Swamp Thing (1982) Review

Swamp Thing (1982) Review

One of the earliest DC Comics adapted to film was Swamp Thing, written and directed by horror legend Wes Craven. I am a big fan of the Swamp Thing comics, but this isn’t a DC adaptation that only appeals to fans of the source material. 

Government worker Alice Cable is flown in via helicopter to Dr. Alec Holland’s remote research center in the middle of a swamp, where Holland is researching plant cells and animal cells in an effort to combine them and create sustainable food sources for the entire planet. Unfortunately, a group of paramilitary goons are on to his little project, and they are led by the evil Anton Arcane, who wants to steal his work. The goons storm his lab right after he makes a breakthrough and creates a glowing-green mixture that regenerates life (and also happens to explode like nitroglycerin). Holland is killed, then comes back to life as Swamp Thing, a powerful plant-infused monster with vengeance on his mind. 

Swamp Thing is a campy sci-fi thriller, but surprisingly tame, given the often dark nature of the source material, and being brought to screen by Wes Craven, who up to that point was most-well-known for hard-R horror flicks. Tame and campy though it may be, it’s still very entertaining, and has an undeniable charm. The approach to the material is serious, but not overly. There are some witty lines of dialogue, and the scene transitions are reminiscent of comic book stylings. 

There aren’t that many scenes with Swamp Thing in the first half, but the scenes of Alice evading the goons are still enjoyable. She meets up with a kid named Jude, who is pretty funny. I call the paramilitary group “goons” because that’s what they are: they don’t look or act professional at all. Even the way they hold their weapons looks amateur. Swamp Thing has no trouble taking them out, and the scenes of him doing so are among the best in the film. 

The design for the creature is quite good and very close to the look in the comics, but the makeup and costume are crude. It also doesn’t help that Swamp Thing pretty much only appears in broad daylight—we’re talking bright, sun-shining daylight, too. It would have been nice to see more night-time scenes with shadows and atmosphere, but as to why there weren’t more, I think it may have been related to budgetary restrictions. The whole thing completely goes to schlock in the last twenty minutes, but remains charming and entertaining right up to the end credits.   

Swamp Thing is an 80’s monster movie that should not be forgotten. It’s a quaint early entry in the superhero genre, and an underrated effort in Wes Craven’s filmography. If you like sympathetic man-turns-into-monster flicks, this should fit the bill.