John Carpenter's finest; an underrated masterpiece

Rating: 8/10 (20 June 2005)

An alien theme plays as a helicopter flies across the South Pole landscape. Below it is a wolf dog, running through the snow. Apparently, the helicopter is chasing the dog. The pilot emerges with a gun and begins firing at the creature as it runs towards a base of American scientists.
Soon, this doesn't sound as strange as it seems. Kurt Russell stars as the American scientist who learns the secret of the creature: it's over 100,000 years old, frozen beneath the ice, and ticked off. We also learn that if it reaches civilization, within 27,000 hours the entire planet would be run by this creature - an alien lifeform that imitates whatever it kills. Dogs, spiders, grandma - this thing can do it. It's up to old Russell to save the day and destroy everything in sight in a blind rage.
When first released in 1982, The Thing met with mixed critical acclaim - most of it bad. It was either "not scary" or "relies on special effects", but rarely would you find a positive review. Now, in the new millennium, the film is finally getting the recognition it deserves. The Thing has deservedly joined the ranks of the most famous horror films of all-time. It is even arguably more popular than it's basis, the 1951 sci-fi classic The Thing from Another World.
I felt the acting was excellent, especially Russell as the determined chosen leader of the team. The acting actually gives this film a documentary feeling ...
Carpenter is probably the movie's second most important aspect. His direction is eerie and suspenseful - this movie helped elevate him to his current position of horror/thriller wonder. If you truly look at this film, you can tell Carpenter wasn't trying to make it scary - he wanted to make it suspenseful, although there are a few jumpy moments in the film.
There's also a fitting and chilling score by Ennio Morricone. It definitely doesn't rank among the master composer's greatest scores, but it works well on the mood of the film.
The most important, and no doubt the greatest, aspect of the film is Rob Bottin's special effects. They are extraordinary. Every scene involving the alien parasite is completely convincing. Whether it's a gruesome alien bursting from a dog's body, or a severed head sprouting spider-like legs and walking around the room, the effects are outstanding. Bottin proves himself to be a make-up genius.
It's no wonder The Thing is a classic. It's documentary-like feel and it's creepy atmosphere are perfect. Carpenter has succeeded in making a thrilling wonder that may even surpass it's aforementioned story source. No horror, sci-fi or thriller fan should go without at least taking a look at this masterpiece chiller.