Better Late Then Never

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Blistering performances.

For most of its run-time, "Swamp Thing" feels like an episode of "Tales From the Crypt" or "The Outer Limits" stretched out to feature length.The film contains no surprises until one hour and eleven minutes into its hour-and-a-half run time. If you can't tell, I was counting.Even if you've never heard of the DC character of the same name, you can see every twist and turn coming straight from the opening scenes. A good man and a good woman are working on a top secret formula in a lab in the Louisiana bayou. A bad guy - basically a third rate Bond villain - shows up with an army led by the always dependable David Hess and set about trying to steal the formula. In the process, the good guy is dosed with it and becomes the titular Swamp Thing.I think the problem with this movie is that Wes Craven made it to prove he could direct an action movie. He proves that he was a remarkably average action director. Sure, it's a "monster movie", but the Swamp Thing is also a good guy; you're not supposed to be scared of him, and there is no attempt to make him such.The only time the movie shows you anything interesting or surprising is in the final 20 minutes, where Craven is finally allowed to inject some horror into the proceedings. This is where the director obviously felt at home; it's the only time I was able to concentrate on the movie.In its final act "Swamp Thing" turns into an "Island of Doctor Moreau" type of story, and it's only there that it becomes effective.But after an hour and eleven minutes of pure tedium and mediocrity, you might have nodded off and will miss it.

After a violent incident with a special chemical, a research scientist is turned into a swamp plant monster. Swamp Thing was directed by Wes Craven and came out on 1982 now the film has issues let's start with the bad things the last 30 minutes is were it falls apart in that dinner one of the main bad guys or whatever turns into a monster as well and he turns into a midget and the main villain Arcane turns into this TMNT Rat or something and the film turns from a Superman to a Superman III Power Rangers kind of film it just makes zero sense, there isn't enough action he never kills anyone except the guy that he crashed his head and it's neither horror or even has some R-Rating action except a nudity scene that's all. Now the good things there is good emotion in this film especially in that scene where he finds his sister's necklace and he remembers her and he starts crying or when he destroys the lab and turns cars and boats upside down, the acting is good, the villains were OK for the most part the little supporting kid did a pretty nice job. Overall a good movie for what it was nothing more really!!

Wes Craven's 'Swamp Thing' certainly aspires to be more than the campy B-movie that it ultimately is, and as a result much of the fun has been stripped away. What's left is cheese; cold, rubbery and without much flavor.Despite this, the cast certainly do their best. Ray Wise is only in the first act, but he's charming and likable enough that we care when he's turned into a giant plant. And speaking of the plant, stuntman Dick Durock manages to slip the bonds of his poorly made rubber suit and let his humanity shine through. Lois Jourdan is also great as the somewhat effete gentleman villain Anton Arcane. But the real star here is Adrienne Barbeau. Sure, the obvious reason is watching the voluptuous Ms. Barbeau jiggle her way through the Bayou, but she also makes for a tough and likable heroine.Had this embraced its rather obvious B-movie trappings it may have been a lot of fun. Or if had a better script and production values it might have been something even more. Unfortunately, 'Swamp Thing' is stuck somewhere in the middle.

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.