"The Thing"

OK, this is the big one.
For anyone who knows me, I have a high regard for "John Carpenter's The Thing", in fact for me it is the greatest horror film ever made. Ever since 1982, there have been rumours of either a remake or a sequel. None have come to fruition.

And what we have here is none of the above, it is in fact a prequel, which ends leading up to the events at the beginning of Carpenter's classic. Given the reverence that I hold the original film, it was always going to be a tough act to follow, and I always had my doubts as to whether anyone could pull it off. It is pleasing to report that the magic has been recreated. Although it is being called a prequel and not a remake, let's get one thing straight, it is essentially the first film all over again, there is no escaping that fact. But it is given enough of a spin as to make it fresh, and plus by mirroring the original so much, that can only be a good thing.

For those who have dared not to see the original.......a Norwegian expedition in the Antartic finds a crashed UFO, one that has been buried for thousands of years, and along with the ship, there is a frozen survivor, also buried in the ice. This specimen is taken back to the Camp for examination. Assisting the Norwegians are some newly arrived American specialists, experts in dealing with remains. A sample is taken from the speciman, despite the protestations of US scientist Kate Lloyd. Over time the frozen creature thaws out, and escapes from its icy tomb, to go and wreak havoc on the expedition Site.
What makes the creature extraordinary is that the fact that it can imitate perfectly anything it comes into contact with, it absorbs them, and then becomes them, and its hope is to take over the human race. And given that each single cell is an organism, it can take over more than one person at anytime. 
There is the lead scientist who is blinded by the terror it can cause by the glory he is seeking. There is also Kate Lloyd, the voice of reason, and usually standing alone. And a group of both Norwegians and Americans stuck in the middle.
The tension is not built up as brilliantly as it is in the original film. That was one of the key factors, the not knowing who to trust, and also the sense of isolation which again worked so well before is poorly realised here.
Having said that, there is much to praise. Right from the start, the photography is stunningly beautiful. There are echoes of the original Morricone score in this soundtrack. Even down to little things like using the same font type on the opening title credits, it all adds to the magic.
Plus with this being a new film, and it being a first screening, there is that uncertainty of not knowing who lives and who dies, who is infected and who isn't. I guess it is the closest I will ever get to seeing the original film on the big screen for the very first time.

There was a feeling of unease when watching the movie, which is as it should be, not only because of my concern that it would be a complete disaster, but also the great story creates a disturbance within the viewer, not wanting to take their eyes off the screen for a moment.
The cast alas fail to deliver any worthy performances. Ulrich Thomsen especially is rather weak. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is passable as Kate Lloyd, there are a few decent performances from the Norwegian members of the cast. But when one looks at Carpenter's movie, the whole cast excelled in each role. They were a delight to watch, but there is very little shining through acting wise with this new film unfortunately.

One thing is clear from the very start, the set design for the Norwegian camp has been wonderfully recreated, presumably using the original film as a template, it is seen briefly in the 1982 version when Kurt Russell and team bring the creature back to their Camp. But not only is the set building consistant, but again it is little details like the correct type door handle, or the same bedding sheets. It gives the impression of having been done by someone who is either a big fan of the film or someone who cares about detail and getting it right or both.

It is great to see more of the Alien ship. The visual effects work are excellent, and it give it a scale that was exceeding the budget restrictions with the original. But where the visual effects have improved the ship, the CGI work on the creature has really let the show down. At times they are very poor, and one is sat there crying out for make up maestro Rob Bottin to work his magic once again. There are some great moments, but for the most part it is obvious CGI. The worst example is the creature seen at the end of the film in the alien ship. I have seen better FX on Saturday night children's shows.

It was getting towards the end of the film, and I had a few unanswered questions, but they were soon answered with a brilliant sequence in the closing credits, and playing to the chilling music of Ennio Morricone. Truly fantastic.

So to sum up, yes it has its faults, but this is tagged with John Carpenter's The Thing. It is the pefect companion piece, and though not perfect itself, it does an admirable job, and I for one was dreading what I would be seeing, and was pleasantly surprised, and it carries on in the time honoured tradition of that truly great 1982 classic.

SomeTHING to enjoy..........8 out of 10

"50/50"

Adam is a sensible young man. He is careful about what he eats, he waits at a pedestrian crossing, he jogs, he is incredibly tidy, has a nice girlfriend, and it would also seem that he has a rare form of spinal cancer.
Understandably this a massive shock. He is given the options, and starts a course of chemotherapy. Whilst having this treatment, he becomes friends with two fellow patients, Mitch and Alan.
Adam also goes to see a therapist, to talk through his issues, worries, concerns, the future etc. By his side are his two constant companions, his best friend Kyle, and girl friend Rachael.

