The Thing from Another World

(The Thing from Another World)

April 26, 2005

Undeniably enjoyable, fast-paced, with an unusually naturalistic style in the way the characters deliver their lines. That said, it's not particularly scary -- more action-adventure than scientific mystery, shock, or horror. The interwoven romantic banter between the male and female leads is irrelevant but not overplayed. The fanatic scientist is a cliche, but at least the other scientists involved are more human.
Inevitably, comparisons will be made with the 1980's remake by John Carpenter, which is much closer to John Campbell's novella, "Who Goes There?" This 1950s version has nothing to do with the original story other than the premise -- a flying saucer is found buried in the ice, and its non-human pilot or passenger, mistakenly assumed to be dead, thaws out and comes to deadly life. I enjoyed this early version more than Carpenter's rather gory remake; it's just a lot more fun. And the best way to experience the original is not by seeing Carpenter's film but by reading Campbell's story, which is an authemtic SF classic.

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