For the most part, this plotline has similiarites to the 1982 John Carpenter film of the same name. IMDB rated the 2011 picture 6.8 out of 10. But I’d rate the movie a 9 out of 10, not only because Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Kate Lloyd) looked great with a flame thrower, but because the 35 million dollar budget was well-spent.
The CGI was convincing and scary. The Antarctic setting was so real it sent chills down my spine, and, after the film, I was running around pretending to shape shift into an alien.
An alien who can kill humans, copy their DNA, and hide inside their bodies was a dynamic idea for a plot line and a real scare for the audience. We biology majors realize that viruses spread and hide in your cells, disguised by your own cellular fingerprints, awaiting a proper season or stimulus to reproduce.
In addition to the hot flamethrowers, great computer graphics and biology, the movie wasted no time getting to the point. They found the alien, dug it up, got infected, and saw a whole-buncha-people die. It was nonstop excitement ‘til the end and worthy of a mention on any top scary movie list.
