I recently watchable the perfectly ok but far from perfect 2011 prequel to the 1982 John Carpenter classic The Thing, foolishly also called The Thing. I say it's foolish because when it came out I presumed the 2011 film was simply a remake of the original and I had no interest in that.
For whatever reason, the producers behind this film didn't make the effort to effectively communicate that it was actually a prequel, which would have made me a lot more intrigued. It's about the Norwegian crew that became the first victims to the alien creature before Kurt Russell and his bros showed up. And in many ways it's trying to be the same movie as the original.
It's got the moody look and a brooding score that is a blatant rip-off of the classic Ennio Morricone one from the 1982 original. It course corrects the lack of women in the original by putting the always likable Mary Elizabeth Winstead in the lead and it definitely strikes the same tone as the Carpenter film.
But something is just ... missing. Perhaps it's the lack of strong characters. The Norwegians don't really break through, nor do normally interesting character actors like Joel Edgerton. And worst of all, the special effects, would should be mind-blowing (like they were and still are in the 1982 film) are pretty horrendous.
Chalk it up to an over-reliance on CGI instead of practical effects. The movie is just never particularly scary or horrifying, so the most satisfying thing about it is its linkage to the original movie.
And watching it got me thinking -- are there ANY good prequels. Clearly, I've made my feelings known about the most infamous prequels of the original Star Wars trilogy, which are arguably the most famous examples of prequels ever.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is technically a prequel but you'd never know it. The Godfather Part II, one of my favorite movies ever, is both a prequel and a sequel at the same time. It relies on your knowledge of the first film, so there's that -- but it's not really a traditional prequel.
I guess you could say Casino Royale is one -- it's never been clear to me if we are to wholly discount all the James Bond films that came previously or understand that those are adventures that the Daniel Craig bond will go on or did go on during those long layovers between his 007 entries.
The problem with straight prequels is that more often than not you're aware of where they're headed going in. The two ones that work best for me that both technically have that problem are Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me and Rogue One. Both are films about tragedies -- one far more disturbing and grounded -- but they deliver the gravitas and pathos you need.
In Rogue One, they benefit from our decades of memories of the original Star Wars, the mystery of how the plans to blow up the Death Star were procured -- which provides an opportunity for virtually all brand new characters -- and yet we know all the heroes will likely have to perish to explain their absence in future installments.
It's not a perfect movie. The Felicity Jones performance has always been a little lacking for me. But it's a surprisingly risky movie for Disney -- a Star Wars fable where all the heroes die. And it grows in my estimation every time I see it.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me is an even bolder proposition. It takes the most unspeakable, horrific aspect of the plot of the cult TV series and realizes it in brutal fashion. The movie was reviled when it first came out in 1992, in part because of its horrifying bleakness. But like all the trauma in any David Lynch film, it's not just there to shock and disturb you. It's a deeply sad and haunting movie about loss.
Still, ever since the disappointment of Prometheus color me skeptical about the prequel premise. It's more often than not diminishing returns and creatively bankrupt, even if there is some measure of guaranteed box office because of name recognition.
No comments:
Post a Comment