The Return of Swamp Thing

I've been reading swampthing comics for a while now and although this movie looks like a pile of puke in comparison to the legendary alan moore run, it a really fun way to kill 90 minutes. honestly, what this movie lacks in respectability, it more than makes up for in charm... you can tell they had a blast making this movie. the action scenes are simple but well executed (the fight with the leech man amongst all those exploding cars... awesome!) the cutesy comic relief parts with the to kids are hilarious (especially when they're scrambling around the living room trying to hide a mountain of porn) and the special effects are more than satisfactory...i don't know what all these other reviewers who think otherwise are talking about. its not a movie that you can just expect to dazzle you without any effort on your part. you have to want to like it. c'mon participate in life a little bit..you're invited.

Return of Swamp Thing (1989) is the long awaited sequel to the Wes Craven cult classic Swamp Thing. This movie was based upon the D.C. Comics classic character from their more "mature" theme line. This film has achieved a level of cult status itself amongst fans of the genre. This time around the movie is more cheesy and campy instead of being too serious. The cast seems to have a lot of fun in this flick. Heather Lockyear stars as the hot blonde who is rescued and falls for Swamp Thing and Louis Jordan returns as it's chief rival and nemesis. The legendary Jim Wynorski ( a non-R rated outing for the sleaze king this time around) who has become a huge B-movie film maker in his own right helms the picture.

A light hearted film that'll warm you over. Recommended for fans of the comic book and cheesy films.

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.

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.

After Wes Craven churned out the DC comic "Swamp Thing" into a 1982 feature length, film-maker Jim Wynorski would couple year's later helm the low-budget sequel "The Return of Swamp Thing" and take it down a totally different path.

Wanting to solve the mystery of her mother's death, horticulturist Abigail Arcane goes to stay with her stepfather Dr. Anton Arcane. However he has plans for her, which involves stealing her DNA to achieve immortality. Finding out she escapes into the swamp where she is rescued by Dr. Alex Holland, who now finds himself half-plant, half-man known as Swamp-Thing.

For better or worse, he camped it up and played it for laughs. However that's not taking anything away from it, while it can get silly. It still was rather enjoyable and the make-up FX (involving the mutants) was very well pulled off. The opening sequences involving comic inserts and Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Born in the Bayou" used as its theme song do set the mood. I think it actually starts off rather strongly, then if anything kind of falls away when Swamp Thing and Heather Locklear's character come together (the sweet love-story) mid-way through.

The script is very tongue-in-cheek and the performances are rather self- knowing… even Dick Durock as Swamp Thing. Louis Jourdan returns as Dr. Arcane and does a wonderful job bringing this sly character to life. Locklear is looking great, but her character was somewhat an annoyance. The support fair better with the likes of Sarah Douglas and Ace Mask. Wynorski doesn't hold back as he eccentrically seems to pile on the set- pieces and effects with very little story holding it together, but he sure does make it feel like a live-action comic strip with some imaginative brushes, bang-up action and good use of the atmospheric swamp terrain. The tone did feel uneven as there are kiddy elements mixed with adult themes. Too bad I found the ending to be terribly anticlimactic.

Colourful, if ridiculous sequel.