The Thing (2011)

[YoNoSe]

It doesn't kill people for no reason. All the kills are self preservation or because it's been discovered. By the time it's lumbering around balls-out it's because everyone is going crazy and trying to kill it. The "test" scene builds into mass hysteria (rather well, actually). For all the complaining about CGI I thought the CGI was quite good other than a couple of silly closeups on Thinged-out faces. Especially liked the first human-thing reveal.

But, yeah, poor Mary Winstead gets saddled being Johnny the Explainer for the whole movie. Though I don't know that the original had any more character development than this one. But it did have Kurt Russel giving Wilford Brimley a beat down.

Overall it was a decent meal of leftovers. I had fun watching it.

 

[JAWS]

Could it have been better - YEP!!

But it could have been a HELL of a lot worse.

I keep hearing that this is as much a remake as it is a prequel. I think it is very much a prequal. I mean if you watch the original you pretty much know that all the things that happed at the US camp happened at the Norway camp first.

Spoiler

It could have done without the blood test idea and the sabatage of it

but if you changed it to much it would not be a THING movie.


Overall I enjoyed the film up until the

Spoiler

Alien Ship scene. Just got a tad stupid and the final thing effect was awful

I also did not like that they ignored the fact that the scientest blew up the ice to reveal the Alien ship. Instead the

Spoiler

Alien ship engines cause the ice to melt

I mean they have it on video in the original of them blowing up the ice. The film tried very hard to set up all the other elements to fit in with the original

Spoiler

Ax in the Door, Burnt up two face thing creature, dog thing, suicide man, ice block

, why would they drop the ball here??

But overall I was entertained. Can't ask for much more.

 

[CelticPredator]

Well, I agree with your last point...I watched The Thing 82 in theaters tonight, and I want to assume blowing up the ice was to get down to the ship. But that's about all I can give ya.

But yes...it's a missing piece.

 

[nash]

what a retarded ____ing movie. can't believe some people lower themselves to actually liking this movie.

 

[Eli26]

what a retarded ____ing movie. can't believe some people lower themselves to actually liking this movie.

Cause they are retarded.

 

[CelticPredator]

Nah. The movie is pretty decent. I wont get the hate for it. Because it's better then any other horror movie to come out this year.

 

[ilikethat69]

Nah. The movie is pretty decent. I wont get the hate for it. Because it's better then any other horror movie to come out this year.

there are not much horror movie coming out this year

 

[CelticPredator]

Yep. But I miss the days of good old fasion monster movies. Not these dumb ghosts or Vampires.

And this flick was a close step on the right path. Not quite there yet. But hopefully soon.

 

[JAWS]

Well, I agree with your last point...I watched The Thing 82 in theaters tonight, and I want to assume blowing up the ice was to get down to the ship. But that's about all I can give ya.

But yes...it's a missing piece.

I think my first point is a pretty good one also. Take that scene out and there really is not much more that feels like a rip off of the original.

I like the fillings scene. While pretty much the same idea as the first I thought it played out well.


My biggest issue was the end of the films and some of the CGI. Now I don't hate CGI and I understand that it is the best way to do some effects. But they should have done two things.

1. It should have been more in the dark so to hide the effects a tad and let out imagination help complete the effects. And I don't care what anyone says

Spoiler

that last alien creature was just stupid looking. All the other creatures had a "THING" feel to them. The last one reminded me of Tobe Hooper's Invaders from Mars remake. It had no relation to Rob Bottin's work at all.

. And the chopper scene

Spoiler

When the thing busted out of his chest it looked just like a cartoon

2. MORE BLOOD! The Original thing got messy when it showed itself. This one was way to clean. Story wise it does not ass up because every time the Thing showed itself in the fisrt film the Blood, goo and slime just flowed. I also think the it would have helped these Things look a bit more real.

Someone said that the original practicle effects look like rubber. True that some of it does. But much of it still holds up today and overall the effects in the original are better then the new one. I mean in the original when the one guys head is falling off the tabl and sliding to thee floor and then uses his tounge to get away from the fire. That one effect there is better then anything done in the new film. Not to mention the Dog/Thing. And that was 30 yrs ago.


