Swamp Thing

"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)

The American Alice Cable (Adrienne Barbeau) travels to a secret governmental bio laboratory of research in the swamp to replace a missing scientist. Soon she befriends the leader of the research Dr. Alec Holland (Ray Wise) and his sister Dr. Linda Holland (Nannette Brown) and she learns that Alec is developing a hybrid plant combined with animal with the intention to solve the world hunger. However, the ambitious and wealthy Arcane (Louis Jourdan) sends a paramilitary team to steal the research and kill all the team. But there is an accident and the formula spills on Dr. Alec Holland and set him on fire. He disappears in the swamp and Alice is the only survivor of the laboratory team. She hides the seventh notebook with the Alec´s formula and runs to the forest and soon she notes that something is protect her.

"Swamp Thing" is a different film by Wes Craven based on a D.C. Comics. The IMDb rating is unfair since the movie is highly entertaining. One of the greatest attractions is Mrs. "John Carpenter" Adrienne Barbeau, for whom the Swamp Thing falls in love. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Monstro do Pântano" ("The Swamp Monster")

Hilarious campy cheesefest "Swamp Thing" is an interesting look on Wes Craven's work as a director. people call him a hit and miss director, but i think he just says once in a while "damn it, lets just have fun on this movie". or maybe when studio execs are breathing down his neck he just makes things the opposite of what he wants. a good example would be "Cursed", he hated the studio interference according to the man himself. and he made an in-joke gester about it in the film. the werewolf giving the finger. Hilarious. in my opinion Craven is a great director. sometimes he'll make deadly serious horrors and sometimes he makes them funny. And trust me Swamp Thing is funny!

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.

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.