The Thing

Name: The Thing
Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery, Thriller, Horror
Released: October 14, 2011
Duration: 103 min
Rating: 49

2011

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 31 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 305 Ratings

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6.3

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6.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 305 Ratings

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The Thing

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Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: October 14, 2011 | R

Summary: Paleontologist Kate Lloyd has traveled to the desolate region for the expedition of her lifetime. Joining a Norwegian scientific team that has stumbled across an extraterrestrial ship buried in the ice, she discovers an organism that seems to have died in the crash eons ago. But it is about to wake up. When a simple experiment frees thePaleontologist Kate Lloyd has traveled to the desolate region for the expedition of her lifetime. Joining a Norwegian scientific team that has stumbled across an extraterrestrial ship buried in the ice, she discovers an organism that seems to have died in the crash eons ago. But it is about to wake up. When a simple experiment frees the alien from its frozen prison, Kate must join the crew's pilot, Carter, to keep it from killing them off one at a time. And in this vast, intense land, a parasite that can mimic anything it touches will pit human against human as it tries to survive and flourish. (Universal Pictures)

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Director: Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Mystery, Thriller, Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 103 min

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Critic Reviews

Mike Scott

Oct 14, 2011

Yes, it is derivative, but in a year in which films from the 1980s are getting needless remakes seemingly every other week, this one stands out as a rare one that works. That's a good "Thing." Read full review

Andrew O'Hehir

Oct 13, 2011

I'm delighted to tell you that the new Thing was made by people who understand what the horror audience wants and don't treat it like a bunch of brain-dead children. Mirabile freakin' dictu. Read full review

Tom Russo

Oct 13, 2011

The basic story is identical, and when there are fraught, climactic opportunities for the movie to make a gutsy departure, it passes up the chance. Read full review

Marc Savlov

Oct 13, 2011

Heijningen's The Thing is tightly paced, has enough imaginative horror to satisfy even the most jaded gorehound, and never strays too far from its source, so why do you come away from it feeling like it was the runner-up in a daylight nightmare festival? Read full review

Peter Hartlaub

Oct 13, 2011

It's an imperfect facsimile, guilty of borrowing too many ideas from the earlier film, and then executing them with differing results. Read full review

Jesse Cataldo

Oct 13, 2011

You can tell a lot about the film from its rough handling of the materials supplied by its predecessor, using these commonalities both to identify the bond between the two and signal how much further it's willing to push things. Read full review

Steve Persall

Oct 12, 2011

This Thing is purely for the gorehounds, and they aren't likely to leave impressed. Read full review

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User Reviews

Muxika

Oct 14, 2011

How do you replicate the horror of John Carpenterâ

10 of 20 users found this helpful1010

MADRICKY97

Feb 11, 2016

One of the good prequel for me!!!! Felt like the 80 s , they render the carpenter stylish way really similar in attitude and story development!!! Old school horror suspense movie that kept you on the edge of your seat , the kind i really liked!!!

Gave it a nine, bought it on blu-ray andOne of the good prequel for me!!!! Felt like the 80 s , they render the carpenter stylish way really similar in attitude and story development!!! Old school horror suspense movie that kept you on the edge of your seat , the kind i really liked!!!

Gave it a nine, bought it on blu-ray and watch it again and again, with a big load of pop-corn!!!!bye… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Sharkey1337

Oct 17, 2011

I'm a huge fan of John Carpenter's "The Thing" film, so I was somewhat anxious when I heard they were doing a prequel starring the Norwegian camp seen in the first film. To my delight, the film was actually pretty decent and goes along with the origal film rather nicely, aside from someI'm a huge fan of John Carpenter's "The Thing" film, so I was somewhat anxious when I heard they were doing a prequel starring the Norwegian camp seen in the first film. To my delight, the film was actually pretty decent and goes along with the origal film rather nicely, aside from some glaring plot holes that don't match up with the first film. The entire acting crew does a marvelous job and the special effects are pretty nice. The film only slightly treads on rehashing scenes of the first film, the spots are few but are painfully obvious to fans. Thankfully the film forges new material on the creature, giving it a uniqueness from its predecessor. The main difference with this Thing is that it's more of a monster flick than the suspenseful horror that Carpenter delivered. It's definitely faster paced and ends sooner than you may want to, at least for me as I was really enjoying it. Hopefully we'll see an extended director's cut that delves more into suspense and story that may have been cut out. For fans of the first film, the final ending scenes are the most spectacular in linking directly into the opening of the first Thing. Recommended for horror/sci-fi fans!… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

