The Thing is not a remake, it is a prequel to the 1982 John Carpenter classic. As far as I can tell, the need for this film was minimal to non existent. Never was there a moment in my life where my mind wandered to the events of the Norwegian camp in The Thing. Yet here we are 29 years later and Universal have decided to give us an insight we never knew we needed or wanted. So I guess the real question is is it any good. Well there have been a spate of recent remakes/reboots/sequels/prequels, of varying quality. Footloose for example managed to be both unoriginal and enjoyable simply because of the ridiculous nature of the film. Whilst being enjoyable it was also unnecessary, but you kind of forgive it. Unfortunately The Thing does not get this privilege also. It is unoriginal, unnecessary and In no way enjoyable. It's not that there's anything glaringly bad about this film (though the special effects leave a lot to be desired). The acting is good, Joel Edgerton is once again showing that he is a solid actor (but never reaches the heights of his turn in Warrior), and Mary Elizabeth Winstead does very well playing scared but strong. However watching this film just feels like a chore, it makes me wonder whether, had this film come out in 1982, whether The Thing would have lasted in peoples memories as fondly, or indeed at all.
A quick note to Hollywood, stop remaking films that don't need remaking, which is basically anything. Please focus your time, money and efforts on new adaptations, original scripts, and new and interesting filmmakers, as that is what people will remember in years to come, not fodder like this.
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