It's Three Films in One!

Rating: 8/10 (18 October 1998)

This movie was a box-office flop and it didn't exactly receive a lot of rave reviews either. The "Fat Guy & Skinny Guy" (Ebert & Siskel) split on it - Roger liked it but Gene was put off by the graphic violence. Well, take it from me and Roger that this a movie worth seeing! Not only is it a remake of the 1951 classic, but it is also "Alien" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" all rolled into one! Yes folks, this movie combines the plot of the original movie with a monster that constantly metamorphoses like the "Alien" and one that can also replace unsuspecting humans with perfect (albeit extra-terrestrial) carbon copies. In addition to being a great sci-fi/horror/action flick, John Carpenter's "The Thing" also has a great element of suspense as well: who is really human and who isn't? Only "The Thing" knows for sure as it goes about killing off the motley crew of losers and misfits forced to deal with it and replacing its' victims with perfect look-alikes! Needless to add, this doesn't make things any easier for our ragtag and mostly gutless heroes, who are at each other's throats every time someone gets killed since they all suspect each other of being the extra-terrestrial murderer. I don't know why this movie seems to be either ignored, snubbed or disliked by most critics and ordinary folks but in my opinion this is an overlooked classic of sci-fi/horror and suspense. Check it out!