Swamp Thing (1982)

A good, but not particularly spectacular superhero comic-strip outing (off DC comics) by writer / director Wes Craven. A threadbare, but glum story (filled with tragedy and vengeance) seems to only repeat its actions on a continuously patchy loop (wandering around the swamp fleeing from bad guys to be only captured and flee again with the swamp thing always appearing from nowhere to rescue the day), but there's a welcoming dose of humour and some good solid central performances by Adrienne Barbeau, Louis Jourdan, David Hess and Ray Wise. Craven inventively frames the activity with some comic book-like touches between scenes, but it's the effective location work that does it wonders. The swamp terrain is masterfully captured, as the muggy atmosphere is thick and Craven cooks up some stylishly arresting imagery with his use positional lighting. Harry Manfredini's music score is fitting. The creature effects do stand-up well enough (rubber suits), well some more so than others and there's an impressively unusual transformation sequence --- although the final result of it isn't as so. Still Craven stagy direction packs this venture with fun, overblown nonsense, but it's enjoyably campy. Stunt-work is done with plenty of energy, big ambitions and vehicles/stunt-men getting plenty of air in the wake of destruction. Plus who gets guys wrestling about in the swamps in costume.

Barbeau becomes bait and gets wet quite a bit, but brings a strong-willed presence to her character and Jourdan gives out a brazen bad guy turn. Hess eats up his role as a mercenary and as well as Nicholas Worth. Wise is fruitfully likable in his short time on screen and Dick Durock has a strong solemn air about when donning that Swamp thing suit. Reggie Batts (in his one and only ever film role!) is quite memorable as the very-laid back Jude, who's there for some comical relief and it surprisingly works. Don Knight also appears.

Standard but diverting comic-book fare.

Fmovies: Not a masterpiece by any means but still an entertaining film with a couple of postives. One, the appearence of Adrienne Barbeau who shows here why she was a mainstay in American horror films during the late 70s to early 80s. Two, the humorous but slightly dark appoarch of the material. Now for the negatives of the films. One, the acting goes from being very good to very bad in seconds. Two, the inconsistency of the film's sequences and story. Swamp Thing(1982) is what I consider a transitional film that bridges his early films of Last House on the Left(1972), and The Hills Have Eyes(1977) to his mid 1980s films like A Nightmare on Elm Street(1984). A very satifying performance is given by Last House on the Left(1972) actor, David Hess. Its too bad that Craven never worked with David Hess after this film because Hess added a true feeling of screen villainly in his performances for LHOTL & Swamp Thing(1982). Swamp Thing(1982) belongs in the category of cult classic status and as a middle of the road type of film for Wes Craven.

Wes Craven, who's normally known for his horror films that bring terror and fright, here with this 1982 entry he toned it down a lot. 1982's "Swamp Thing" is certainly campy as you can tell from the scenes it's cheap made and the sets look unrealistic and finally the costume of the creature is much to be desired. Still for a 1982 film well before the big computer and special effects graphic boom it held up pretty good and it's still a fun little watch and it was nice to be treated to Adrienne Barbeau's performance. Set in the muggy and swamp land of the deep southern US a scientist Alec Holland(Ray Wise)meets up with a sexy federal government agent Alice Cable(Adrienne Barbeau)and they develop a cure thru chemicals that is supposed to end hunger. A bad guy nemesis Arcane(Louis Jourdan)plans to steal the serum potion and use it for his own deadly benefits, yet it backfires one day and Holland becomes Swamp Thing a half man and half plant superhero. From then like your typical comic book fashion the good guy against bad guy chase and adventure starts with the hero saving mankind, the planet, and the damsel. Overall good yet nothing great, an extra treat is the lake river bath of Adrienne when she gets topless! A good sexy performance from Barbeau that freshens up the dull camp and cheesy feel of this sci-fi cult film.

Swamp Thing fmovies. "Swamp Thing" is beautifully photographed in authentic swamps, and directed with a nice comic-book sensibility by Wes Craven, but the script is flat, boring and (eventually) silly, and the title creature is too human-like to inspire much awe. However, Louis Jourdan is enjoyable as the suave, cultivated villain, David Hess is in his element as one of his goons, and there is also a black kid who's the epitome of "coolness". (**1/2)

If only the first half of Wes Craven's Swamp Thing had been as incredibly craptastic as the second: the latter part of the film sees a henchmen transformed into a disfigured dwarf, the villain of the piece becoming a sword-wielding wolf/pig creature with a really hairy back, and Adrienne Barbeau stripping off to take a skinny dip in a swamp (mind the leeches, deary).

Sadly, in order to get to this cheezy but still very fun stuff, the viewer has to trawl through lots of bland comic-book tosh including a dreary introduction to the characters, repetitive poorly staged fight and chase scenes featuring David Hess and his team of stereotypically dumb henchmen, and clumsily handled attempts at tragedy and pathos. It doesn't help either that the central character, The Swamp Thing, is so crap to look at—a man in a rubbishy rubber suit that buckles unconvincingly at the joints.

Worth a look if you're a big fan of the comics, Craven or Barbeau, but casual viewers will probably switch off before they even get to the most enjoyable bits.

Swamp thing is a comic book film with the audacity to flaunt it's low budget and depend on the character elements of the film, well executed action sequences, scenery and a vibrant score which luckily saves a lot of money and provides for and entertaining gem of a film. Louise Jordan is a wonderful villain, his work is on par with his later appearance as a 007 villain in octopussy. Adriene Barbeaux oozes sexuality, without sacrificing toughness which is rare. Something disappeared after the 1980's with regard to women in action thrillers. The toughness seems manufactured as opposed to genuine. The sexual attractiveness remains, but rather than asserting themselves through intelligence, many of the female heroes of todays films seem to display a snobbish sort of entitlement, almost as if a lawyer was waiting to swoop down and file a law suite, if the film's villains dare to detract from their toughness. There is none of that here, she seems smart, tough and sexy which is rare. As for the storyline, it is what it is, not a whole lot of surprises, but that's o.k. It's a comic book, not War and Peace. Swamp Thing is an overlooked and under-rated movie that deserves a look from fans of the genre, and yound people fascinated with comics especially.