The Return of Swamp Thing (1989)

Director:

Jim Wynorski

Writers (WGA):

Len Wein (comic book) &
Bernie Wrightson (comic book) ...

Release Date:

12 May 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Horror | Comedy | Action | Adventure

Tagline:

America's favorite super hero is back in action!

Plot:

The Swamp Thing returns to battle the evil Dr. Arcane, who has a new science lab full of creatures transformed by genetic mutation...

Plot Keywords:

Swamp | Mutation | Human Experiment | Sequel | Grenade

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Louis Jourdan	...	Dr. Anton Arcane
Heather Locklear	...	Abby Arcane
Sarah Douglas	...	Dr. Lana Zurrell
Dick Durock	...	Swamp Thing
Joe Sagal	...	Gunn
Ace Mask	...	Dr. Rochelle
Monique Gabrielle	...	Miss Poinsettia
RonReaco Lee	...	Omar
Daniel Emery Taylor	...	Darryl Hallenbeck (as Daniel Taylor)
Ralph Pace	...	Sheriff Beaumont
Timothy Birch	...	Clyde
Alex Van	...	Gurdell
Christopher Doyle	...	Leechman
Rex Pierson	...	Dr. Rochelle Mutation
Tony Sears	...	Harry Dugan (as Anthony Sears)

Runtime:

UK:84 min (DVD) | USA:88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:PG | UK:15 (video rating) | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Savannah, Georgia, USA

Company:

Lightyear Entertainment

Trivia:

Abby Arcane Heather Locklear tells a friend to leave the TV on because "They love that guy on T.J. what's his name". Locklear played Officer Stacy Sheridan on "T.J. Hooker" (1982).

Quotes:

Swamp Thing: Me? Your Boyfriend?
Abby Arcane: Why not?
Swamp Thing: You said it yourself: I'm a plant.
Abby Arcane: That's okay, I'm a vegetarian.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Invasion of the Scream Queens (1992)

Soundtrack:

Red Hot Hog Women From Mars

I Assure You, It Was Intended As Camp

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.