Delicious

Rating: 10/10 (8 July 2003)

*Some Spoilers*
After watching "The Thing" I realized that it was very, very similar to Alien... with the exception of not being another overrated, often plodding Ridley Scott movie. Don't get me wrong, he is a good enough director, but Carpenter runs rings around him, and this movie goes to show that he can beat him with the same idea: a crew trapped in an area with a dangerous, shape-changing creature that is trying to kill them (the exception being that Carpenter adds more suspense and mystery by making his monster change into people, not just mutate into a hideous, alligator like creature on legs.) I like Alien a lot, but it is mostly due to the cast, which is excellent. The Thing has a cast that is also very good, but without as many familiar faces. The action sequences are better, and the violence/ gore is better as well. Obviously the focus of Alien was not gratuitous violence, but seeing people ripped apart by this ghastly creature was better than a little fake puppet jumping out of John Hurt's stomach and scurrying across a dinner table. The bleak atmosphere, lack of music (though there area few tunes here and there) and creepy noises make the ambiance better, for me anyway. Alien has a gross ship, but The Thing has desolate, arctic wasteland. It was more hopeless feeling to me. In terms of characters, The Thing is on par with Alien, even though the cast is less well known ( No big stars like Tom Skerrit, or Ian Holm). The only two actors I recognized were Kurt Russell and Keith David.... the rest of the cast is good though. The concept of paranoia also adds to this as well, with the crew killing each other... delightful. So, when its all said and done, I feel that The Thing is a stronger movie, and moreover Carpenter is (or was anyway) a better Director than Mr. Scott, whom I am growing less and less a fan of every day. My rating 5/5.