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

Sheriff Kyle Williams comes to Bywater to replace the missing sheriff and he learns from his deputy Fraser that there are other 47 missing persons in the area. He is summoned by the oil tycoon Fred Schist to repress a strike led by the schoolteacher Teri Richards in his company. He also learns that Schist claims that he bought the native sacred land Dark Waters from the Indian Ted Sallis that vanished with the money. Further, a man called Rene Laroque is sabotaging the facility. Kyle gets closer to Teri while he looks for Laroque, and soon he realizes that something in the swamp seems to be protecting Dark Waters.

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Plot Keywords:

based on comic book | marvel comics | swamp monster | man thing character | character name as title | 

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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

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

[first lines]
Rodney Thibadeaux: Crazy As A C**n

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Connections

Referenced in Nostalgia Critic: Blade (2016)

User Reviews

Better than I expected

As a part time comic geek and a full time movie geek I was surprised that anyone would green-light a film based on the old Marvel comic "Man Thing." Obviously I had no expectations for this straight to DVD release when I saw it last week but all in all I was pleasantly surprised. Now don't get me wrong, "Man Thing" is by no definition the best comic book film ever made but it is at least true to it's origins unlike "Batman Forever" and "Batman & Robin." The basic story is pretty much a product of the "plot wheel" and you won't see any big name actors but if you treat it for what it is, a solid B-movie, there are worse ways to spend an hour and a half. The title creature looks as if the special effects and costume designers did their best to capture this little known character's appearance and movement. Not to say that this film doesn't have it's problems, bad annoying camera gimmicks and cartoonish supporting actors among them, however I don't believe that a reviewers job is to turn into a whinny nitpicker. If you really love the medium there aren't that many films that you can't find at least one good element in. "Man Thing" never stood a chance to be much more than a guilty pleasure but honestly you can't expect a first rate film adaptation of a third rate comic book. This is a film for B movie night and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Cut. Print.

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)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,123,136

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lions Gate Films, Artisan Entertainment, Marvel Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min 105 min (DVD) 96 min (Ontario)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1