Swamp Thing (DC Comics #1 of 5)

Genre: Action / Classic Jekyll-Hyde Structure

Premise: In a swamp, Dr. Alec Holland is trying to create a species of animal and plant capable of adapting and thriving in the harshest conditions. Unfortunately, he becomes subject of his own creation and is transformed into Swamp Thing. Arcaden, Alec/Swamp Thing's evil boss, attempts to capture the Swamp Thing. The script ends with a confrontation between Holland and a changed Arcane

About: Joel Silver is producing, and the film has been in discussion for a very long time. (As a 3-D movie nonetheless)It's not a comedy though like the earlier film adaptations, but rather a serious take on the comic. The script I read wasa first draft dated 2003, but from what I've seen Wein has since left the project.

Writer: Len Wein (this guy co-created the "new" X-Men, edited Watchmen, and has worked long runs on Green Lantern, also created Swamp Thing)

Kevin Smith once said, very wisely, that Marvel characters were born out of Supernatural causes but that DC characters were born out of philosophical reasons. The Swamp Thing, quite like Poison Ivy, is another example of someone capable of manipulating the powers of the Earth. I saw the Wes Craven film once long ago in London so I don't remember that film with much accuracy, but from what I understand Wein's scriptis close to a direct adaptation. This is not a great film. You'd be hard pressed to call it even a very good film, but I'd chalk this script up to a near guilty pleasure.

There is a great, shocking moment that will stick with me for quite some time. Swamp Thing is dissected and ripped apart by scientists who takeout his plant lungs, heart and brains. It's such a weird, creepy scene and we're sure the whole time that the character is also alive so it's a very surreal experience. The actual story line and developments are very close to Jekyll/Hyde stuff (and I know, as outlined in Stephen King's Danse Macabre is one of the four structures of modern horror, but it's never quite taken my interests). It's an off the wall, eccentric film about a hideous creature with a heart of gold and the woman who loves him. (Wonderfully, Swamp Thing carries his true love's charm bracelet around his leafy wrist).

If you like horror films, this is a great piece.

Maybe, if horror/action aren't your slice then this will be a bit more inaccessible. There's a genuine senseof a story well told here. Maybe it's not an Oscar worthy turn, but this script is a solid comic book adaptation.And, if it was done in 3-D, I guarantee it'd attract a large audience.

Scooby Doo (Complete Crap)

Atilla (Poor, Few Redeeming Qualities)

Wedding Crashers (Mediocre)

[X] Hot Rod (Good)

Definitely Maybe (Pretty Darn Good)

Isla Roles: The main female in Swamp Thing is one of the most charming comic book heroines I recall encountering in quite some time. There's definitely more than a dollop of resemblance to Christine in Phantom of the Opera.

Tip: Never underestimate a nice slow opening. Swamp Thing takes quite some time to get established, but it brings us into the swamp and the laboratory environment without making us feel like we've been thrown overboard. (I was going to make some general comment about how there's a good deal of resemblance between Jekyll/Hyde and werewolf tales, but I wasn't quite sure how to lift that notion to a loftier or practical tip).