Director: Matthijs van Heijningen Jnr
Screenplay: Eric Heisserer
Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton and Ulrich Thomsen.
It's not human. Yet
Something really bothers me about remakes/reboots/prequels/sequels of classic movies. It isn't just the sheer laziness of the industry or the fact that not many attempts are even worthwhile. What really bugs me is that I am inexplicably drawn to them. Some of it is pure curiosity but I guess a lot of it is nostalgia. When you've watched the Die Hard trilogy or the Aliens films a few dozen times and you discover that a new addition to the series is being made, it's tough not to get a little bit excited.
However, these films have one massive handicap. They are ultimately going to be judged against the original film. And when you are being compared to John Carpenters The Thing, then you have an uphill task ahead of you.
The Thing acts as a prequel to the 1982 film of the same name. An American palaeontologist (Winstead) is offered the chance to assist a team of Norwegian scientists who have just made a remarkable discovery in Antarctica. An alien space ship buried in the ice. Van Heijningen Jnr doesn't mess about here. He understands the audience knows what this film is all about and the concise set-up gets us quickly into proceedings.
What follows is a bit of a mixed bag. At times it feels fresh and original and at others it literally feels like scenes have been ripped from the original film. It is a tough balancing act I must admit but a distinct last act does just enough to give the film it's own identity. Just.
That isn't to say there aren't faults here though. The sheer volume of characters at the Norwegian camp makes it difficult to develop any of the characters properly. Winstead is adequate in the leading role but doesn't have the personality of a MacReady or a Ripley. The film is also as cold and clinical as it's Antarctic setting. This is intentional on some level but nevertheless it lacks some of the emotion and character that the original had in droves. The film, at times, runs the risk of becoming as empty and soulless as the cloned humans within it's story.
That isn't to say there aren't faults here though. The sheer volume of characters at the Norwegian camp makes it difficult to develop any of the characters properly. Winstead is adequate in the leading role but doesn't have the personality of a MacReady or a Ripley. The film is also as cold and clinical as it's Antarctic setting. This is intentional on some level but nevertheless it lacks some of the emotion and character that the original had in droves. The film, at times, runs the risk of becoming as empty and soulless as the cloned humans within it's story.
But this isn't just a pointless imitation, an exact replica. Beneath all of the familiarity it has it's own heartbeat and personality. It's own story to tell and one that is linked faultlessly to the original. It answers some of the questions raised by the first film but still retains a sense of mystery. The special FX are impressive too. All too often a good movie can be let down by CGI (I am Legend) but that isn't the case here.
Van Heijningen Jnr faced an unenviable task with all of this to be honest. A film that is considered one of the best Sci-Fi Horror films of all time is a tough act to follow. But although it never reaches the heights of the original, this prequel is still a solid film in it's own right and adds a new depth to the original. Carpenter shouldn't feel too aggrieved with any of this.
RB
No comments:
Post a Comment