Bart

Oct 16, 2011

Not bad, and a lot of fun, but not as good as the Kurt Russel version, which I think had a lot more suspense. I did like the way they payed detail into the original, with the events and plot leading right into the beginning it. When on DVD it will make for a good double feature. I justNot bad, and a lot of fun, but not as good as the Kurt Russel version, which I think had a lot more suspense. I did like the way they payed detail into the original, with the events and plot leading right into the beginning it. When on DVD it will make for a good double feature. I just wish they had a little stronger script, as I left the theatre think it was good but with some better writing it could have been great.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

zoezoezoe

Feb 13, 2012

I loved the 1950's version, put off watching the John Carpenter 1982 version for a long time (because I knew I would get scared) but I was eager to see what the recent prequel to The Thing would be like! Would it be frightening like the 80s film? Or just another sad excuse for a film becauseI loved the 1950's version, put off watching the John Carpenter 1982 version for a long time (because I knew I would get scared) but I was eager to see what the recent prequel to The Thing would be like! Would it be frightening like the 80s film? Or just another sad excuse for a film because they wanted to pump out a prequel/re-make? That seems to be the go these days.

BUT while laughing at some of the puppets and special effects used through the film, it was about as good as any alien prequel was going to get! They built up a good detailed story that led straight into the original film, the Norwegian characters were played by Norwegian men and not American actors with crappy accents and they kept the right amount of horror without making me hide under the doona more than once! They may have gone a little overboard with the puppets used to replicate the aliens emerging from the human hosts, but I'm unsure whether it was purposefully done to look like the 80's version or not. They were very well done, but they just made me giggle.

John Carpenters The Thing is a bit of a cult classic among sci-fi lovers, but this one doesn't quite take the cake. It's a good film but has nothing on its original counterpart. I recommend watching it though because, well, how else do you know how the aliens came to be in the snow...… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Rikiege

Jan 23, 2013

"The Thing" is an original and well-made film, but it makes you boring and slow.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

Ptoto1474

Nov 7, 2021

This is stupid unrealistic inconsistent **** . Everything in this movie goes out of its way to have drama shots and dialogue, which would never happen in real life. I can't believe even after 20 years, it still sucks.

Find an alien frozen in ice? Better take it before contacting anyone andThis is stupid unrealistic inconsistent **** . Everything in this movie goes out of its way to have drama shots and dialogue, which would never happen in real life. I can't believe even after 20 years, it still sucks.

Find an alien frozen in ice? Better take it before contacting anyone and put it inside where the ice can melt for some reason!

Doing an autopsy on an alien? Better only use short gloves to be protected. They couldn't be bothered to put on a mask, yet a full-body suit and clean room. Then they start casually talking to each other over the literal alien body that could carry a lot of viruses like nothing.

Alien creature trying to kill someone next to two people with weapons that can kill it? The two people stand there in shock and don't do anything at all, even after the same person kills a man in an instant.

I could go on, because the movie's whole plot is based on how garbage the writers are, I'm going to say every scene but one in this movie is -5/10. The best scene in this movie is the three second one where the guy looks for his flashlight on his person. I'm not joking. The scene is around 1:00:29.

The saddest part about this is that the plot, scenes, everything had to go through multiple people beforehand. The characters in this movie literally committed a crime against humanity. How did nobody at the studio not see how stupid this is?… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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52	#52 Most Discussed Movie of 2011
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