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It’s funny how TV shows and movies from the late eighties and early nineties are starting to look dated. I was a teen during most of those years, and I probably liked some of this stuff. But going back and watching shows like Swamp Thing now, I just can’t get past things like the villain’s cheesy ‘80s hairdo. He looked like a Duran Duran reject. However, I hung in there, and I still managed to make my way through the entire four-disc set.
Swamp Thing is set in the swamps of Louisiana, where an attempt on Dr. Alec Holland’s (Dick Durock) life turns him into a creature that blends into his environment. Basically, he looks like a tree stump covered in moss. Now the only thing he can do is try to rid the swamp of evil men. Mess with his environment, and you may become a part of it—stuck there as a tree or something, never able to leave.
Swamp Thing’s enemy is Dr. Anton Arcane (Mark Lindsay Chapman), a mad scientist who has a secret cave deep in the swamp where he experiments on humans and animals. He crosses the two species, making them into twisted creatures—and he does it for no other reason than just because it’s fun.
Swamp Thing also befriends a young boy, Jim Kipp (Jesse Zeigler), who likes to explore the swamp at night after his mother goes to sleep. Swamp Thing spends a lot of time keeping the kid out of trouble, but Jim manages to save Swamp Thing more than a few times, too.
Swamp Thing is mildly interesting, though it’s probably best suited for viewers ages 9-12. As an adult, I found the series to be a tad too silly. Dr. Arcane is totally laughable as a villain—and I still can’t get past the hair!
Still, Swamp Thing does have its amusing moments—like when the sheriff points out that “Some people take revenge a mile too far.” Or when, right before a woman dies at a dumpsite in the swamp, she says, in a sarcastic tone, “What a lovely place to die.” I also enjoyed the episode about the Swamp Witch who rises out of the water and tricks men into kissing her so she can turn them into ugly monsters.
If you have children at home, they might enjoy Swamp Thing. But don’t collect it for your own supernatural/horror collection. It’s just not worth it.
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