a nice start showing the scenery of antarctica announcing the date of 1982 proving that this is the prequel to the Carpenter classic. It looks interesting with a foreign group of workers driving a snowmachine keeping you peeled watching this to find out on what's going to happen next. It definetely looks very suspenseful during this moment showing great special CGI effects on this vehicle sinking into the ice making you wonder if these people will survive this incident or not. This looked incredibly entertaining hoping that we will discover and event that will unravel.
There's a perfect special effects shot underneath some ice exposing the space ship as this will amuse the Carpenter fans since we don't see much of this in the original one.
Then later on we spot the alien figure frozen in the ice as well as someone using a power drill sinking down to try to get to this creature which also looked suspenseful to watch wondering if something unravelling this event will screw up here or not since everyone is really focusing on what is happening here.
The fun really happens when everyone is celebrating after discovering that they found an alien making you really want to join in for anyone who was interested in beings from another world.
There's great jumping moments with a character named Jameson is watching over this alien and everything is very calm as well as still. Then suddenly BAM!!! This creature bursts up which makes you want to see what it looks like but at the same time things are happening too fast.
Lots of great suspenseful moments with this beast attacking as well as showing it being lit on fire exposing alot of terrifying moments proving to show more great special effects here and there.
Yet a nicely written scene that we spot is with the scientist Dr. Sander Halvorson getting short towards Kate Lloyd which leaves an impression that he is not someone who will be easy to work with. It was for sure well put in for the story here since we need someone who has a cocky attitude making at least someone unlikeable here.
The story also explains itself very well on how this alien imitates other living things when both Kate and Adam Goodman are doing some research on some blood cells which looked cleverly put in.
What was really creepy is while someone was in a helicopter their face changes and all hell breaks loose which also looked exciting and terrifying to watch.
Another spooky scene is when Kate checks the others out to see if they're infected but telling them to open their mouth really making you wonder if any of them will change and attack. It for sure makes you scared to watch this moment making you cringe like crazy every second when these events unravel.

A nice suspenseful moment in the story is when she checks out Adam and he's hesitant but after she checks him there's a moment of silence which leaves an impression that something is wrong. This situation definetely leaves a chill down your spine.
We spot neat effects when someone is dragging another person and their arms fall off causing a life form to leap out and attack as well as everyone struggling against these objects showing great nonstop action.
It gets even better when a couple of survivors which is of course Kate and Sam Carter enter the space ship which looks exciting to see on what the inside areas look like as well as battling this alien inside of it spotting more superb CGI effects.
Watch for the beginning of the closing credits as it shows scene's where it soon will pick up for the beginning on Carpenter's flick.
Bottom line is that the film was done right and a perfectly convincing prequel. Alot of the scene's here seems to pay a tribute to Alien and it's first sequel. It's very entertaining to watch on the big screen and can please the fans of the original flick.

The acting is at a terrific pace. Lead actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Kate Lloyd) really performed quite sharply in her role as she brings a good seriousness into whatever she did here. She studied everything quite well in which proves to be a worthy character actress as well as showing off alot of great energy into whatever she did here. She does well acting firm while commanding the others. She also reacts well when she is disappointed after checking someone out as if they are infected or not which comes across nicely here. She was great in another scene by pointing out a flame gun towards someone. I found that she really stood out incredibly well in her performance.
Joel Edgerton (Sam Carter) breezes through in his role and although he can pull off a character into what he does he does stick out too much with what he does. I'm sorry but I don't find him too memorable except the last bit of his performance with his anxious behavior which is all I will give him credit for when he reacts intense by shouting and screaming out towards someone that he's pitted against. Oh well.
Ulrich Thomsen (Dr. Sander Halvorsen) brings across a perfect seriousness tro his role in which he drew this in perfectly well along with having a good cocky and controlling type of behavior making this look totally believeable. He had the perfect looks for this role in which I found he was what you'd picture in a part like his. He was deifentely a good character actor and shows it off incredibly well. A gold star for this guy indeed.
Eric Christian Olsen (Adam Goodman) certainly came across very well onto the screen with his role in which he does good with his frightened and emotional behavior acting nervous about everything. He shows it off greatly while doing all of this and has a teenage type of appeal to him. I found that he showed off some good spunk into what he does.
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Jameson) shows off alot of great anxious reactions into what he does and comes across with a great masculine and serious attitude into what he does. Nice blocking movement on him while looking at the alien object focusing well on this in which he does this increidbly well. He also does a great job getting anxious and freaking out with his emotional behavior towards everyone else warning them on what he saw. He knew on how to act disturbed in certain scene's of the film and was a worthy character actor pulling all of this off.
Jørgen Langhelle (Lars) had a great supporting role as a burly european type of guy showing a quiet type and serious attitude into everything that he did in the film. He also knew on how to pull off by acting demanding and aggressive with his harsh behavior when needed to. Plus he had the great looks to portray a tough type role like he did. There's a good moment when he shows a good gruff speaking while pointing a gun towards someone with great aggressive expressions. He was my favourite supporting role in this film.
Stig Henrik Hoff
(Peder) was another one with an effective supporting role as he comes across as someone who is very sarcastic and a goof off and making this all look quite realistic with what he does throughout his role. He shows off plenty of good energy with everything that he did for his role even if it wasn't too big here.

A tongue of a creature stabs though a person's throat.
Various bodies are torn open forming a mutated body.
Arms torn off.
Axe is sliced in the head.
Head chopped off.
Lots of violent bloodsheds.

The music had some of the same thumping sounds during the beginning and ending with it's dark horror type of effects. There's also great adventureous clanging metal sounds in which you'd hear in something similar to a movie such as The Terminator. Plus there's great high pitched screeching sounds with the violin music as this is of course a nice horror tradition.I liked the low cold sounding trombone playing in which this reminds me of what I'd hear in Aliens. All of this sounded superb composed by Marco Beltrami.

Adam Goodman: In the three years that I have known him, this is the most excited I have ever seen him.