The Thing (2011)

When I heard they were making this film, I thought it was a remake and I screamed.  Then I learned that it was being treated as a prequel and I calmed down and found myself very interested.  All I have to say is that director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. and fellow storytellers succeeded at doing both expanding on the original and honoring it as well.   One can see elements of "remake" but there's a host of new ideas.  Just like the first one, the cast is phenomenal, especially Mary Elizabeth Winstead who is fast becoming the young actress to keep an eye on.  The most impressive aspect of the film is that the special effects seem to fit with the original with the same consistent grotesque weirdness.   John Carpenter can hold his head high for helping inspire this genuinely frightening horror thriller.   Grade: A-