The Return of Swamp Thing (1989)

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The Return of Swamp Thing isn't Alan Moore's Swamp Thing. Heck, it's hardly even Martin Pasko's Swamp Thing. Jim Wynorski (Chopping Mall) instead goes for camp, turning the creature from the swamp into a lantern-jawed hero who seems to enjoy his role in the bayou. I think the director (and writers) correctly deduced that if this was going to be a battle of the rubber suits, they might as well lean into the silliness of it. AND YET! And yet, it's obvious they've read the comics, as there are references to Wein and Moore aplenty, even if the tone is completely bonkers. It seems the opening credits using all those Swamp Thing covers wasn't just an empty promise. The Dick Durock Swamp Thing finally gets an Abby Cable (Adrienne Barbeau was playing "Alice Cable" in the first one), though Heather Locklear doesn't really have the comedy chops to pull off this quirky chatterbox version of the character. Generally, the script is funnier than the various participants' deliveries. Louis Jourdan's suave Anton Arcane is certainly an exception, but there are some fun bits with the henchmen as well. This is 80s action movie, explosion-a-minute, rock'em sock'em Swamp Thing and though it's not what the comics would prescribe, it's still pretty amusing. 1 year 11 months ago