Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

The Return of Swamp Thing 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 4, 2023

I guess maybe this new 4K release should really be called The Return of 'The Return of Swamp Thing', since it's revisiting a (1080) release that MVD Visual's MVD Rewind imprint put out several years ago. That release offered some really rather sweet interviews with various production personnel, and Lightyear Entertainment's Arnie Holland was among them, discussing how MVD "drove [him] crazy" with trying to not just get the film out on Blu-ray, but with some decent supplements attached. Holland, under questioning from director Jim Wynorski (Holland returns the favor for Wynorski's interview), also mentions some of the kind of funny backstage antics, including other actresses considered for the Heather Locklear role, which included everyone from Traci Lords to Elisabeth Shue. In that regard, a trip down an Elisabeth Shue rabbit hole as a result reminded me she's the soon to be ex-sister-in-law of (not necessarily for great reasons) headline making ABC news anchor Amy Robach, a little trivia point which frankly may be irrelevant to the film but which may help to point out that it's perhaps some of these tangential sidebars to this production as disclosed by Holland and others that can provide as much amusement as the film itself.

For my thoughts on the film, please consult my The Return of Swamp Thing Blu-ray review.

The Return of Swamp Thing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc included in this package. While the back cover touts a "new 4K restoration from the original interpositive with Dolby Vision HDR mastering", I believe that only applies to the 4K UHD disc in this set, as the 1080 disc seems to be a duplicate of the previous release, and so these screenshots should be seen in that context.

The Return of Swamp Thing is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Lightyear Entertainment and MVD Visual with a 2160p transfer in 1.85:1. The only real technical information imparted is the above quote. This is another relatively low budget shot on film production where I'm just frankly not sure the increased resolution of the 4K disc is particularly helpful in offering a "pleasing" viewing experience. As I mentioned in my original 1080 review from several years ago, there are some "baked in" deficiencies in the imagery that probably stemmed from the many challenges of the shoot and the somewhat limited budget, and this 4K UHD version probably only points up some of the ebbs in clarity and especially chunkiness of a pretty variable looking grain field even more than the 1080 version does. This is another 4K release that tends to improve things where the 1080 version looked at least relatively well detailed and nicely saturated, but which on the flip side may tend to exacerbate issues like motley looking grain in darker scenes and what are some definite variabilities in clarity and detail levels. There are some noticeable upticks in fine detail on things like Swamp Thing's slimy countenance and body at least in the more brightly lit moments. Kind of interestingly, while Dolby Vision and/or HDR does help with some shadow definition in the darkest scenes, the overall color temperature here looked a bit less warm than the 1080 version, though again, as with the 1080 version, there are distinct variabilities in palette suffusion throughout the presentation. My score is 3.75.

The Return of Swamp Thing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Kind of interestingly, while the 1080 release of The Return of Swamp Thing features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 mixes, the 4K UHD release offers DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 options, though I have to say I really couldn't discern any difference between the stereo codecs. The surround mix nicely opens up elements like the wonderful opening use of "Born on the Bayou" by Creedence Clearwater Revival, or some of the ambient environmental effects in the bog, or even some of the background clatter in the lab, but relatively large swaths of the film play out in somewhat more sonically subdued ways, leaving the surround channels fitfully engaged with discrete placement of individual effects. Fidelity is fine throughout, with all dialogue (such as it is) being cleanly rendered. There are no issues with damage or distortion.

The Return of Swamp Thing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 1080 disc in this package repeats the supplements listed in my The Return of Swamp Thing Blu-ray review (with the exception of the fold out poster). The 4K UHD disc has the following supplements:

• Reflections on Swamp Thing 35 Years Later (HD; 32:07) features Michael Uslan, who produced both Swamp Thing films. Uslan is rather interesting, offering a brief history of comic book film adaptations before moving on to these productions. This is another extra where I just don't understand the cutting between various perspectives on a speaker, some with Uslan addressing the camera directly, and others off to the side so that he seems to be speaking to someone over in a corner.


• The Rifftones - Your Ever Lovin' Swamp Thing Music Video (HD; 2:39)


• 2018 Commentary with Jim Wynorski, Chuck Cirino and Leslie Rosenthal is available under the Setup Menu.


• 2003 Audio Commentary from Director Jim Wynorski is available under the Setup Menu.

Additionally, packaging features a slipcover.

Note: My score is for the sum total of supplements spread over the two discs in this set.

The Return of Swamp Thing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Return of Swamp Thing is goofy fun a lot of the time, and it's obvious from the interviews included on both the 4K and 1080 discs that there was a rather unrepentant amount of love put into the production. This is another release of a low budget shot on film production where I'm just not sure the 4K version is what might be traditionally called an "upgrade", though it does provide an organic and at least at times nicely detailed presentation. Some fans may actually want to stick with the 1080 version, but the new interview with Uslan on the 4K disc is fun and informative, and overall technical merits are generally solid and the sum total of supplements very enjoyable, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.