THE THING

US, 2011, 103 minutes. Colour.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Eric Christian Olsen, Adewale Akinnuoye- Agbaje, Ulrich Thomsen.
Directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.

In the early 1950s, The Thing (The Thing from Another World) was early science fiction, B- Budget and story, an introduction to the theme of hostile aliens invading Earth with no good intentions towards humans. It became something of a cult classic.

In the early 1980s, The Thing was remade by John Carpenter with a bigger cast, led by Kurt Russell, and a bigger budget, especially for the ugly and hostile aliens and their vicious attacks. Carpenter had a big reputation at the time and his version of The Thing is highly regarded.

In 2011 (is the spacing of thirty years for each version significant?), the new The Thing is not so much a remake but a prequel, set at the very time in 1982 that Carpenter’s film was ready for release. While the cast is not quite the A list, the budget certainly is and there is no slouching with special effects for the horrors perpetrated by the thing as it takes over the humans and distorts their features as well as revealing its frighteningly ugly self. Joel Edgerton is a helicopter pilot. Ulrich Thomsen is a relentless scientist.

But, in the early 1980s, one of the most famous of the alien films, Alien itself, was popular as was Sigourney Weaver as the tough leader and survivor, Ripley. In this version, a similar heroine, Mary Elizabeth Winstead who is not quite a match for Sigourney Weaver, takes charge.

Actually, the plot is fairly straightforward. Scientists in Antarctica discover a space ship and its monstrous creature. Another group of scientists arrive to investigate. Gradually, the thing begins to take over and absorb the scientists and the ground crew. The rest struggle to defeat the thing and to survive (most of them unsuccessfully).

While the material is familiar, it is offered with some zest and panache and should satisfy fans without necessarily threatening the reputation of the previous versions of The Thing. Thirty more years for the next version!

1. The popularity of the story by John W. Campbell, Who Goes There? The previous films? This film as a prequel? To the John Carpenter film? Its setting in winter 1982, the time of the release of Carpenter’s film?

2. The influence of science fiction films? Aliens? The importance of Alien – and Kate being the heroine of this film? Audience belief in alien presence? Alien life, aggression, domination of humans? Monstrous?

3. The blend of science fiction, science fantasy? The importance of the highlighting of science itself – science fact as well as science fiction?

4. Antarctica, the look, the snow and the mountains, the storm, the centres for research? Interiors and exteriors? The musical score?

5. The plausibility, the alien under the ice? The spacecraft? The alien stranded? Its behaviour? Mission?

6. The opening, the two men in the truck? The tremor, the signals, the collapse of the ice and snow, the truck stuck in the chasm?

7. Kate, her work, examining the animal? Sander and Adam, their interview with her, the offer, her leaving at once?

8. The helicopter ride, the introduction to Sam and Derek? The American background? Adventurers? Kate and her arrival? The camaraderie of the group in Antarctica? Their enterprise? The experts? The functionaries?

9. The sudden emergence of The Thing, the explosion, its appearance, monstrous? Its consuming the worker? Absorbing him, taking over his features? His face? Not able to absorb the titanium, the teeth fillings? Kate and Adam looking at the cells, their mimicking human cells? The takeover?

10. The range of characters, Kate and her presence, pleasant? Sam as tough? Sander, examining the dead body, for the sake of science? His relentlessness concerning science? Adam, agreeable? The range of others, Norwegians, British? The importance of the use of subtitles?

11. The Thing taking over, the siege effect, the fears, the worker becoming ill, infected, taken on the helicopter, the sympathetic worker on the helicopter, the sudden emergence of The Thing, taking him over? The helicopter crash? Sam and Derek, their survival, their delayed reappearance?

12. Kate, the test for possible infection, the teeth fillings? The reactions of the men? Those with fillings, those without? Their reactions?

13. Searching the plant, Lars and his disappearance, Sam and Derek, their arrival, the shooting? The use of the flamethrower to destroy The Thing?

14. The variety of takeovers, the fears, Adam and the double face? The monster mimicking the humans?

15. Sander, his being taken over, taking the truck, his menacing Kate and Sam?

16. Sam and Kate, driving to the cave, the spaceship, the gap, Kate’s fall, recovery, Sam rescuing her? Destroying The Thing with the grenade? Their escape?

17. Kate, her wariness about Sam, the earring on the different ear, destroying him with the flamethrower?

18. Lars, his reappearance, surviving, the helicopter and the rescue, the escape? The dog running through the ice?

19. An effective prequel – enticing audiences to watch John Carpenter’s film again?