Review: Swamp Thing


Adapted from the 70s DC comic and improbably set in the Louisiana bayou area, Ray Wise plays Dr. Holland, the creator of a formula for regenerating organic matter (something to do with combining plant and animal cells) in a top-secret government experiment. His chief rival, a scientist named Arcane (Louis Jourdan) sends some of his goons to steal the formula, and in the ensuing scuffle Dr. Holland’s sister/assistant is killed and Holland is splashed with the formula and set on fire. Running away to the nearby swamp, he becomes the title freak of nature, a mixture of plant and human. Adrienne Barbeau stars as recently hired government agent Cable, sent to replace a mysteriously vanished predecessor, and who strikes up a relationship with Dr. Holland in quick time. When the goons come for the formula, she manages to save one of Dr. Holland’s notebooks. The bulk of the film has Arcane’s goons (played by David Hess and Nicholas Worth) stalking her to retrieve it, with the ‘Swamp Thing’ (who despite being Dr. Holland, is now played by hulking Dick Durock) coming to her rescue. Reggie Batts plays a local African-American kid who aides Cable.

 

The one Wes Craven (“The Hills Have Eyes”, “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, the underrated “Deadly Friend”) film that seemed to elude me for so many years, I finally caught up with this light-hearted 1982 creature feature comic book adaptation from the late writer-director. So far as light-hearted variants of “The Creature From the Black Lagoon” go, it’s an enjoyable, easy watch. The most impressive thing about the film is probably the lovely, swampy scenery captured by Robbie Greenberg (“Under Siege 2: Dark Territory”), credited as ‘Robin Goodwin’ for some weird reason. It’s a damn good-looking movie for something that didn’t necessarily have to be. Meanwhile, Harry Manfredini (“Friday the 13th”, “DeepStar Six”) provides an affectionate and corny score in the best sense. In fact, it’s the best music score of his career as far as I’m concerned.

 

Adrienne Barbeau is easy to take as always, and I love that the heroine here is no mere damsel in distress. She’s punching dudes and arming herself within the first 30 minutes. The great Louis Jourdan, meanwhile is pitch-perfect as the arrogant villain of the piece. Hell, he was the only worthwhile thing about the sequel from memory, too. Yes, I saw the sequel first, and no it’s not because of Heather Locklear (never been a fan). “Last House on the Left” creep David Hess is well-cast as a thug, and it’s a shame Ray Wise and Don Knight in particular seem to vanish in the second half, as they’re both rock-solid. There’s a reason for their disappearance, but it’s still a shame given their solid performances. It’s interesting to note, though, that even in 1982 Ray Wise looked decidedly middle-aged. If there’s anything I wasn’t a fan of, I guess I wish it didn’t go for the beauty and the beast angle, as it’s a little too sickly sweet for my own taste (It’s worth noting that Cable was a man in the comics, apparently). However, that may be a big plus for many of you, and it’s a pretty minor issue. One thing I did love, though, was Craven’s completely hilarious use of wipes for scene transitions. He uses a star wipe, people. A star wipe. Like Homer Simpson did. It’s so adorable. Even funnier is when he wipes one way and then two seconds there’s a wipe the other way. Completely self-indulgent, unnecessary and hilarious. Craven’s having a ball making this film, quite clearly and some of it is contagious. Clichéd stuff, of course and no one’s going to call this anything more than a mildly enjoyable B-movie. However, what’s wrong with that?

 

If you see only one “Creature From the Black Lagoon” variant (and I’d advise you to see the originator first, as it’s a classic), make it this one. It’s not “Citizen Kane”, but it may be the “Citizen Kane” of B-grade “Creature From the Black Lagoon” variants. It has a likeable comic spirit (or at least a schlocky one), and it’s good fun for what it is. It both looks and sounds good, and I can’t imagine anyone hating this. The bulk of the performances work, too. It’s probably one of Craven’s best films, to be honest, along with “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, “Scream”, and “The Hills Have Eyes”.

 

Rating: B-

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