Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Swamp Thing: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Beast of the Southern Wild.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III February 19, 2020

Most failed shows at least get a season in the sun before they're unceremoniously thrown onto the scrap-heap, but Swamp Thing barely had time to step foot outside. Famously cancelled less than one week after fans watched its pilot episode last May, this horror-drama had almost zero time to connect with its potential audience and, as of this writing, WarnerMedia has no plans to re-light the fire. Ten episodes were fully completed from an original order of 13, and this first and only season was made available via streaming on DC Universe. The cut runs deeper because, while not without room for improvement, Swamp Thing is certainly compelling enough for a few season's worth of episodes. Building on a celebrated (but often misused) character with five decades of history in a variety of media (including two movies from the 1980s released on Blu-ray by in recent years, as well as a TV show that ran from 1990-93), Swamp Thing dials up the darkness while doing a respectable amount of world-building in relatively short order.

My limited experience with the comic book character -- created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, who worked on his first solo comic series in 1972 -- prevents a full-on analysis of this show's similarities and differences, but it seems to favor their core concept. Our story follows the fate of one Alec Holland (Andy Bean), a scientist working for shady local tycoon Avery Sunderland (Will Patton) in a massive swamp surrounding the small town of Marais, Louisiana. A virus seemingly emanating from the swamp brings in the CDC led by former local Abby Arcane (Crystal Reed) and her partner Harlan Edwards (Leonardo Nam). During Alec's initial investigation with Abby, he's murdered in the swamp by an unknown attacker and, almost immediately, a massive green creature emerges from the water. Fleeing in terror, Abby begins to have second thoughts and, although the virus is gradually contained, her curiosity leads her to stick around in Marais...where she comes to the realization that this mysterious new creature may in fact be Alec.

Of course, there's a lot more to Swamp Thing, both the character as a whole and this 10-episode series that explores various nooks and crannies of a small town in the vein of Riverdale, Fargo, and at lease a dozen other shows influenced by Twin Peaks. As the central mystery slowly deepens, we also explore a number of direct (or at least loosely-related) subplots to varying degrees of effectiveness. Avery's semi-estranged wife Maria (Virginia Madsen, who gets perhaps the show's meatiest supporting role) relives the tragic death of their daughter Shawna, who was friends with Abby as a teenager. Childhood pal Liz Tremayne (Maria Sten) now works as a local reporter and bartender with her dad Delroy (Al Mitchell). Dr. Jason Woodrue (Kevin Durand), a respected biogeneticist, is brought in by Avery Sunderland to explore the swamp's pharmaceutical potential that may cure his own wife's memory loss. Daniel Cassidy (Ian Ziering) is a former stuntman and local celebrity who owns an "antique" video store and literally can't leave the town limits. Lurking in the background is Swamp Thing himself (Derek Mears, under the impressive suit), a somewhat silent protector of the diseased swamp who, like Daniel Cassidy, is almost supernaturally bound to his immediate surroundings.

It's all part of a tangled web (or in this case, vine) of horror-infused drama that occasionally devolves into soap opera theatrics but stays surprisingly grounded considering the subject matter. The series' strong supernatural elements are bolstered by moments of extreme terror and graphic violence -- which are paired here, in typical American fashion, with lots of swearing but basically no nudity -- that only add to the series' dark and foreboding atmosphere. That's really the driving force of Swamp Thing: great imagery and a thoughtful approach to the subject matter, with its actual story and characters coming in a close second. Like most first seasons, the series starts of with a bang but spins its wheels for a few laps, picking up steam nicely in the home stretch when a major subplot involving both Sunderlands, Dr. Woodrue, and a shadowy third party begins to fully develop. While Swamp Thing obviously doesn't end on a closed loop for obvious reasons -- not to mention a few detours seem unnecessary, which makes Marais feel more crowded than it should -- as a whole this ten-episode stretch plays like a largely complete package under the circumstances. Even as an essential non-fan of the franchise, this wasn't hard to run through in a few short nights.

