Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

The Return of Swamp Thing Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 20, 2018

The original Swamp Thing came out on Blu-ray about five years ago (give or take) in an edition from Shout Factory, and given that length of time, I had frankly forgotten that I had said this in our Swamp Thing Blu-ray review:

“Swamp Thing teeters precariously close to camp a lot of the time, but the good news is, the filmmakers seemed to know that going in, and so the film has a rather breezily self-deprecating sense of humor.”

There’s absolutely no teetering at all involved in The Return of Swamp Thing, since this somewhat delayed follow up (coming out around seven years after the original) makes no bones about upping the camp factor considerably, though it’s arguable as to whether this sequel ever really connects with its comedic element as strongly as might have been hoped. Once again the nefarious Anton Arcane (Louis Jourdan) is on hand (deaths of villains in first films are often less of a sticking point than some might imagine), busily creating animal human hybrids that are straight out of The Island of Dr. Moreau (in any of its many cinematic variations). Arcane’s stepdaughter Abby (Heather Locklear, proud recipient of a Razzie Award for her work in this film) is a decided lover of plants as evidenced by an early vignette, something that will of course play into things once Swamp Thing (Dick Durock) and she meet. However, she is increasingly suspicious about her mother’s recent death and is convinced Anton had something to do with it (ya think?). She sets off to his isolated lair to do a little investigating, and there’s little doubt that Damsel in Distress Mode will soon be activated. Meanwhile, though, the film has already documented the adventures of a team of swamp explorers who have the unfortunate bad luck to run into one of Anton’s discarded creations, a monster which snacks on a couple of the interlopers before Swamp Thing himself enters the fray and rescues at least one of them.

In one of those inexplicable moments of synchronicity that seem to be hinting at some kind of Cosmic Meaning but which are still, well, inexplicable, my wife was reading up on Neil Gaiman as I was watching The Return of Swamp Thing and remarked that his Wikipedia article cites him finding a copy of the comic version of Swamp Thing as a defining moment in his career. I have to say that as obviously lo-fi as The Return of Swamp Thing undeniably is, there’s a kind of Gaiman-esque whimsy running through it nonetheless, and it’s that decidedly cheeky quality that helps the film overcome some of its inherent silliness.

There’s really not a whale (hybrid or otherwise) of a lot of plot to The Return of Swamp Thing. Swamp Thing tools around the bog surrounding Anton’s isolated mansion and laboratory, often skirmishing with more evil minded human-animal hybrids which have been dumped there by the scheming villain and his two chief acolytes, Lana Zurrell (Sarah Douglas) and Dr. Rochelle (Ace Mask). The fact that these two are played pretty much as cartoon bad ‘uns is one of the best examples of the (supposedly) joking tone that runs through the film. Abigail shows up ostensibly to interrogate Anton about her mother’s death, but she is soon seen as a perfect new test subject in Anton’s quest for immortality (or at least reasonable youthfulness). Everything plays out pretty much as might be expected, with Abby being threatened and Swamp Thing coming to the rescue.

Some may see my 2.5 score above and think that I might feel that this film is without many redeeming qualities, but as with a lot of the cult items that MVD Rewind has been bringing out, approaching The Return of Swamp Thing with the proper set of expectations and a laissez faire attitude goes a long way. Some of the humor, while certainly rarely laugh out loud hilarious, is at least passingly effective, and the film has surprisingly strong makeup effects, as can be seen in some of the screenshots accompanying this review. It’s all flat out goofy, and indeed probably more than “Razzie ready” in any number of categories beyond Locklear’s performance acumen (?), but for undemanding lovers of plant- human hybrid films, it’s often unexpectedly fun.

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

The Return of Swamp Thing is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of MVD Visual's MVD Rewind imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. The release is being touted as featuring a "brand new 2K high definition transfer" and for lovers of this kind of unabashed silliness, the film looks surprisingly spry, especially given its budgetary constraints and some of the production challenges involved (documented in both interviews and commentaries). Sharpness and clarity are somewhat variable throughout the film, with some moments, like the opening plant shop vignette, looking a little wan and hazy, but with a lot of the lab and even bog material featuring very good to excellent detail and fine detail levels. The palette is nicely suffused for the most part (again, there are occasional exceptions), and signs of age related wear and tear are minimal. Grain looks natural and resolves without any compression issues.

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

The Return of Swamp Thing features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 mixes. 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 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Jim Wynorski (1080p; 17:40) is fun if oddly structured (off screen questions shouted at the avuncular Wynorski, which he then occasionally repeats before answering).


• Interview with Arnie Holland (1080p; 5:20) features Holland (who is shouting some of those questions on the above supplement) answering questions from Wynorski. You have to love a guy who calls this film one of his "crown jewels".


• Interview with Chuck Cirino (1080p; 6:47) features the composer interviewed by Wynorski.


• Interview with Leslie Rosenthal (1080p; 9:25) once again offers Wynorski interviewing a crew member, in this case the editor.


• Behind the Scenes Slideshow (1080p; 2:22)


• Public Service Announcements (480i; 1:03 and 00:31) offers a couple of Greenpeace spots.


• 2 TV Spots (480i; 1:32)


• 6 Promotional TV Clips (480i; 1:17, 1:19, 1:12, 1:03, 1:16, and 1:02)


• Promotional Reel (480i; 5:18)


• New 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.

Trailers for other MVD Rewind releases are also included. Additionally, a mini-poster (folded) is housed inside the keepcase.

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

The Return of Swamp Thing is another niche item that seems perfectly in line with the aims of MVD Rewind, and the good news is this release comes with solid technical merits and some very enjoyable supplements. The film itself is kind of a mixed (hybrid?) bag, but fans should be pleased with what's being offered here.