John Carpenter's Best Film

Rating: 10/10 (9 December 2004)

I watched this movie on New Years Eve for the first time and it made an impact on me. It introduced me to John Carpenter. At that time, I had not scene any of Carpenter's movie, except for Halloween, but even then I was about eight. After watch The Thing, I now own every mainstream John Carpenter movie and love the guy's work. It showcased some spectacular gore, creepy score, excellent performances, and a great story, illustrated with genuine paranoia and fear.
First and foremost, the astonishing special effects in this movie are one reason to watch this movie, even if you don't like horror movies. Rob Bottin and his crew created, in my opinion, the most realistic gore effects second only to Day of the Dead. My favorite is either in the dog kennel or the scene with the defibrillator. WOW! I won't say anymore. Do yourself a favor and just watch this movie.
The score, though not composed by Carpenter, is unsettling and creepy. It fits the movie perfectly and doesn't overpower it at all. To this day when I watch it, I am still creeped out by it.
Even though there are 12 guys in this movie, they are so different and well developed that I can name all of them right off the top of my head. Even the minor characters like Bennings, Fuchs, Nauls, and even the Norwegians are memorable and enjoyable. Kurt Russell gives a fantastic performance here as R.J. MacReady, even rivaling his role of Snake Plissken. This man means business and I would want him to be one my side if push came to shove.
Keith David as Childs is wonderfully sarcastic as usual, I mean the man is an expert at playing this role. A. Wilford Brimley plays Blair perfectly. The man can act. The other supporting characters are great too, especially Norris and Clark.
The story, based on the short story "Who Goes There?" is adapted perfectly. The fact that it's set in Antarctica already ups the isolation factor. Add in 12 uneasy, unstable and panicky men with a shape-shifting alien that can imitate anything perfectly, and the paranoia level is cranked up to 11.
This movie is one of the few movies that actually scares me. The movie itself is creepy, but after you watch it, I guarantee that it will stick with you and creep you out. Go out and either rent or buy it. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.