Swamp Thing obviously plays well on disc and Warner Bros.' Blu-ray offers an easy way for non-streaming fans to get everything in one handy package: despite a frustrating (but understandable) lack of bonus features, the quality 1080p transfers and lossless audio clearly surpass what most viewers were able to get on DC Universe.

Swamp Thing: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in their original 2.20 aspect ratio, all 10 episodes of Swamp Thing arrive on Blu-ray with 1080p transfers that easily beat their streaming counterparts. Each disc holds five episodes ranging from approximately 45-50 minutes and this proves to be more than enough breathing room; aside from occasional moments of banding and small amounts of black crush (more a symptom of the format than bad disc authoring), there really doesn't seem to be much room for improvement. As you can expect there's no shortage of deep shadows and dimly-lit scenes here, from the dark and foggy bayous to neon-lit exteriors that cut through the darkness with satisfying vividness. But as a whole, these strong levels of contrast are few and far between; for the most part, Swamp Thing offers endless shades of blue-gray, muddy earth tones, and other palettes that emphasize dreariness over eye-popping flash. Skin tones appear accurate within these boundaries, but as a whole tend to be very desaturated. Likewise, depth during said scenes can be somewhat flatted due to the cinematography and lighting choices, but again this is all part of the atmosphere.

One last native "shortcoming" worth a mention is the manner in which certain CGI effects make themselves known: some like the vines and branches blend in rather seamlessly, while others (hallucinatory effects, blood, etc.) are much shoddier in direct comparison and stick out like a sore thumb. Still, that's a small price to pay for what is largely a pleasing and very immersive presentation that, as mentioned earlier, plays better than any streaming version.

Swamp Thing: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Any horror-themed production worth its salt has to offer effective audio, so it's good to know that Swamp Thing absolutely does not disappoint in the audo department. Obviously the darkest and most disturbing moments -- not all limited to jump scares, thank goodness -- are the most immediate sonic standouts, delivering a robust atmopshere that frequently digs deep into all six channels to grab and hold our attention. Panning effects and other tricks are often used to great effect, most often during busier crowd scenes and the expansive swamps loaded with cricket chirps, rustilng foliage, and other mysterious noises. In contrast, most conversations are anchored right up front with the exception of background noise and echoing supernatural voices, which often spill into the rear. Low-frequency effects are also put to good use, both via Brian Tyler's abstract original score and the unsettling sound of heavy footfalls and weather-related events. From start to finish, Swamp Thing offers a rich and frequently enveloping sonic experience that continuously meets demands and, in my opinion, stands as the real highlight of this Blu-ray's technical presentation.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during all 10 episodes; these are formatted perfectly and fit snugly within the 2.20:1 frame. Like the audio track, I was unable to detect any obvious sync-related issues here.

Swamp Thing: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Swamp Thing arrives on Blu-ray in a two-disc keepcase that includes menacing cover artwork, a matching slipbox (side-opening, unlike the standard "top and bottom" slipcover), and a Digital Copy redemption code.

Frustratingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, no bonus features are included on this release.

Swamp Thing: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

DC Universe's Swamp Thing never had much of a chance. This first and only season was shortened from 13 episodes to 10 and cancelled only days after the pilot episode aired, stemming from a combination of "creative differences" and a shortage of expected tax breaks from filming in North Carolina. Thankfully, what remains is pretty damn enjoyable: while clearly not without several speed bumps along the way, a run-through of Swamp Thing will likely leave die-hard fans and curious newcomers satisfied but with a bittersweet aftertaste of "what could have been". The dark horror elements and supernatural window dressing are extremely effective and the world-building is efficient, even if the small town seems a bit crowded at times. Warner Bros.' Blu-ray offers an outstanding A/V presentation, and its lack of bonus features is at least assuaged by a low price tag. Firmly recommended for fans of the character and genre.