Label: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Region Code: A
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 600 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080P HD Widescreen (2.35:1)
Directors: Len Wiseman, Deran Sarafian, Carol Banker, Greg Beeman, Toa Fraser, Alexis Ostrander, E. L. Katz, Michael Goi
Cast: Crystal Reed, Virginia Madsen, Andy Bean, Derek Mears, Henderson Wade, Maria Sten, Jeryl Prescott, Jennifer Beals, Will Patton, Kevin Durand
The short-lived DC Universe series Swamp Thing (2019) was an adaptation of the comic character created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson for DC Comics in the 70's. I was always more of a Marvel kid myself so I don't have a deep understanding of the comic, but in my teens I did watch the 80's Wes Craven film adaptation and the 90's TV series that ran on the USA Network for a couple of seasons. So, I am familiar with the story and character but not what I would call an authority on it, so I am not coming into this series without any great depth of knowledge about the comic source, just know that.
The series begins with CDC scientist Abby Arcane (Crystal Reed, Skyline) returning to her home town of Marais, Louisiana to investigate a deadly swamp-borne virus known as the "green flu". While investigating she bonds with a local disgraced scientist named Alec Holland (Andy Bean, It Chapter Two) who believes that the illness is associated with his former employer's research in the swamp, something do do with a mutagen found in the local waters. It seems that someone doesn't want Holland talking about it though, as he is shot in the swamp, as his body sink into the muddy bayou vines and vegetation wrap around his body and he is transformed into the plant-based elemental that we come to know as Swamp Thing (played by Derek Mears, Friday the 13th) .
As the series plays out both Abby and Swamp Thing must face off against threats to the swamp and themselves, including wealthy local elites and authorities with ulterior motives, a local voodoo priestess, an unethical bio-geneticist, and a growing evil presence that lurks within the swamp. Our protagonists also ally themselves with array of good guys by way of a hometown reporter with a nose for the truth and more iconic characters straight from the comics, including The Phantom Stranger and Blue Devil.
The series is very dark and brooding, with the bayou backdrop offering a moody and atmospheric setting, the sets used for this series look fantastic, adding all sort of creepy weirdness, lots of fog-shrouded swamp and damp environs that really capture the essence of the setting.
The design of the Swamp Thing looks terrific, far and away this is the best iteration of the character that I've seen outside of the comics, finely detailed and sculpted to half-man, half-vegetative perfection, impressively portrayed by Derek Mears underneath all the make-up.
While I love the look and aesthetic of the show the story within this first and unfortunately final season is a bit of a slow-burn, but I can overlook that small niggle because I found the core story quite interesting, particularly the Swamp Thing's struggle for identity, torn between the memories of the man he was and the elemental creature it's become. It also helps that series is tinged with horror, featuring some jaw-dropping carnage throughout, some of the FX brought to mind John Carpenter's The Thing with some eye-popping body horror elements. It's not gory all the way through but the FX are impressive, every episode featuring something that dazzled me, even if it's just the Swamp Thing bodysuit with it's red-eyes.
Sadly, the show was cancelled by DC Universe really before it even began, it was originally slated for a thirteen episode run, but word came down during filming of this season that it was only getting ten. The last few episodes definitely have a 'let's warp this up quick' vibe about it, but it's still solid, and it does wrap up a few character and story arcs well enough all things considered. The real kick n the pants though is that in the last episode they actually give is one of Swamp Thing's great nemesis, the Floronic Man in the final few seconds of the last episode, hinting at what could have been, but what looks like will never be!
Audio/Video: Swamp Thing - The Complete Series (2019) arrives on 2-disc Blu-ray from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment presenting the 10-episodes in 1080p HD widescreen with English DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround with optional English subtitles.
No supplemental material on this one, not eve the promotional spots that I've seen on the DC YouTube channels that detail the creation of the Swamp Thing and the bayou set which is a serious shame, this show deserved so much better but at least the A/V presentation is solid.
