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Same "Thing"

Three men plow across the frozen wastes of Antarctica on the trail of a mysterious "signal" emanating from under the ice. It's close; they should be right on top of it. In fact, they are - the ice breaks and their truck hurtles down into the abyss, wedging above some...thing. But what is it? Well, if you've seen John Carpenter's 1982 film, "The Thing" - which itself was a remake of 1951's "The Thing from Another World", an adaptation of the novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr - you have a pretty good idea what's coming next. But this opening sequence of director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr's "The Thing" takes place in 1982, making this new "Thing" a prequel.

Not that the chronology matters much. This "Thing" is as overrun with special effects as its predecessor - of course, they're much slicker this time around - and it's also every bit as creepy as that cult favorite.

In an age of remakes, it's almost startling to see one made with reverence of its source material. The script, by Eric Heisserer ("Final Destination 5", "A Nightmare on Elm Street"), follows the familiar patterns of the first film (replacing the infamous blood-test sequence with a clever new technique) and it also clones other classics of the genre.

In fact, the first twenty minutes of the film play like "Alien" on ice. The distress call, the derelict ship, the female protagonist (played effectively by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who owes Sigourney a thank you note). Then there's an explosion and the film takes a dangerous turns towards the noisy. But actually, it's simply evolving into "Aliens" on ice. Complete with flame throwers and grenades.

But what makes a "Thing" movie a "Thing" movie is the paranoia (and some kind of Kurt Russell avatar - in this case, coyly played by Joel Edgerton). The idea that this creature can assume any form is the key ingredient. Like a much gorier version of the pods from the "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" movies, the Thing absorbs humans and becomes them in a grotesque spectacle of CGI mutilation. And it's up to the survivors to keep and eye on each other or die trying.

Yes, that's the fun of a "Thing" movie and this prequel - thanks to Mr. van Heijningen's sturdy direction and the efficient script - works. Against all odds, this "Thing" franchise may have legs after all (and arms and nasty, flailing tentacles). While the ending of this prequel sets up the original film in a way that will have fans cheering, there's nothing stopping more sequels, prequels or other films from being made. And that would be a helluva thing.