Soundtrack Review: The Thing (2011)

The Thing Soundtrack Review. This is a review of the film score The Thing by Marco Beltrami.

"It scared and entertained me from start to finish."

The Thing is a prequel to the 1982 film by the same name. Directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. the film takes place just hours before the 1982 movie. A Norwegian scientific team has discovered an alien spaceship buried in the ice. An organism inside is about to wake up. The 1982 John Carpenter film was scored by Ennio Morricone while Marco Beltrami scores the 2011 version.

Track List

I knew that once I saw Marco Beltrami's name tied to the film, it had a chance of being really good. The 1982 version is considered to be a horror classic (both film and score), so Beltrami is walking in some huge shoes. I also know that his partner Buck Sanders is involved with the score somehow, but I haven't been able to find out in what capacity exactly. Maybe some of you know?

Fan of the original score will remember the tense main theme, the thumping bass, like a heartbeat. Beltrami has created his version of it in 'God's Country Music'. Of course, the 1982 version has a very different style overall than this version. It was a mix of ambient synth and orchestral score, most of it never used in the actual film. Beltrami has created a powerful orchestral score, both provocative and scary.

Some fantastic cues here, like 'Road to Antarctica' that has a wonderful buildup to a terrific middle part that truly impress me with a powerful string section that seems to roll up and down. 'Meating of the Minds' is a scary track from start to finish. A very tense action track that gets your pulse going. Finally I have to mention Beltrami's sense of humor with the cue 'Sander Bucks' which is an anagram of his partners name Buck Sanders. A great, but very short cue.

Conclusion

Whether you liked the 1982 version or not, I don't think you will dislike this. It stands on its own feet with some wonderful scoring by Marco Beltrami. It scared and entertained me from start to finish.

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Listen to The Thing soundtrack by Marco Beltrami below: