Grade: C+
John Carpenter’s “The Thing,” originally released in 1982, still stands as one of the best alien movies ever made. Starring Kurt Russell at his most badass, the film perfectly captures a sense of fear and paranoia, keeping the audience hanging until the end. Sadly, the recently released prequel fails to meet the greatness of the original. The new “Thing” too often gives in to horror movie cliches, having the titular monster pop out and try to scare the audience far more than necessary. Kudos to director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. for not trying to replicate the original and to star Mary Elizabeth Winstead for delivering a calm and collected performance, but their efforts are wasted on a thriller that fails to thrill.
 
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