The Thing (2011)

Directed by: Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. | 103 minutes | horror, thriller, science fiction | Actors: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Eric Christian Olsen, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Joel Edgerton, Ulrich Thomsen, Jonathan Walker, Kim Bubbs, Stig Henrik Hoff, Trond Espen Seim, Jørgen Langhelle, Jan Gunnar Røise, Kristofer Hivju, Henrik Hoff, Jo Adrian Haavind, Dan Cristofori, Stefen Rollpiller

While one after the other Dutch soap star is talking about ‘breaking through’ in America, Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. the normal. Just under your own power. That is commendable. He did it without roaring TV cameras and tough quotes. That Van Heijningen Jr. then also went on to make a prequel to the classic horror film ‘John Carpenter’s The Thing’ is totally commendable. You have to have guts for that. But you can’t make a good film with guts alone…

Van Heijningen Jr.’s version of ‘The Thing’ is set before ‘John Carpenter’s The Thing’. Fans of the latter variant know what to expect. In the prequel, a Norwegian expedition team in Antarctica digs an alien creature out of the ice, only to discover that the creature has the ability to copy them piece by piece. Who is human and who is… the thing?

John Carpenter’s film dates from 1982, but is still convincing in terms of special effects and acting. Van Heijningen Jr. is a self-confessed fan of the film and it shows. He canned the prequel with visible respect for the source material. This keeps the (computer-generated) special effects close to the look of the old film. The 80s clothing also looks realistic and appropriate. The same goes for the sets and soundtrack (by Marco Beltrami). It is clear that our compatriot has great respect for the work of John Carpenter. A little too much actually.

Van Heijningen Jr.’s feature film debut (before that he mainly made short films) actually follows the same pattern as the source material. If you’ve seen that version, you also know what to expect in this prequel. Actually, the story that John Carpenter already told in 1982 was taken over by the Dutchman one on one. That’s a shame, because there would have been more residents here. Now the film is mainly a calling card for the original. What young horror fan wants to see a 1982 film when a hip version is shown in the cinema with the most modern special effects? That must have been the film studio’s reasoning when they released Van Heijningen Jr. gave the green light for this film. There is something to be said for that, but the prequel tells too little new. In addition, Carpenter’s film has withstood the test of time very well. The visual effects of the prequel are not (much) better than the original.

Where the prequel fails is in the acting. Carpenter contracted a cast full of character. Keith David, Richard Dysart and of course Kurt Russell managed to create completely different characters in a short time. People you started caring about. Van Heijningen Jr. has gathered a less appealing cast. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays the lead, but lacks charisma. She is unable to give weight to Kate Lloyd, blessed with Bambi eyes. Her opponent Eric Christian Olsen also does not know how to deepen his character. You’re looking at anonymous beef cattle. Who dies when doesn’t matter because the characters are so flat.

In addition, the Norwegian actors are interchangeable, because they are barely featured (it is a film for an American target group that does not want to be tired with subtitles). The strength of Carpenter’s film was the mutual paranoia between the characters. Characters you cared about. The prequel also tries to shape the growing mistrust between the team, but fails. Unlike the original, this prequel is not an intelligent film, but a gore slasher. In terms of gore, the debut of Van Heijningen Jr. very good. The special effects look nasty (that’s how it should be) and are frequent. There is a lot of momentum in this film. The film never gets boring.

‘The Thing’ – the prequel – is a skillfully made film that has to do without the impact of the original. As a prequel the film disappoints, but as a slasher it is a very successful film. If you are not familiar with the source material, then you should definitely check out this first throw from our compatriot. If you’re a die-hard Carpenter fan, skip this prequel.