First of all, John Carpenter's "The Thing" is one of my all-time favorite horror films. I've seen it hundreds of times, and there still isn't a single second of the film that bores me.
When I originally heard about a new Thing film, like most fans of the original, I was pissed. Then later I found out that it was going to actually be a prequel instead of a reboot, and I became interested. I read more and more about it as the release date approached, and by the time it actually hit theaters I was actually excited, and hopeful.
And I WASN'T dissapointed. I think a lot of people we're ready to hate it before even seeing it, just for the fact that it's a new take on a classic. Hollywood's been pumping out a ton of remakes, and for the most part they suck. Hell, a big part of me was expecting to walk out of the theater let down. But despite the film's shortcomings, I really, really enjoyed it. The whole film is esentially a love letter to Carpenter's version. I really liked how the Norwegian's story was handeled, and how many of the deaths and events match up with what MacReady and co. discover when coming upon the Norwegian installation. Sure, the CGI was a bit distracting, but I felt it was handeled well. And the character development was a bit weak, but whatever.
Does it match Carpenter's? Not a chance. But I'm happy it was handeled the way it was, as opposed to just another crappy reboot for a quick cash in. Seriously, the movie isn't perfect, but it could have been much, much worse.
When I originally heard about a new Thing film, like most fans of the original, I was pissed. Then later I found out that it was going to actually be a prequel instead of a reboot, and I became interested. I read more and more about it as the release date approached, and by the time it actually hit theaters I was actually excited, and hopeful.
And I WASN'T dissapointed. I think a lot of people we're ready to hate it before even seeing it, just for the fact that it's a new take on a classic. Hollywood's been pumping out a ton of remakes, and for the most part they suck. Hell, a big part of me was expecting to walk out of the theater let down. But despite the film's shortcomings, I really, really enjoyed it. The whole film is esentially a love letter to Carpenter's version. I really liked how the Norwegian's story was handeled, and how many of the deaths and events match up with what MacReady and co. discover when coming upon the Norwegian installation. Sure, the CGI was a bit distracting, but I felt it was handeled well. And the character development was a bit weak, but whatever.
Does it match Carpenter's? Not a chance. But I'm happy it was handeled the way it was, as opposed to just another crappy reboot for a quick cash in. Seriously, the movie isn't perfect, but it could have been much, much worse.