Swamp Thing (film)

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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

Swamp Thing is a 1982 film directed by Wes Craven, based on the DC comics character.

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.

Tropes used in Swamp Thing (film) include:

• 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.

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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.