🧊 The Thing (2011) – Review

Let’s start by showing y’all the trailers, shall we?

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❄️ Non-Spoiler Plot Overview

Set before the events of John Carpenter’s 1982 classic, this prequel follows a team of Norwegian and American researchers who discover a mysterious alien spacecraft buried deep in Antarctica. Alongside it? A creature frozen in ice. But once thawed, the alien reveals its true nature — it can perfectly imitate any living organism. Paranoia, mistrust, and flamethrowers ensue.


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❄️ Character Rundown

Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) – A paleontologist who quickly becomes the film’s central badass and voice of reason.

Dr. Sander Halvorson (Ulrich Thomsen) – The typical “ignore-all-the-danger-signs” scientist.

Sam Carter (Joel Edgerton) – Pilot turned paranoia survivor.

Colin (Jonathan Walker) – Resident theorist with a punchable smugness.

A mix of Norwegians and Americans — most of whom exist just long enough to become fuel for the flame.



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❄️ Pacing / Episode Flow

The movie moves quickly after the creature escapes the ice. Tension builds with each mimic, and while it never quite reaches the slow-burn brilliance of the ’82 version, it keeps the pressure on. The final act feels slightly rushed, but it’s clear the film was gunning for a direct setup into the original.


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❄️ Pros

✔️ The connecting tissue to Carpenter’s film is genuinely well done — from the axe-in-the-door to the burned remains.
✔️ Mary Elizabeth Winstead delivers a strong, smart, capable performance without turning into a generic action cliché.
✔️ The idea of using dental fillings as a test? Smart update on the blood test scene.
✔️ Some genuinely grotesque creature design moments — when the CGI isn’t distracting.


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❄️ Cons

❌ The CGI. Even when this came out in 2011, it already looked… off. The original’s practical effects still feel more believable.
❌ Several characters are underdeveloped cannon fodder.
❌ The “corporate science guy ignores all danger signs” trope is overdone. We get it, Sander. You’re special.
❌ It sometimes feels more like a checklist of Easter eggs for fans than its own standalone story.


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❄️ Final Thoughts

The Thing (2011) is better than most prequels have any right to be. It honors the atmosphere and paranoia of the original while carving out a few cool ideas of its own. It stumbles in relying too heavily on visual effects, and no, it’ll never surpass the legacy of Carpenter’s masterpiece, but as a direct lead-in, it does its job.


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❄️ Rating

8/10
(Solid tension, great lead, some wonky CGI — but the ending connection is chef’s kiss.)


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🚨 Spoiler Warning

Below this point lies Antarctic frostbite and alien mimicry. You’ve been warned.


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❄️ Spoilers

That giant ice block we see in Carpenter’s version? It’s in this film too — but still full of alien at first, until it inevitably breaks out.

The alien mimic scenes are grotesque and memorable — especially when two characters merge face-to-torso in one of the film’s most disturbing visuals.

Kate devises a test — not blood this time, but dental fillings. The Thing can’t replicate metal, so anyone with perfect teeth? Get the flamethrower.

The final confrontation leaves us with a haunting silence… until we realize the dog got away.

In the film’s final moments, we see the alien take the form of the sled dog, and the last surviving Norwegians scramble into a helicopter to chase it across the snow — directly leading into the opening scene of Carpenter’s 1982 The Thing.
Yup — that dog. That chopper. That chase. This is the prequel glue holding the two films together.