a definite chill in the air (in more ways than one)...

Rating: 8/10 (1 August 2005)

True to his name, John Carpenter was a major architect of celluloid terror in his prime, with a distinctive visual style, a reliance on simple musical scores that stick menacingly in the viewer's mind, and a manner of manipulating suspense through lighting, character conflict, and well-choreographed action. As both writer (often under a pseudonym) and director, Carpenter's films comprise some of the finest examples of the horror genre. However, when he's in command of someone else's script, there is sometimes a clash between the two. Upon viewing "The Thing" for the first time in several years, this inconsistency sticks out like a sore thumb.
Now don't get me wrong. As a child I'd build my schedule (at least on weekends) around horror movies playing on cable TV, and Carpenter's interpretation of "The Thing" (far more faithful to the short story 'Who Goes There?' than its 1951 predecessor) was certainly a major influence on my personal taste--it was bloody, scary, and very cool-looking (Rob Bottin's makeup FX put all the CGI offerings that have come since to shame). And that minimalist score by Italian composer Ennio Morricone produced a shiver without fail. And the ending--from its ambiguous final line to the isolated manner in which it's photographed, was enough to thoroughly creep me out as a youngster.
The movie still holds up for a lot of the reasons I just mentioned, but it falters somewhat due to the weak characterizations. Bill Lancaster's script renders the dozen or so men stationed at an Antarctic research outpost (a gaggle of scientists and military types) besieged by an imitative alien life form as little more than fodder for the cool-looking transformation/death scenes (that is, when they're not tossing explanatory dialog around like a hot potato). The isolated setting in the midst of a section of the world known for extreme weather conditions casts a weariness and desperation over the whole film, which would have been more effective if we gave a damn about the characters.
Carpenter does what he can, and certain actors shine (such as future Quaker Oatmeal spokesman Wilford Brimley as a crazed doctor and David Clennon as a wisecracking pothead), but most of the cast comes off as nondescript as the alien life form itself. While mostly exposition, the dialog does unravel in an intriguing way as the men become increasingly aware of what they're dealing with, and the special effects complement the story rather than overwhelming it. And perhaps "The Thing"'s main saving grace--in terms of its horror being so well-preserved after all these years--is Carpenter's uncanny way of capturing a mood of dread, fear, and isolation, to the point where you might be tempted to jack up the thermostat a few degrees after the end credits are done rolling.