Meh. I found Swamp Thing to be rather bleak. Just really some lady falls in love with a scientist turned swamp monster. They just kind of kiss and then “hey, look we are in love” and then he turns into a dreadfully awful looking ideration of the Swamp Thing and she’s scared of it until she figures out it’s him. Really cool to see this was filmed in my state of residence, South Carolina, though.

_**Live-action version of the DC character is too, um, comic booky**_ RELEASED IN 1982 and directed/written by Wes Craven, “Swamp Thing” is a live action movie version of the DC Comics’ character. The plot revolves around a scientist (Ray Wise) working on a top-secret bioengineering project deep in the swamps of the American South who falls prey to his own formula and becomes a bog monster. Adrienne Barbeau plays a government worker at the lab while Louis Jourdan plays an evil genius who wants the formula for his own designs. I own the original Swamp Thing comics by Len Wein & Bernie Wrightson from the early 70s and this movie doesn’t capture their mature, moody essence. It’s just too comic booky, too kiddie-oriented despite a couple surprising risqué scenes involving female nudity. Adrienne Barbeau was 36 during shooting and has a nice, fit body, but her permed hairdo is pretty hideous. I suppose if you’re not familiar with the original comic, you might be more receptive of this cinematic rendition. Siskel & Ebert, amazingly, gave it a hearty thumbs-up. Go figure. THE FILM RUNS 1 hour, 33 minutes, and was shot at Cypress Gardens in Charleston, South Carolina, and nearby Johns Island, but some scenes look like that were shot in Southern Cal. GRADE: C