Trust no-one

Rating: 8/10 (3 November 2014)

John Carpenter's "The Thing" is a rarity among movies. It's a remake of a classic ("The Thing From Another World") that managed to eclipse the original. It did so by hewing closer to the source material (John W. Campbell's classic novella "Who Goes There?") and by showcasing some incredible visual effects.
The story concerns a group of American scientists stationed in the Antarctic. In the film's opening, they encounter a group of seemingly mad Norwegians frantically pursuing a dog in an attempt to kill it. Unbeknownst to the Americans, the dog is actually an alien that assumes the shape of its victims. When the Norwegians are killed, the dog is taken in by the Americans and begins to turn them against one another.
The plot is rife with paranoia as tensions arise over who may or may not be an alien in disguise. The story is as bleak as the Antarctic wasteland that provides its background but is enlivened by the extraordinary special effects of Rob Bottin (and, in one sequence, Stan Winston). Admittedly, not all of the effects have aged equally well but there are several memorable sequences scattered throughout the film.
Meanwhile, John Carpenter's direction shows a deft control of building suspense, maintaining it and, ultimately, paying it off with unexpected scares. Another vital element in the film's atmosphere is the icily foreboding score by Ennio Morricone.
In terms of acting, though, I find the movie to be fairly undistinguished. Kurt Russell's OK in the lead role but I find that he's better suited to lighter material (eg. "Big Trouble in Little China"). The supporting cast includes a few recognizable individuals like Wilford Brimley and Keith David but, for the most part, the ensemble's composed of relative unknowns who perform their roles satisfactorily though unexceptionally.
Taken altogether, "The Thing" is a well-executed horror/sci-fi movie that's deserving of its cult status. The special effects may be the main attraction but the story is equally important in the scheme of things. John Carpenter and company undoubtedly delivered a movie that was worthy of its landmark predecessor.