Some day-after thoughts, now that I've had time to mull it over; I was really just relaying the experience of seeing it last night. Stuff has been bugging me more and more as I thought it over today.
The big problem I have is the Thing itself.
My other problem is the people themselves.
Carpenter's film had a dozen players, but they were all identifiable, likable characters. That film took its time establishing who everyone was, what their roles were, how they related to one another. Many scenes broke them off into pairs or small groups so we could get to know them better, before the carnage began.
Here, the crew was mostly bearded, anonymous fodder. I didn't even recognize half the guys that got killed, much less care about them. I was particularly disappointed that
The big problem I have is the Thing itself.
In Carpenter's version, it was a very patient creature, only striking out in the dark, a lone target, or when caught. That feeds the perception that it's a very intelligent creature, or at least, not impulsive. Even at the very end, it's knocking off guys in the shadows, one at a time, quietly.
That Thing is not this Thing, which unravels a bunch of tentacles and yawning mouths if you so much at sneeze in its direction, clumsily lurching down hallways. Why did it reveal itself in the chopper? That made no sense at all. It should have just hopped off with the rest, safe in knowing they didn't know which one of them it was. Unlike Carpenter's film, the Thing here is pretty crappy at absorbing and imitating people; it gets caught nearly every time, and some victims just run away (Kate). Why did it grab the first guy? The only point in imitating someone is so you can, um imitate them. That doesn't work if you are seen absorbing the target. The Carpenter version knew this.
The film would have been better served had they not found it that first night it broke out, but maybe - just maybe - it found someone.
Another touch in Carpenter's is how the Thing would give itself an out. When it was caught absorbing the dogs, some of it immediately escapes through the roof. It tied to do the same thing again with the head crab. Here, self-preservation didn't seem to be a priority.
It all adds up to make it seem like a brainless, impulsive creature, not the formidable opponent the '82 crew found themselves up against.
That Thing is not this Thing, which unravels a bunch of tentacles and yawning mouths if you so much at sneeze in its direction, clumsily lurching down hallways. Why did it reveal itself in the chopper? That made no sense at all. It should have just hopped off with the rest, safe in knowing they didn't know which one of them it was. Unlike Carpenter's film, the Thing here is pretty crappy at absorbing and imitating people; it gets caught nearly every time, and some victims just run away (Kate). Why did it grab the first guy? The only point in imitating someone is so you can, um imitate them. That doesn't work if you are seen absorbing the target. The Carpenter version knew this.
The film would have been better served had they not found it that first night it broke out, but maybe - just maybe - it found someone.
Another touch in Carpenter's is how the Thing would give itself an out. When it was caught absorbing the dogs, some of it immediately escapes through the roof. It tied to do the same thing again with the head crab. Here, self-preservation didn't seem to be a priority.
It all adds up to make it seem like a brainless, impulsive creature, not the formidable opponent the '82 crew found themselves up against.
My other problem is the people themselves.
Carpenter's film had a dozen players, but they were all identifiable, likable characters. That film took its time establishing who everyone was, what their roles were, how they related to one another. Many scenes broke them off into pairs or small groups so we could get to know them better, before the carnage began.
Here, the crew was mostly bearded, anonymous fodder. I didn't even recognize half the guys that got killed, much less care about them. I was particularly disappointed that
the few Americans got special treatment deaths or screen time; the Norwegians were really just there to be monster chow. It was good to have a female lead, but the film was cowardly in its selection of who survived to the end.
And don't get me started on the functioning spaceship. Just flat-out stupid, and undercuts so much of the implied backstory. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
And don't get me started on the functioning spaceship. Just flat-out stupid, and undercuts so much of the implied backstory. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
). This one just had this more bombastic, generic score. There were a few little keys here and there from the Morricone/Carpenter soundtrack, but not nearly enough. The 'Humanity' song at the very end was perfect, put up goosebumps, and reminded me just how much of a perfectly bleak song it is. Love it.
