After watching the disappointing Swamp Thing television programme, I went through what other Swamp Thing media I had access to, to get a better feel for the character. Mostly comics, and mostly guest spots at that, I did find that I had a digital copy of the 1982 film adaptation on my hard drive from somewhere, so I checked that out. Swamp Thing is amazing! A prime slice of direct-to-video, 1980s cheese, complete with exactly the kind of cast and crew that makes you want to go back to this again and again, despite the dodgy costume and cookie-cutter story. Directed by Wes Craven, only his sixth time in the chair, and starring Ray Wise and Adrienne Barbeau in the leads, this could almost be an alt-universe prequel to Twin Peaks, if that's the kind of odd mental gymnastics you're into. Following basically the same story as the series, science goes wrong, Swamp Thing is born from an accident and then we chase a monster around for about sixty minutes.
Look, I, and pretty much any other fan of Swamp Thing, really prefer when the comics are about comparative mythology, spiritualism and postmodernist philosophy, but that's not really going to make a good film; or at least a film most audiences would want to watch. Once you strip away everything that makes Swamp Thing unique, you're left with a monster in a swamp and yet another retread of Frankenstein. With that being the case, I'd much rather sit through a quickie monster movie than a ponderous series that fails to capitalise on the premise in any significant way. Plus this version ends with a a sword fight with a pig man rather than a spoiler for a terrible villain, so what more could you ask for, really? I think the only real missed opportunity, other than a gloss coat on the Swamp Thing costume to make it look wet, is that Jeffery Combs isn't playing the villain, who is seeking a lurid green goo to make himself immortal.
Also, a young Reggie Batts, of absolutely nothing else, plays Jude, the best "sassy black kid" in any film you will ever see. I was really disappointed to discover that Swamp Thing was his only appearance, he was the best part of many scenes. Despite the director, cast and material, Swamp Thing doesn't tend to enjoy the cult status of, say, Spawn or The Maxx, which I would say is due more to the overall blandness of the picture than any individual blemish. Individual parts of the film are fine, even great for moments, but it never coalesces into anything more than a mildly interesting watch. I seem to remember reading that there are a number of films in this series, but the internet was a bit light-on for information with just a quick search. If there's more, you can be I'll track them down at some stage, but for now I'm thinking maybe some Troma to keep the schlock vibe going? Also some other oddities in the pipeline, but time will tell.