Iffy for 16+
Gory remake of two scary classics lacks their bite.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Thing -- which takes place slightly before the events of 1982's The Thing and includes some of the same events as the original 1951 movie The Thing from Another World -- has lots of strong, gory visual effects with terrifying mutations between humans and aliens. Humans' faces suddenly split apart, with teeth and tendrils bursting from within, and there's lots of shooting and even a gooey alien autopsy. Language is strong (including "f--k" and "s--t") but not constant. Sex scenes aren't an issue, but one character does tell a very dirty sex joke involving a young boy.
- Families can talk about the movie's gory violence. What was your reaction? Do you think that's what the filmmakers intended?
- Is the movie scary? What made it scary? In general, what's scarier -- the things you see, or the things you don't?
- One of the movie's themes is trust. Do you think you would have put more trust in the other characters? Is there any danger in trusting someone in real life?
The good stuff
-
Messages: The characters suddenly mistrust one another and are willing to take drastic steps -- i.e. commit murder -- at even the faintest suspicion. Despite their close quarters, there's generally a lack of community among them.
-
Role models: A strong female character takes charge for a little while, but even she shows signs of mistrust, suspicion, and selfishness.
What to watch for
-
Violence: Very strong, gory special effects. Since the monster is able to copy humans, viewers see characters' faces and bodies ripping apart in odd directions, with teeth and tendrils bursting from within. There are terrifying mutations of human and beast (one with two upside-down heads stuck together). Also, humans shoot everything that moves with guns and flamethrowers. Lots of blood on display, as well as charred ruins of alien bodies and even a gory, gooey alien autopsy scene.
-
Sex: No sex, nudity, or sexual situations, but the movie starts with a character telling very filthy joke involving a young boy and sex.
-
Language: "F--k" is used a few times, as well as "s--t." Other words include "a--hole," "hell," "damn," "Jesus Christ" (as an exclamation), "oh my God," and "goddamn."
-
Drinking, drugs and smoking: The adult characters celebrate by drinking beer and liquor after first finding the creature.
Fan Reviews provided by
5
Ultimate Prequel by topherkinelo
First and Foremost, if you are not a Science Fiction/Horror fan, then stay home. You will not like the movie. For the rest of us, I can honestly say that this Prequel weaves perfectly into the John Carpenter version. CGI and robotics blend harmoniously to create awesome visuals. It's a roller coaster ride. Enjoy!
5
The Thing review by Muvie Reviewer
Loved the original back in 82' with Kurt Russell. I was skeptical in seeing this version of "The Thing" as many remakes are either hit or miss, mainly misses, but I was not disappointed. The 2011 version of "The Thing" is a Great Movie!
The only elements that are the same from the original is that there is an evil alien and there are people trying to survive. This is not the same story being retold and the characters are new. There are very tense and scary moments in the movie and the special effects are Awesome (no 3D needed, thank you Mr Film Maker. I was aleady tired of bad 3D effects).
*** It is not necessary to see the original in order to enjoy this version*** Now that I said that, I highly recommend you watch the original as there is a surprise mixed into the end credits of the movie that you won't appreciate unless you saw the 1982 "The Thing".
5
A Pretty Good Remake by itskuh
I was pleasantly surprised by this film. I'm a fan of the horror genre and of the original version of The Thing, The plot development was never lagging and moved at a good pace. Obviously as a horror/sci fi film, there were many things that you had to take with a grain of salt, but the effects really blew me away. The grotesque fusions of monster and man had my heart racing more than the actual fight/chase sequences.
This is really a film everyone has to go see if you're a fan of horror or sci fi.
1
a disappointment by the big cheese
I had such high hopes for this movie but it was just a big waste of time and money. This is like one of those crapy creature movies that you see on the sci fi channel.
4
Good special effects... by fchuw07
The movie has good special effects (CGI)... However, if it had little bit more of action, suspense, thriller scenes, I would give it 4 or 5 stars.
3
- Yawn - by amandanatal
So, this movie to start off .. was pretty good. The one thing that I liked right off the bat was that you got that feeling that you were "in the movie". The setting was cold and snowy and it made me feel like I was right there with them. However, in regards to the actual storyline and material of the film .. I found it all pretty boring. It wasn't HORRIBLE but it wasn't GREAT either. The "Thing" in "The Thing" was not scary and it wasn't worthy of stealing the show. Overall, I found this movie to be pretty dull throughout and once again .. the trailer hyped it up to be something more than it truly was.
My Rating: D+
4
I expected a remake....BOY, WAS I WRONG! by Sugarman68
Well, when I first saw the trailer for this film I thought "oh no, not another remake". I had seen everything else that needed to be seen and decided to see "The Thing", since nothing else came out during its premier weekend. Was a bit disappointed that only a few people showed up for the afternoon screening, which was probably due to the expectancy of a remake. I sat there not expecting anything major, not knowing that an hour and 40 minutes later I'd be totally satisfied and surprised, particularly with the twist at the end. All in all, I really enjoyed this movie! The sound and visual effects were off the hook, familiar themes were present, very good casting, bone-chilling suspense of who's human and who's not and the twist makes this movie worthy of seeing. I honestly expected a remake....I was wrong! The folks at Universal played it smartly with a hint of genius, nicely done!
5
One of Hollywood's Best All Time Movie Monsters by kfursa
The Thing was Awesome! One of the best all time movie monsters! A great prequel to the 80's Thing! A great one to add to my personal movie collection!
3
The Thing by Jasper_Hale_Fan
It was predicatbale and not at all scary. The conclusion was a disappointment and the actors lacked depth and convincing in the roles. I give it 2 stars out of 5.
5
The Thing by thomaslibbey
I liked it very much. I was on the "edge of my seat" throughout the entire movie. I found the special effects to be absolutely marvelous and the acting top-notch!