- Film Review
- Reviewed By Alan Jones
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4 out of 5
Director Matthijs van Heijningen's feature debut is pitched as a prequel to John Carpenter's 1982 classic -it ends where that film begins - but it's really more of a remake, down to the many grotesque, surreal shock moments. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays a palaeontologist who is whisked to an Antarctic research base when an alien is found embedded in the ice. Once defrosted, the shape-shifting thing causes paranoia on a grand scale, and that's even before the gory mayhem begins. This stands up well against Carpenter's film: van Heijningen creates an edgy atmosphere, the restaged gross-out scenes are enhanced rather than overwhelmed by the slick CGI work, and the horrific sights that greeted Kurt Russell's crew at the base are cleverly explained. Tense, smart and suitably gruesome, this certainly delivers the goods.
Plot Summary
A palaeontologist joins an international expedition in Antarctica, which has uncovered an alien spaceship frozen in the ice. They also unearth the craft's occupant, a deadly shape-changing creature that murders and imitates members of the team to hunt the others. Prequel to the 1982 sci-fi horror, starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Kate Lloyd
- Mary Elizabeth Winstead
- Carter
- Joel Edgerton
- Jameson
- Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
- Dr Sander Halvorson
- Ulrich Thomsen
- Adam Finch
- Eric Christian Olsen
- Edvard Wolner
- Trond Espen Seim
- Griggs
- Paul Braunstein
- Juliette
- Kim Bubbs
- Lars
- Jorgen Langhelle
- Olav
- Jan Gunnar Roise
Crew
- Director
- Matthijs van Heijningen
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