Swamp Thing (film)
Swamp Thing is a 1982 film directed by Wes Craven, based on the DC comics character.
Not long ago, in the unexplored reaches of an unmapped swamp, the creative genius of one man collided with another's evil dream and a monster was born. Too powerful to be destroyed, too intelligent to be captured, this thing still pursues its savage dream. —Opening text
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The film centers around Dr. Alec Holland, who studying a formula that could possibly grow plants anywhere, and Alice Cable, a Washington agent who is sent to look after the research in the middle of a swamp. During an attack on the facility orchesrated by Anton Arcane, who seeks the formula for himself, Holland is dosed with his bio-restorative formula and is turned into the eponymous being. Now Alec must protect Alice as Arcane's men hunt them.
In 1989 it was followed by a campy sequel The Return of Swamp Thing.
- Action Girl: Alice.
- Alliterative Name: Anton Arcane.
- Always with You: Swamp Thing's parting words to Alice in the end.
- An Arm and a Leg: Ferret manages cut off Swamp Thing's hand with a machete.
- Between My Legs: Shown when Swamp Thing creeps up on Bruno.
- Big Fancy House: Arcane's mansion.
- Car Fu: Ferret and the other mooks attempt to run Swamp Thing down with their Jeep, but are stopped dead on their tracks by his strenght.
- Chekhov's Gun: The small propane tank in the command center.
- Drop What You Are Doing: When Arcane's assistant Karen sees the early stages of his transformation, she drops the tray she's holding.
- Every Car Is a Pinto: Two boats explode when they crash.
- Fanservice Extra: Some of Aracne's visitors in his mansion.
- Groin Attack: Alice knees Ferret to the groin when he tries to pull the moves on her.
- Halfhearted Henchman: Bruno, who shows remorse for his participation in the mooks' misdeeds.
- Healing Hands: Swamp Thing has this power.
- Hired Guns: Arcane's mooks.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Swamp Thing defeats Arcane with his own sword.
- I Like Swords: After he is transformed into a monster, Arcane grabs a sword.
- Idiosyncratic Wipes
- Latex Perfection: Arcane's disguise as Ritter.
- Machete Mayhem: After Alice escapes from Arcane's boat, Ferret swims after her and starts chasing her with a machete.
- Malaproper: Bruno wonders if Swamp Thing is "one of those Abdominal Snowmen".
- Man On Fire: Alec after he is accidentally doused with his mixture.
- Mook Lieutenant: Ferret.
- Murder by Mistake: While searching for Swamp Thing, the mook Tyrone calls out to Ferret and others and is accidentally shot by Danny.
- Not in Kansas Anymore: Said by Alice when she arrives to the swamp.
- One-Winged Angel: Arcane turns into a hideous monster when he tries Holland's mixture himself.
- Outdoor Bath Peeping: Alec peeps on Alice as she bathes.
- Painful Transformation: Bruno's transformation into the pig creature.
- Planimal: Alec's work is based on a combined cell of an animal an a plant.
- The Power of the Sun: Swamp Thing manages to regrow his arm and break his bonds thanks to sunlight.
- Redemption Equals Life: Bruno (mutated into a piglike midget) helps Swamp Thing escape Arcane's dungeon and briefly distracts the mutated Arcane for him, and manages to survive the story, albeit still mutated into a pig-midget.
- Save the Day Turn Away
- Shirtless Scene: Provided by Arcane.
- Signature Style: Harry Manfredini did the score for the film, so don't weirded out if Ferret chasing after Alice machete in hand reminds you of something else.
- Stock Scream: One of the mooks lets out a Wilhelm scream when Swamp Thing throws him off a boat.
- Sword Plant: After defeating Arcane, Swamp Thing plants his sword next to him.
- Tagalong Kid: Jude, the gas station kid.
- Touch of the Monster: Used on the posters and video releases.
- Voice Changeling: Arcane is capable of imitating other people's voices.
- Wicked Cultured: Arcane, who even recites Nietzche to Alec before he is caught on fire.
The Return has the additional examples:
- Amazon Brigade: Miss Poinsettia is briefly shown leading one to attack Swamp Thing
- Attempted Rape
- Axe Before Entering
- Batter Up: Swamp Thing uses one to beat up some mook.
- Battle in the Rain: Swamp Thing's second battle with the leech man.
- Big Damn Heroes
- Big Eater: Darryll.
- Blind Without'Em: One of the office workers in the beginning.
- Car Cushion
- Chainsaw Good: Gunn carries a chainsaw during his last attempt at Swamp Thing's life.
- Chairman of the Brawl
- Curb Stomp Battle: Every battle between Swamp Thing and Gunn.
- Damsel in Distress: Abby.
- Dark Action Girl: Miss Poinsettia, Gunn's assistant.
- Dead Hat Shot
- Doomed Expedition
- The Dragon: Gunn.
- Dramatic Thunder: Used gratuitously when the camera is panning over Arcane's mansion.
- Eighties Hair
- Explosive Overclocking
- Eyepatch of Power: One of the mooks wears an eyepatch.
- Fan Service
- Five-Bad Band
- Flatline
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: Poinsettia and Gunn are both covered in scars and they start to compare them at one point.
- Groin Attack: When Gunn is trying to come on to her, Abby gives him a swift kick to groin which is then followed by a headbutt.
- Healing Hands
- Highly-Conspicuous Uniform: Arcane's orange-wearing Mooks ..
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Dr. Rochelle's death.
- Hollywood Silencer
- Hot Scientist: Lana.
- Immortality Immorality
- Impending Doom POV
- Kissing Discretion Shot
- Leitmotif: Swamp Thing's apperances are accompanied by a short heroic tune.
- Mad Scientist: Dr. Rochelle, who is more interested in causing mutations than doing what Arcane wants.
- Mad Scientist Laboratory
- Made of Explodium: After being set on fire, the leech man runs to the bog and promptly explodes.
- Moment Killer: When Gunn and Poinsettia are about to kiss each other, one of the mooks interrupt them.
- My Brain Is Big: Mutated Dr. Rochelle.
- Names to Run Away From Really Fast: Mr. Gunn.
- Out of the Inferno
- Polly Wants a Microphone: Arcane's parrot.
- Porn Stash: Omar and Darryll are about to dwell into one when leech man appears.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Leech man.
- Regeneration
- Revenge of the Sequel
- Screaming Woman
- Strapped to An Operating Table
- Stuff Blowing Up: Swamp Thing's fight with the leech man causes various cars around them to explode.
- Sword Sparks: More like sword lightning.
- Tap on the Head
- Tested on Humans: Dr. Rochelle's method of conducting experiments.
- Third Time's the Charm: It takes three time before Swamp Thing gets rid of Gunn for good.
- Those Two Guys: Omar and Darryll, the two bumbling Comic Relief kids.
- Two-Faced: One of the caged mutants.
- Waif Fu: 10 years of karate study in Okinawa has nothing on a girl from LA!
- Weaponized Car: Gunn tries to take Swamp Thing out with an armed jeep.
- Window Pain
- You're Insane!: Abby says this to Anton near the end. He then notes that he has never felt saner.
- Zettai Ryouiki: Abby appears in such outfit early in the film.