Excellent Sci-Fi Classic

Rating: 8/10 (17 September 2007)

John Carpenter seemed to have hit a purple patch in his film career with the films Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York and the Thing. Personally I am only a fan of Halloween, The Fog, and The Thing. The other films seem to lack soul.
The Thing is a monster movie set somewhere near the North or South Pole. It may have been intended as a horror film, but I have never found it horrifying or scary. I like the film from a sci-fi point of view.
This film also 'feels' like a B-Movie with an A-Movie budget (in that respect it's a perfect Carpenter film). Incidentally the best actor here was overlooked in the Oscars, even though he never barked or growled once during the entire film.
Pros - Excellent cinematography, atmosphere, effects, characters
Cons - Stomach churning effects
Overall - Excellent sci-fi film whose ending attempts to give the film surprising depth.