Monday, March 23, 2015

The Return of Swamp Thing (1989)

After her mothers death, Abby decides to see her stepfather Dr. Arcane to confront him.  They've been estranged and Abby isn't aware that Arcane has a secret basement in his mansion that is filled with his experiments, which seem to consist of combining different life forms.

The experiments aren't going too well and there are a variety of dangerous creatures locked in cages, plus some roaming through the nearby swamp.  The monsters on the loose include Swamp Thing, who was once a scientist that worked with Arcane.

When trouble comes calling, Swamp Thing is there. He saves young children, Abby, and anyone else that he sees menaced by the strange creatures Arcane has created.  Abby is one of the few people not scared by Swamp Things appearance, which I guess is because she works with plants.  Also she's sweet in a way that makes one think she might be slightly dense.

There is a side plot with two little kids who go into the swamp with a camera hoping to get a shot of Swamp Thing.  They want to sell the photo to a national magazine that is promising $10,000 for a snapshot.  The little red haired kid has acting chops right out of a 1930s Little Rascals short.  Heather Locklear isn't very good in this either.

This is a really hard movie to watch.  It's just not that good and I found my mind wandering while I watched it.  Even a friend of mine who liked it, but hadn't seen it for years, was surprised at how bad it was.  I know it was made as a campy movie, and I might have enjoyed it when it was released, but it hasn't stood the test of time.

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