The film follows Adam's journey, from dealing with the initial shock, to then denial, to then at times anger. He also has to deal with the upset and hurt when he discovers that Rachael has been cheating on him, unable as she is to deal with his condition.
He also has to deal with an over protective mother, she herself under pressure as her husband, Adam's father is battling Alzheimers.
Adam and his family then find out whether the chemo has worked, an unfortunately it has not, and the only remaining course is a very risky operation on his spine. Whether it succeeds or not, I shall not reveal here.

But it was interesting when watching the film, whether they would go down the route of having the main character die of their illness at the end or have them as the all conquering hero. And if it was the latter, where would they find a suitable place to tie up the film?

What I will say is that the film has the perfect ending, the last quote is so apt. The performances are spot on, with great supporting work from the likes of Philip Baker Hall, Matt Frewer and Oscar winner Anjelica Huston, who we don't get to see enough of on the big scren. Seth Rogen is great fun, Anna Kendrick is very endearing, but the main man is Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is for me, one of the best actors of his generation. If any fellow fans out there have seen "The Lookout", they will know what I mean. A truly phenomenal and gifted actor. Always a delight to watch.

One to recommend..........8 out of 10

"In Time"

A science fiction film came out several years, which really broke the mould. A thought provoking screenplay, stunning visuals, a fantastic cast. The film was "Gattaca" and it was written and directed by Andrew Niccol.

Niccol returns to the sci-fi genre with this latest offering.
America in the future, a future where we do not age past 25 years, but we also only are allowed to live for one more year. We can however earn more time, win more time, gamble, steal etc. We also have to pay for anything we want with time. For example a nice meal out may cost you one day. And once all your time has elapsed, game over.
The concept is a fascinating one, and is the biggest plus for the film, it is a shame that everything surrounding this concept is not as well thought out.
Will Salas is 25 and on his one year before timing out. He then meets someone, and an act of great generosity sees Will given a time span of a Century. And this makes him a vulnerable target to anyone seeking to steal this time from him. He is also the subject of curiosity with the Police, or in this case they are known as 'Time Keepers', as they want to know how he acquired this time.
Will also discovers that there are those mega rich who buy and sell time for massive profit, and they can literally never die. Seeing this as immoral, he wants to redress the balance.

As said, the idea is great, at times poorly executed, the poor little rich girl who tags along with Will is all so tiresome. One thing is for certain, the very beautiful of Hollywood were hired for this film, well with one possible exception. As with "Gattaca", this film is great to look at, and has a stunning score. Justin Timberlake seems to again do no wrong, and gives a nice performance as Will Salas. There is one stand out moment, involving his character's mother. Alas Amanda Seyfried does not fare as well, as is purely window dressing, nice to look at but nothing else.

Not as good as "Gattaca" but good all the same.......6 out of 10

"Dream House"

Book editor Will is leaving his cherished dream job, deciding to spend more time with his wonderful family. They find their dream home away from the big city, and look forward to settling down to some quality time together, plus it will give Will the chance to work on his own book, rather than publishing other peoples.
Then one of his two daughters starts to see strange shadows, maybe someone lurking outside at night. And one night Will finds a group of emo kids in his basement. Is there something going on that he is unaware of?  Well actually yes there is. The previous owner of the house murdered his wife and two children. Will is rather annoyed that this information was not disclosed to him before buying the house for him and his family.
Will starts to investigate what happened to the previous occupants, and discovers that the killer, Peter Ward, was incarcerated, but is now on the streets. Could it be he who is lurking around their property?

When the truth is revealed, it makes for quite the revelation, and starts the ball rolling in what is a really good psychological thriller. There are plenty of twists and turns, and there is also the odd make you jump moment.
The film is beautifully photographed, and has a very atmospheric score. Of the leads, Daniel Craig has the meatier part. Alas Ms. Weisz is given very little to do. Craig does an admirable job. I have read a few poor reviews of this film, but do not let that dissuade you from seeing it. I remember a film about 10 years ago, again a psychological thriller, which got poor reviews, and I still think of it as one of the best thrillers I have ever seen, the film was "In Dreams".

A nice little movie.........7 out of 10