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.
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.