A True to Form "Remake" & Carpenter's Best Work

Rating: 10/10 (16 March 2001)

In "The Thing," John Carpenter does what is truly meant for a filmmaker to do with a remake of an earlier work-- update and add your own spin. Inspired by "The Thing From Another Planet," and that film's basis on the short story "Who Goes There?", John Carpenter's "The Thing" is a masterpiece in horror and sci-fi cinema-- not to mention Carpenter's single greatest film to date (sorry "Halloween" fans!).
Due to incredibly bad timing at the box office (E.T. anyone?) "The Thing" was a commercial failure-- but found a "cult" following on video, and for good reason. Carpenter exploits his ensemble cast (with the like of Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, T.K. Carter, and best of all Keith David) and claustrophobic Antartic setting to provide the viewer with true feelings of paranoia and fear.
The story itself centers around a mysterious alien creature that crash landed into the Antartic thousands of years ago. After a scientific team digs up the creature's spacecraft, it thaws out, and the terror begins. Able to manipulate its body to imitate any other living being, the members of the scientific team soon turn on each other-- no one knowing who to trust when anyone could be... "The Thing."
Movie fans in general will get a kick out of "The Thing," which is required viewing for any true horror or sci-fi fan. If you can, get a hold of the DVD or watch the film during a run on the Sci-Fi channel-- Carpenter's films, especially this one, are not worth seeing if you cannot see them in the widescreen aspect ratio.
Highly recommended. Rating: 9/10