This Film Relies On Its Spectacular Special Effects And Background Music To Compensate For The Weak Plot.

Rating: 8/10 (7 January 2011)

The only reason I am giving a high score is because of special effects which are the best I've ever seen to date. I am SURPRISED no REMAKE was ever made during the 90's utilizing state of the art C.G.I effects available to them. Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, James Cameron, David Cronenberg, John Mctiernan and Ridley Scott should have been the most likely candidates for directing the remake.
A remake of the classic 1951 Howard Hawks-Christian Nyby film The Thing from Another World, Carpenter's film is a more faithful adaptation of the novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell, Jr. which inspired the 1951 film.
The box office performance of the film was poor. This has been attributed to many factors, including Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which was released at the time and features a more optimistic view of alien visitation.
However, The Thing has gone on to gain a cult following with the release on home video. It was subsequently 'novelized' in 1982, adapted into a comic book miniseries published by Dark Horse Comics, and was followed by a video game sequel in 2002, with a film prequel currently in the works.
Full Plot: In winter 1982, an American Antarctic research station is alerted by gunfire and explosions. Pursued by a Norwegian helicopter, an Alaskan Malamute makes its way into the camp as the science station's crew looks on in confusion. Through reckless use of a thermite charge, the helicopter is destroyed and its pilot killed shortly after landing. The surviving passenger fires at the dog with a rifle, grazing George Bennings (Peter Maloney), one of the researchers. The passenger is shot and killed by Garry (Donald Moffat), the station commander. Not knowing what to make of the incident, the station crew adopts the dog.
What the Research Team don't know is that the Norwegians were only out to destroy the Alaskan Malamute.
Unable to contact the outside world via hand radio, helicopter pilot R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russell) and Copper (Richard Dysart) risk a flight to the Norwegian camp....... And that's when the film really begins.
What were the reasons behind the Norwegian attack?
See this superb science fiction horror film to find out more.
Conclusion: BUY it for your home theater and sit back and enjoy the special effects.
P.S don't show this film to very small children as they will WET THEIR PANTS!!!