Synopsis: A group of Antarctica researchers discover an alien space craft and its occupant underneath the ice. While examining the creature, it comes back to life and starts possessing the researchers one by one.
Who’s in it? Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ulrich Thomsen and Kim Bubbs.
What I liked about this movie: I liked the fact this is a prequel to the 1982 movie rather than a re-make. While I’m not a huge fan of the original, I am getting a little sick of all the re-makes that are out there and, at least in this particular case, they made an effort to have a completely different movie.
Along with that, I kind of liked the back story about the first research station to encounter the alien and the events that led up to the second story. It does manage to give us some new information about the alien that the original didn’t.
What I didn’t like about this movie: It honestly wasn’t as scary as it should have been. You have an alien that can assume any form, setting up some potentially frightening scenes where it pops up out of nowhere. Instead, whenever it is revealed, the movie takes its time and, as a result, it just doesn’t have the same effect.
Also, even though this was supposed to be a prequel, there were definitely plenty of times when I felt like I was watching the original. And, even with what should have been better special effects, it just didn’t live up to that one.
Final Opinion: As I said before, it tries to be something different. But, there are just too many similarities between this one and the original to consider it a true prequel rather than a remake and, when that is taken into consideration, there isn’t anything special about it.
My Grade: 2 stars out of a possible 5.
