Creator(s) – Gary Dauberman (Swamp Devil, Annabelle Comes Home) and Mark Verheiden (Daredevil, Ash vs. Evil Dead)
Starring – Crystal Reed (Gotham, Teen Wolf), Andy Bean (It Chapter Two, Transformers: The Last Knight), and Derek Mears (Friday the 13th, Predators)
Release Date – 2019
Rating – 3.5/5
Tagline – “Go green, or else”
It was just a matter of time before the DC Swamp Thing series was on the chopping block. Last year I sat down and reviewed the two Swamp Thing movies but was unable to review the original Swamp Thing series, not the 2019 series. I had planned on getting a membership to the DC streaming service but never got around to it. Lucky for me I didn’t have to because the film received a physical release. I reached out to WB and DC and was lucky enough to get a blu in for review. The show was phenomenal and I wish I wouldn’t have waited until now to check it out. It was well worth my time.
**Spoiler Alert** The series follows Dr. Abby Crane (Reed) who visits her hometown in Louisiana when a strange disease takes several townsfolk ill. She crosses paths with another scientist who is also working on the illness after he was employed by the wealthiest man in town who is using the swamp to gain his wealth. What they uncover is that a mutagen is being used as fertilizer that has an unexpected side effect on the wildlife in the swamp. When one of them is shot and left for the dead they fall in the swamp water and come back out changed. Now in tune with the swamp, Swamp Thing helps Crane bring justice to the swamp and save those that has became ill to the illegal testing in the swamp. **Spoiler Alert**
I love the two Swamp Thing films but I never got around to watching the show that followed after the second film. However, when I saw that a new show was being produced for the DC streaming service I was extremely interested in it. The show is a lot darker than the two films I had enjoyed previously. I liked it but there was some aspects I would love to see changed if they do decide to give us a second season.
The acting in this one is solid. Honestly, the cast does a great job but I didn’t care for any of the characters. The characters are rather generic, even Swamp Thing, which makes the viewer tune out some as the series progresses. The cast does a solid job with what they were given but they can’t carry the show like they were expected to.
The story for this one works very well within the Swamp Thing storyline. We see someone with money, or access to money, using the swamp and polluting it while Swamp Thing tries to protect it and, inadvertently, the people of the area. This is the most Swamp Thing like story to come out of the Swamp Thing universe. I really enjoyed it and though I didn’t care for the characters I still loved the story that was being told.
Finally, this darker take on ST doesn’t disappoint. We get plenty of practical effects, fun deaths, and a great looking Swamp Thing. Honestly, I really enjoyed the look of the creature and I loved all the practical effects. We do get some CGI that does not take away from the show but the practical is top notch. Overall, Swamp Thing the complete series is a must watch for DC fans and horror fans alike. I enjoyed it but I could have went without all the dark scenes. This is the first time I’ve ever had to turn the brightness up on my television just to review something.