I would say that the film is a 3 out 5 for me now but repeat viewings could put it down a point or just stay the same. Its hard to tell. There were some things I really enjoyed. But the sloppy CG and silly ending could hurt it in the long run for me.

 

[YoNoSe]

what a retarded ____ing movie. can't believe some people lower themselves to actually liking this movie.

Fortunately I'm always this low. But I can't believe that you can't believe it.

 

[Biojex]

Saw it last night. I liked it. Sure there was CGI where I would have preferred practical effects but the CGI wasn't all that bad. The creature was effective

Spoiler

When the split face creature was stalking all the people it actually gave me the shivers, especially the kitchen scene.

Which a horror movie hasn't given me in a while.

I loved the they used the same musical beats from the original's theme. Loved it

 

[Matt S]

It doesn't kill people for no reason. All the kills are self preservation or because it's been discovered.

Spoiler

remember the scene in which the the american woman turned her back on the Dutch woman or whatnot and it revealed itself as the THING and attacked her? I see no reason why, at that very moment, it decided it has been discovered? If anything, one of the few times I didn't think a person was the THING

 

[YoNoSe]

Spoiler

remember the scene in which the the american woman turned her back on the Dutch woman or whatnot and it revealed itself as the THING and attacked her? I see no reason why, at that very moment, it decided it has been discovered? If anything, one of the few times I didn't think a person was the THING

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I interpreted it as the Thing realizing that she (MEW) was still not giving up, so it was trying to eliminate her, leading her away from the group. Of course, once that didn't work it was probably counter productive to start chasing her around like the Tazmanian Devil.

But who are we to question angry monster logic?

I do see your point but I rule in favor of monster mayhem. I think they did an admirable job of giving fans a little bonus but it just doesn't try hard enough to be it's own thing (pun!) for me to get too critical.

Though your point about the video in the first film is much more glaring. While they never expressly say that they are unearthing the ship with the charges (so maybe they could technically claim the dynamite was to unearth the thing itself - something they jump right past in the movie...I think they throw a line at it "it'll take about a day to get it out"), you can clearly see the ship through the ice so the implication is strong.

 

[turtlepower73]

i saw the movie today and it was exciting the special affects were amazing..at first when the ending came i left to go to the restroom because i thought it was over and then returned when i heard the helicopter flying as i was coming out of the bathroom. so it's really good they did the tie in at the end to link the one with kurt russell..sucks to freeze to death in the snow..man that monster was a wild fraaker .i will see it again.

 

[CelticPredator]

I love that Chopper Thing.....that to me is the best scene in the whole movie.

 

[YoNoSe]

I love that Chopper Thing.....that to me is the best scene in the whole movie.

I loved that as well. That was the moment when I thought "if this is all I have to look forward to in this movie I am okay with that." I also enjoyed the score and the sound design. I know they overdid it on the creature volume but I thought it made it more effective. Reminded me of the T-Rex roar the first time I saw Jurassic Park. It just puts you in the mindset of what a ridiculously powerful, unstoppable force would sound like. If I was that guy they were evacuating I would have filled my pants twice over just based on the scream.

 

[darthviper107]

Saw it today--pretty good FX, but it all kind of fell apart at the end.

 

[Biojex]

I loved that as well. That was the moment when I thought "if this is all I have to look forward to in this movie I am okay with that." I also enjoyed the score and the sound design. I know they overdid it on the creature volume but I thought it made it more effective. Reminded me of the T-Rex roar the first time I saw Jurassic Park. It just puts you in the mindset of what a ridiculously powerful, unstoppable force would sound like. If I was that guy they were evacuating I would have filled my pants twice over just based on the scream.

That was another thing I loved about this movie. The creature sound effects. Very well done.

 

[JAWS]

Spoiler

remember the scene in which the the american woman turned her back on the Dutch woman or whatnot and it revealed itself as the THING and attacked her? I see no reason why, at that very moment, it decided it has been discovered? If anything, one of the few times I didn't think a person was the THING

Spoiler

Saw her as a threat because she knew to much

 

[hairlesswookiee]

Also saw this one today, and I freaking loved it. There's a couple things I had problems with, but overall it was a great prequel to the original. It also very much felt like an old school monster movie. The soundtrack was another huge plus with it. I went and ordered it as soon as I got home.