Man-Thing (2005)
By: J.R. McNamara on September 16. 2005. 
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| Force Entertainment (Australia). Region 4, PAL. 1.85:1 (16:9 enhanced). English DD 5.1. 92 minutes |
| The Movie |
| Cover Art |
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| Credits |
Director: Brett Leonard
Starring: Mathew Le
Nevez, Rachel Taylor, Jack Thompson, Patrick Thompson
Screenplay: Hans Rodionoff
Country: USA |
In the early sixties, Marvel had started the foundations
of their massive superhero community on a few monster
titles written and drawn by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby:
Journey into Mystery, Astonishing Tales and others
like it. After the birth of the Hulk and the Fantastic
Four, Marvel drifted away from monster titles until,
in the early seventies, it noticed a slant back
towards monster comics from other publishers, particularly
Warren, who published Creepy, Eerie and Vampirella.
During the resurgence, which also brought about
characters such as Tigra the Were-Woman and Brother
Voodoo, not to mention Blade in Tomb of Dracula,
Man Thing debuted in Savage Tales, a black and white
magazine styled comic aimed at an older audience.
The comic only lasted one issue, but Man Thing made
such an impact that he returned in several other
titles until he received his own short lived comic,
which at one point had the porno sounding title
Giant Sized Man Thing. Man Thing is rarely out of
the Marvel fan's line of sight for long, and
has remained a favourite for a long time. Still,
it was a surprise when Marvel announced that one
of the films to be released in its movie line up
would be one based on this character.
A new Sheriff, Kyle Williams (Matthew Le Nevez)
has arrived in the swamp town of Bywater. His
first day on the job finds him with a dead body
of a local teen in the coroner's office
and the local conservation group, including 3rd
grade teacher Teri Elizabeth Richards (Rachel
Taylor) trying to stop oil tycoon Frederick Schist
(Jack Thompson) and his son Jake (Pat Thompson)
from extending their business throughout the swamplands,
purchased by him from the local Seminole Indian
tribes. Throw in monster hunter Mike Ploog (Robert
Mammone) and local rogue Rene LaRoque (Steve Bastoni),
unexplained disappearances and a mysterious Lovecraftian
creature that roams the swamp and you have a ridiculous
amount of fun and dumb horror on your hands.
Directed by Brett Leonard (The Dead Pit)
and written by Hans Rodionoff (Sucker:
The Vampire) from characters created
by Steve Gerber (responsible for many of Marvels
more offbeat characters like Howard the Duck,
Doctor Bong and Simon Garth: the Zombie), Man
Thing is a B grade horror that mixes the weirdo
monster movies of the fifties and sixties with
the body count of the late seventies/ early eighties.
Man Thing was originally to be a direct to video
release, and any ideas to release it to cinemas
were abandoned after half a test audience walked
out before the movie even finished. The film eventually
debuted on the Sci Fi Network in the USA before
its DVD release. This film was also the first
to be produced at the studios at Kurnell, NSW,
using the Shell Oil Refinery and surrounding mangroves
as main exterior locations after the deal for
it to be produced in New Orleans fell through
due to budget restrictions.
This film is full of all the usual stereotypes
this sort of movie thrives on: topless hotties,
Redneck philosophy, an Indian shaman, a new, greenhorn
Sheriff, evil tycoons, aloof coroners, and all
the stuff that makes B movies great, especially
slipping accents. A lot of the characters are
named after various comic creators who have worked
on the Man Thing comic. A few Australian points
of note, amongst the many Aussie faces in Man
Thing, Jack Thompson is a villainous highlight
with his overblown and over-acted portrayal of
Schist, the wicked oil baron and the lovely Imogen
Bailey proves that screaming and jiggling are
still the best things about B grade horror. |
| Video |
| Man Thing is s really nice widescreen
(16x9) transfer that beautifully shows off the odd
lighting choices and brilliant day scenes. The night
scenes are a special highlight (why so many people
go into the swamps at night I'll never know)
as they are all filmed with an unusually effective
green filter, actually the green filter gets a LOT
of use by the director. The day scenes all have
a similar yellow tinge to them, which really adds
to the disposition of the movie. |
| Audio |
| This has a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack that gives
the sub-woofer a massive workout. The various sound
effects are crisp and clear throughout; the noises
of the swamp come from all around and add to the
moody atmosphere. |
| Extra Features |
| There is just a trailer on this disc, unfortunately.
I was disappointed with there not being any 'From
Comic to Film" documentary that seems to be
on all Marvel's discs. |
| The Verdict |
| Not to be taken seriously, but with a sense of
fun, Man Thing is a big pot of
extra-spicy gumbo, full of good ol' southern
hospitality. Stupid cheap thrills and a great way
to waste 92 minutes, this is a B grade monster movie
at its best, let down by a lack of extras. |
| The Rating |
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