The Return of Swamp Thing

This the sequel to "The Swamp Thing," where the evil Dr. Arcane (Louis Jourdan) returns and has a new science lab full of creatures transformed by genetic mutation. In order to gain immortality, he chooses his stepdaughter, Abby Arcane (Heather Locklear), as the key in his immortality experiment.

The movie attempted to blend in comic relief, a superhero feel, and sci-fi action. What resulted, is a very campy film with average acting, forced humor, and silly action scenes. But, if you look at the video/DVD cover graphic of the Swamp Thing carrying a smiling Heather Locklear, it tells you that this film is meant to be a fantasy campfest - not the foreboding, serious, doom and gloom story like its prequel.

I could do without the two annoying kids in the movie, but the rest of the characters were quite hilarious to watch, especially that of Heather Locklear (loved her deadpan delivery and witty humor). The monster action starts almost right away, with the Swamp Thing fighting one of Dr. Arcane's mutated creatures in the swamp. And, the action continues on with the Swamp Thing battling incompetent bad guys left and right.

Not a scary film at all, just full of creepy looking creatures. The plot was rather fast-paced, but the story was the basic mad scientist story-line. Not much suspense in the film, but full of campy fun and humor that isn't all bad.

Grade C+

In regard to some of the other reviews of this film posted here on IMDB, I would like to say: lighten up! Does this film capture the quaint Cravenesque sci-fi ambiance of the first movie? Of course not. Nor does it capture the dreary, macabre vision of the Alan Moore comic books. What we have here is a perfect lovely late 80's fantasy/comedy about a seven foot plant man. If you look at it objectively, perhaps your vision would not be so skewed.

Now, you may think that I (Daniel Emery Taylor, featured in the film as "Darryl") might be slightly biased. I assure you, it's a possibility. However, you must know that the movie was filmed in fun and meant in fun. From every one-line groaner to every silly sexual innuendo, it was all planned and perpetrated. To see how serious we were, take a look at the video/DVD cover art.

To give a summary of the movie: Swamp Thing returns to thwart Dr. Arcane's plot for immortality. It's a basic semi-superhero movie plot. From there, Swampy falls in love with Arcane's daughter, has some great fighting sequences, comes through a faucet, drives a jeep, takes pictures with these two ADORABLE kids (and they're really terrific actors, too ... honesty!), and blows stuff up.

If you're a fan of B-movies, as I am, you're likely to enjoy this. There are plenty of laughs, both intentional and unintentional. The acting is what you would expect, and the effects are really quite good for its day. This is not a movie you have to ponder or concentrate on. Its subtle social messages and troubled postmodern imagery will not haunt you for days. It's simple fun.

Every once in awhile, a sequel is a million times better than the original. This is just such a sequel! If you look up my review for Swamp Thing, you'll see that I didn't care to much for it. This, on the other hand, was great! They decided to go with the over-the-top comic-book style that the original skirted, which made the movie a lot more enjoyable. The effects improved greatly, the creatures in this actually looked like some effort was put into them! I especially liked the updated Swamp Thing costume, made him look a lot better and more intimidating. Louis Joudan was thankfully back, and his character, Dr. Anton Arcane, was even better than ever! His step-daughter Abby, played by Heather Locklear, was one of many great comic relief characters, along with the bumbling head of security named Gunn, and many others. The side plot with two kids trying to get Swampy's picture was a tad annoying, but it had it's amusing moments. Overall, this was a great intentionally cheesy B-movie, that you really should check out!

8/10

This is hardly gripping entertainment or anything but it is played very much tongue-in-cheek. This fact rises it slightly above mediocrity. Only slightly but I have to admit I kind of like the goofy comic book heroics put on display here. Heather Locklear tries and Sarah Douglas stands out amongst the cast..at least giving us two lovely ladies to admire. Best part of the movie though is the opening sequence followed by the ultra cool comic book covers.

The 1980s was a decade of much change and innovation for several industries. While the first Superman (1978) was not a part of that era, it did lead to the other three sequels to come after it. It also lead to the spin off Supergirl (1984) film, and even the first Swamp Thing (1982) feature. While many of those outings were moderate to unsuccessful, Swamp Thing (1982) managed to remain a mildly entertaining hit. But like other sequels to come after their predecessors, they were met with much dissatisfaction. Yet, while this sequel has its faults, it also has a bunch good signs as well. Considering it was directed by Jim Wynorski, a man who has supervised many schlock fest features like Chopping Mall (1986), Sorority House Massacre II (1990) and Busty Cops (2004), it's surprising that it was made as well it is.

Written by Neil Cuthbert and Grant Morris, the story sees the return of not only Alec Holland, Swamp Thing (Dick Durock), but also his nemesis, Dr. Arcane (Louis Jourdan) in human form. Dr. Arcane is back and looking for a way to remain youthful through a special serum. The serum is a mix between human and animal genes, but Arcane feels the best DNA would be from Swamp Thing and his step daughter Abby (Heather Locklear). When it comes to the narrative, it really is a disappointment. Several plot points feel similar to that of the original film. Instead of Dr. Arcane seeking unlimited power from Swamp Thing, he now wants unlimited youth. It just feels like a weak motivation for a villain who was able to get a second chance at exacting revenge on the person who defeated him initially. Dr. Arcane is fixated on Swamp Thing.

There's also similar supporting characters that mirror the first film. An example is a henchman named Gunn (Joey Sagal) who reports to Dr. Arcane. He is in a way a copy of Ferret (David Hess) from the original movie. Heather Locklear ends up being just another romance figure for Swamp Thing, which he already had from the first film. There's no need to repeat these tropes. What hurts the movie most though, is the level of camp that it's cranked up to. It's not super over the top, but all the characters except Swamp Thing seem to act as though they know they're in a movie. Where in the original, the story felt grounded in a way that was believable. Not even Louis Jourdan bothers to keep it restrained. Here he just blatantly comes out and proclaims how evil he is. I guess that's what you get when one of the writers would later pen The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002).

However, there is one positive. Cuthbert and Morris did manage to sneak in a reason for Dr. Arcane's return to normal. If that was left out, that would have also been to the film's discredit. And although the camp level is turned up, the actors still do a good job. Dick Durock as Swamp Thing gives the character more charm than before and smiles more too. Although it is weird that apparently the vocal dub isn't Durock's voice but some unknown actor. While Jourdan is much more openly evil, he too remains the same character. Locklear as Arcane's step daughter is okay, yet her falling for Swamp Thing because she loves plants is a bit silly. There's also appearances from Sarah Douglas as one of Dr. Arcane's scientists. Funny how she also played Ursa from Superman II (1980). And there's also Ace Mask who plays another scientist of Dr. Arcane.

For visuals, the practical effects look like they improved. Unlike the original film, the creature effects here are not as rubbery looking. This time they have moving parts and wet areas. The most impressive creature was the leech man. But that doesn't exclude Swamp Thing's design, which has gone from a few pieces of foliage to a literal walking mossy, heavily overgrown root bound mash. It looks way better than the first suit used and Dick Durock comes across more muscular as well. The cinematography shot by Zoran Hochstätter looked good. The swamp marsh is just believable as it was before. As for music, the underrated Chuck Cirino did a great job composing the score. Not only did he create a memorable theme for Swamp Thing, but his synths actually help create an authentic atmosphere for the film. Kudos!

The writing has one upside and that is, it explains Arcane's return. Everything else though is a missed opportunity with the level of camp raised, weak villain motives, similar plot and characters. Yet, even with this, the actors are okay, the practical effects look upgraded, the cinematography is nice and the music is even better than before.