Team Thing aren’t wasting any time; earlier this week we got a sneak pic at their first official poster, and now we’ve been treated to the trailer. So, what should we make of the upcoming prequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 classic? Let’s find out together…

Featuring Scott Pilgrim’s Ramona Flowers and Mr. Eko from Lost, I have been a bit sketchy about the idea of trying to follow up such a brilliant film that is nearly 30 years old and aging gracefully. Unfortunately, this trailer is doing nothing to dispel my fears. The first thing to catch my attention is how much the opening shots remind me of 2004’s Alien Vs Predator (sorry to bring it up, I really am…). Long ice tunnels and startling discovery that hides a dangerous secret? Check!

The next thing you’ll notice is just how much like the original it seems to be. It’s not unusual for a sequel to such a popular film to be referential, but come on. Like I said, the original hasn’t aged poorly and this trailer is setting up the flick as typical sequel trash. It has to follow the rule that ‘bigger is better’ by having big set pieces, though it was the claustrophobia of the original that set it apart and made it a classic.

On the plus side, it seems to be shot well and acted without a hint of tongue-in-cheek, but we’ll see if that saves it from being another pointless sequel in a sea of mediocrity.

Thoughts?