Wiwille's movie reviews part 57

Much to the dismay of many a movie watcher that I know I'm not a fan of horror. While The Thing is more sci-fi than horror it still maintains many of the characteristics of your average scare flick; however this film rises above the horrid cliches associated with that genre.

Set in the artic, 'The Thing' stars Kurt Russel as a raging alcoholic helicopter pilot servicing an American scientific base. The movie starts off with a Norwegian attempting to shoot up a wolf from a helicopter for reasons unbeknownst to the audience.

Chasing the wolf to the American research base the foreigner has difficulty communicating his angst towards the animal, but instead elects to make his intentions known by shooting up the place in his further attempts to put down the beast. The commander takes him down and they place the wolf into custody.

Of course there's something mysterious about the animal as it morphs into some alien creature that preys upon living organisms, often replicating it's host in gruesome manners. The staff of the base soon end up fighting the creature, but often finding themselves falling victim to it. The alien sets itself up to attach to the humans, with results you would expect, and the base's occupants end up fighting each other as everyone is suspect of carrying the foreign entity.

Again I'm not one to seek out and watch a horror/sci-fi flick, but this one is an enjoyable film that has a great mood, score, and story. The acting is far and above better than what you would expect from some of the cast, even though the dialogue is weak, and the suspense is masterfully done. The special effects are amazing and still hold up today which is quite a feat considering everything is CGI nowadays. The tension is largely a result of the isolated setting, but the script does a great job of giving the film a sense of urgency beyond it's location. While this story has been done before, and some would argue better, I highly recommend this film. My father is a huge fan of the original The Thing (aka The Thing from Another World) and this is a rare remake that maintains the quality rather than bastardize it.

This is the third movie I've reviewed for readers starring Kurt Russel, not including a Bad Movie I Love. I think it's a conspiracy. Next up someone will submit something like Overboard or Escape From LA.

Thanks to Alec for submitting this for review. Wanna see a film reviewed by Wiwille? Drop me an email or comment and you'll see it soon on Erik's Ramblings. Rules are posted here.

"John Carpenter equaled the unrelenting suspense of Halloween with this nerve-racking remake. Carpenter's The Thing is one of the all-time great horror films." - Chuck O'Leary