Starring - Louis Jourdan (Fear No Evil, Octopussy), Adrienne Barbeau (Escape from New York, The Fog), and Ray Wise (Jeepers Creepers 2, Twin Peaks)
Release Date - 1982
Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi/Action
Tagline - "Science transformers him into a monster. Loved changed him even more!"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)
Rating (out of 5):
I'm a product of my childhood. I didn't have the perfect childhood and because of that I was raised by the television and video store. I was constantly renting different movies from the video store along with watching movies on shows like USA Up All Night, MonsterVision, and anything else like it. It was during this time that I watched the original Swamp Thing film a few times but I can't remember if it was on television when I first saw it or on VHS. Either way, I watched the first film several times and with the sequel on blu for MVD Rewind Collection I decided to revisit this one before I review the follow up.
The film follows a doctor (Wise) who is deep in the swamp trying to perfect his chemical that combines elements of plant with that of animals but a mercenary team hired by the evil Arcane (Jourdon). Arcane plans on stealing the doctor's notes and using his findings to make himself immortal. During the mercenaries attack the good doctor is set on fire by his creation and he plunges himself in the swamp water but his body is never retrieved. Arcane is able to get 6 of the 7 notebooks of the doctors but Alice (Barbeau) survives the raid and takes the 7th with her. Now Arcane and his men are desperately searching for her and everytime they get close to her she is saved by a creature living in the swamp that they dub Swamp Thing. Eventually Alice uncovers that it is the doctor and he was transformed into the creature when the chemical was spilled on him. The two work together to stop Arcane and his men but are too late. Arcane is able to recreate the formula and uses it on himself turning him into a werewolf like creature forcing Swamp Thing to fight someone that is now equal strength as him.
I remember really enjoying this one as a kid but it did not hold up well after all these years. I can safely say that it has been over 15 years since I last watched this one and it will be sometime again before I toss it in again. Director Wes Craven is a filmmaker that I either really love his films or I dislike them. Swamp Thing is the only film of his that I can say is the middle ground. The acting in this one is funny at times and awkward at others. Honestly, the cast makes the film extremely campy which is where most of the fun comes from but it is strange watching legends on the screen deliver some of the cheesiest performances of their career. The story for this one has so many plot holes and incosistencies that I'm shocked it was directed by Wes Craven. With that being said, I could see this popping up as a double feature with other cheesy action films of the 80s and early 90s. I would love to see this in a double feature at a drive-in with some of these forgotten 80s action flicks that you find in the cheap DVD box sets at Wal-Mart. It's far from perfect but still entertains. Finally, The effects, like most of everything else with this film, is hit or miss. I've never liked the look of the original Swamp Thing in this film. His costume sags at certain parts of the body which makes it look even cheaper than it is. We don't get any blood and gore but the prosthetic make up does miss it's mark with a lot of the creatures in this one. Overall, Swamp Thing is a huge nostalgia trip for a lot of us. It's fun and super cheesy but it does have a lot of problems that many just won't admit. I still recommend it if you haven't seen it.
The film follows a doctor (Wise) who is deep in the swamp trying to perfect his chemical that combines elements of plant with that of animals but a mercenary team hired by the evil Arcane (Jourdon). Arcane plans on stealing the doctor's notes and using his findings to make himself immortal. During the mercenaries attack the good doctor is set on fire by his creation and he plunges himself in the swamp water but his body is never retrieved. Arcane is able to get 6 of the 7 notebooks of the doctors but Alice (Barbeau) survives the raid and takes the 7th with her. Now Arcane and his men are desperately searching for her and everytime they get close to her she is saved by a creature living in the swamp that they dub Swamp Thing. Eventually Alice uncovers that it is the doctor and he was transformed into the creature when the chemical was spilled on him. The two work together to stop Arcane and his men but are too late. Arcane is able to recreate the formula and uses it on himself turning him into a werewolf like creature forcing Swamp Thing to fight someone that is now equal strength as him.
I remember really enjoying this one as a kid but it did not hold up well after all these years. I can safely say that it has been over 15 years since I last watched this one and it will be sometime again before I toss it in again. Director Wes Craven is a filmmaker that I either really love his films or I dislike them. Swamp Thing is the only film of his that I can say is the middle ground. The acting in this one is funny at times and awkward at others. Honestly, the cast makes the film extremely campy which is where most of the fun comes from but it is strange watching legends on the screen deliver some of the cheesiest performances of their career. The story for this one has so many plot holes and incosistencies that I'm shocked it was directed by Wes Craven. With that being said, I could see this popping up as a double feature with other cheesy action films of the 80s and early 90s. I would love to see this in a double feature at a drive-in with some of these forgotten 80s action flicks that you find in the cheap DVD box sets at Wal-Mart. It's far from perfect but still entertains. Finally, The effects, like most of everything else with this film, is hit or miss. I've never liked the look of the original Swamp Thing in this film. His costume sags at certain parts of the body which makes it look even cheaper than it is. We don't get any blood and gore but the prosthetic make up does miss it's mark with a lot of the creatures in this one. Overall, Swamp Thing is a huge nostalgia trip for a lot of us. It's fun and super cheesy but it does have a lot of problems that many just won't admit. I still recommend it if you haven't seen it. 
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