this movie starts really good, very strong atmosphere anchored in an incredible setting, but the third act gets quite bad, i’m sorry to say. too much action, and it loses the atmospheric horror vibe that made it so good.
the film also highlights the worst things about carpenter’s films: he can’t really have a female character unless they are being near-raped; he can’t have characters in general. the main guy in this movie says a lot of funny one-liners, but they feel really incongruous in carpenter’s oeuvre, more a product of the actor trying to have a good time than something carpenter actually directed.
so not carpenter’s best, not a very consistent film, but the first act just absolutely kills the atmosphere, the setting, the soundtrack, all of it.