Man-Thing (2005)

Agents of an oil tycoon vanish while exploring a swamp marked for drilling. The local sheriff investigates and faces a Seminole legend come to life: Man-Thing, a shambling swamp-monster whose touch burns those who feel fear.

Director:

Brett Leonard

Writers:

Steve Gerber (character), Hans Rodionoff

Stars:

Jack Thompson, Matthew Le Nevez, Steve Bastoni

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matthew Le Nevez	...	Kyle
Rachael Taylor	...	Teri
Jack Thompson	...	Schist
Rawiri Paratene	...	Pete Horn
Alex O'Loughlin	...	Fraser (as Alex O'Lachlan)
Steve Bastoni	...	Rene
Robert Mammone	...	Mike Ploog
Patrick Thompson	...	Jake (as Pat Thompson)
William Zappa	...	Gerber
John Batchelor	...	Wayne Thibadeaux
Ian Bliss	...	Rodney Thibadeaux
Brett Leonard	...	Val Mayerick
Imogen Bailey	...	Sarah
James Coyne	...	Billy
Cheryl Craig	...	Michele

Storyline

When a greedy oil baron sets his sights on drilling in a Louisiana swamp, a monstrous creature is awakened. The baron and his associates are killed in the swamp thicket, spurring an investigation led by Sheriff Kyle Williams. Although the Seminoles are initially suspected of the murders, the swamp creature, known as Man-Thing, is the killer. A gruesome creature made of plants and vines, Man-Thing possesses strange and dangerous powers.

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Plot Keywords:

swamp | monster | swamp monster | kiss | superhero | 

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Taglines:

The nature of fear

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Horror | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, grisly images, language and some sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Marvel

Country:

USA Germany Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 April 2005 (Singapore)

Also Known As:

Man Thing

Filming Locations:

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$143,615

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lions Gate Films, Artisan Entertainment, Marvel Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min (DVD) 96 min (Ontario)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The characters of Steve Gerber (William Zappa) and Mike Ploog (Robert Mammone) are references to the comic creators by the same names. While they didn't create the Man-Thing, they worked together on the first ongoing series of the comic book character and developed it further (e.g. establishing the "Nexus of All Realities"). Steve Gerber is also known as the creator of "Howard the Duck" and Mike Ploog is famous for his work on Marvel Comics' adaptations of "Planet of the Apes" and "Monster of Frankenstein" and most recently for his work on "Abadazad" (CrossGen Comics) and "Stardust Kid" (Image Comics) with writer J.M. DeMatteis.

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Quotes

[after he shoots Ploog]
Frederic Schist: Damned if you take my picture, asshole.

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Connections

Referenced in Vedro: Family Tree (2017)

User Reviews

Fun to watch, but don't expect too much

An interesting choice for Marvel to adapt to the big screen (or in most cases, the small screen), but don't go expecting "X-Men", "X-2" or "Spider-Man". What we have here is a fairly good horror movie, with a great location and likable cast who all look like they are having fun. Matthew Le Nevez and Alex O'Lachlan (the Sheriff and the Deputy) are two hotties who make the film even more worthwhile, and Rachael Taylor was pretty good too. The special effects were decent, and the swamp looked real (but then again, I'm no swamp expert), it was creepy and looked just right to have a serious case of missing-persons. I applaud Marvel for an interesting take on the villain also - not Man-Thing, but the concept of the destruction of the environment. This environmental destruction takes a human form in Jake Schist, played by Pat Thompson, and his cronies. The horror aspect of the film wasn't over-played, nor under-played, but subtle, and the cinematography used when Le Nevez and Taylor enter the "Dark Water" is excellent. My only major complaint with the film was that it was a little slow-paced in some places, and it would have been nice to see a little more romance between Le Nevez and Taylor's characters. Otherwise, a decent watch.