MOVIE REVIEW - The Thing

I'm not quite sure what number remake it is of this old story, but The Thing is back in theaters for the Halloween season.

You may know the basic story. This time a bunch of Norwegian scientists are down in the Antarctic, when they uncover seemingly a space alien frozen in the ice. They think that he may have been frozen there for 10,000 years or so. So in the name of science, they dig him up, and when he thaws out.....well that's not good.

The Thing has the ability to mimic human cells and replicate a complete person, and then go through a startling metamorphosis into "The Thing." And of course starts killing all of our now stranded friends deep in the Antarctic cold. Who will survive? Can they keep him contained so he doesn't wipe out the entire world? And who exactly is now disguised as The Thing?

First off, this is actually a lot better than I thought it would be. It's a slightly new "thing". It's quick and tidy, and says what it has to say and gets done. If this was any longer all would ahve been lost. This Thing, doesn't fall in love with itself and drag this out too long.

Also, the special effects are quite good, but a word of caution. There are some highly graphic, and gruesome sights in this flick, and some may not be quite ready for that. There is not a ton of what you would call violence, but there are some very strong scenes that some may be queasy over. The story still has a few holes, as these highly educated scientists are still making very stupid decisions all these decades later in this story, but it can be overlooked.

One major problem to speak of. This takes place at the deepest point of the South Pole. You really don't feel the cold like you should. At times, it seems our characters are in Vail, Colorado on a ski trip rather than in the coldest place on earth. Thought that was a big point missed as it seemed the cold was not a detriment to their struggle. Although there are some breathtaking shots of the country at the start of our movie.

Nice to see a new, and fresh face too, Mary Elizabeth Winstead cast as our heroine, Kate Lloyd. She is one of the scientists that was invited to go to the site to analyze the finding. You do pull for her to make it out alive. Winstead is well cast, and looks for part. Although this is not overly challenging acting, it's good to see a new face in an action role.

The Thing. Certainly not for everyone. But for those looking for a Halloween jolt, that holds your attention, The Thing could be for you.