Man-Thing: Widescreen DVD Review

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Title: Man-Thing: Widescreen

Region: One

Genre: Live Action Comic Book Adaptation Thriller

Stars: Matthew Le Nevez, Rachel Taylor, and Jack Thompson

Writer: Hans Rodionoff

Based On The Marvel Comic Book Character

Director: Brett Leonard

Feature length: 97 minutes

Extras: Trailer Gallery

Languages: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Stereo Sound

Subtitles: English Closed Captions and English and Spanish Language Subtitles

Packaging: Amaray Keep Case

Chapter Stops: 24

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Stereo Sound

Year of DVD Release: 2005

Home Video Distributor: Lions Gate Home Entertainment

MPAA Rating: R

Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera

I remember reading about “Man-Thing” a little over a year ago in the pages of “SCI FI” magazine. Director Brett Leonard was quite excited by the approach he chose for the film, which keeps the Marvel Comics character shrouded with only bits and pieces of him being shown until the full unveiling occurs about 75 minutes into the film. He wanted to make “Man-Thing” scary and I think there was also a conscious effort to make the film as different in tone as possible from the two DC Comics inspired “Swamp Thing” feature films, which had even inspired a syndicated TV series. I personally remember seeing issues of “Man-Thing” on the newsstand when I was a boy, but it was never a comic I read personally so it is difficult for me to judge whether or not Leonard’s dark approach was appropriate or not and while I can discuss the film’s explanation for the creature’s origins, I have no idea just how close it is to the comic book. What I can comment about right now is the film’s dual nature, which I think may have hurt it. “Man-Thing” is a supernatural being that protects the dark water region of a swamp somewhere in the Deep South. The Schist Company brought up acres of the dark water property to drill oil and as a result has suffered the combined protest of nature conservationists and American Indian tribesmen who believe the company’s presence has placed a curse on the area that can only be lifted if the Schist Company withdraws from the land, which they consider sacred.

“Man-Thing” kills without mercy and indiscriminately too. It doesn’t matter if you are a teenager trying to find a cozy spot to make out with your girlfriend or a law enforcement officer that not only means no harm, but is terrified by what might be out there, Man-Thing will tear into you. The victims turn up terribly mutilated as if branches or vines literally were thrust inside them. The main focus of Man-Thing’s rage however is the Schist Company and it will attack and rip apart anyone it finds there and then be gone in seconds. By the time you see it coming, you’re probably already dead. A new Sheriff (Mathew Le Nevez) arrives in the area and immediately discovers autopsy cover-ups and a town full of fearful and secretive people. His investigation leads him deep into the dark water and face to face with the Man-Thing.

Now the biggest problem with “Man-Thing” is the dual tone within the film. It tries to be dark and spooky and visually the film is absolutely stunning with deep green tones and other saturated colors that often evoke a feeling of doom. However where the film falters is it tries to lighten up here and there with cliché characters that one is almost certain will be Man-Thing’s next victim and the manner in which the creature kills seemingly innocent people is so horrible that you can’t even sympathize with it as a defender of nature. Basically the characters are flat, behave in predictable as well as often stupid ways and as a result what could have been a terrific spooky film based on the Marvel Comics series becomes little more than a B-movie. The excuse that this is a film based on comic book so what should one expect just doesn’t cover it. It doesn’t have to be Shakespeare, but at the very least it would have been nice to see some original thinking in this picture. I mean if a character just turned the other way instead of behaving the way we expect him to behave then the film would have been far more interesting.

As far as I am aware, there was no theatrical release for “Man-Thing” in the United States. Ironically enough the film had its premiere on the SCI FI Channel a few months ago. I watched the letterboxed broadcast back then and felt how can I really judge a film like this when it is clearly edited to allow for both commercial interruption and to remove content that might not be suitable for young viewers. Without commercials the SCI FI broadcast clocked in at less than 90 minutes while the Lions Gate Home Entertainment DVD is about 97minutes so I’d say there are about ten extra minutes on the DVD that did not air on the SCI FI Channel. Mostly these appear to be scenes that involve more gore and alternate takes that allow for some brief nudity in the film’s opening sequence. The Man-Thing creature itself looks terrific with a very nice mix of costume and practical effects as well as CGI that enables Leonard to present the creature in an otherworldly manner. In terms of production design and creature effects, “Man-Thing” delivers and the gore seemed pretty hardcore at times too.

For some reason I thought “Man-Thing” was shot in scope, but I am unsure so I’m going with the aspect ratio the DVD has as being correct at (1.85:1) with anamorphic enhancement. The picture quality is gorgeous. If you thought the SCI FI Channel broadcast premiere looked good, you have got to see the DVD. It is awesome visually and the English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound is quite aggressive with a nice use of the bass and subwoofer to create a jolting effect. A somewhat deeper than it should be English Stereo Soundtrack is encoded onto the dual layered DVD too along with English Closed Captions for the hearing impaired and English and Spanish Language Subtitles made available as options as well.

Sadly there are no extra value features related to the film. I really think an EPK featurette, some notes about the character’s origins and a Director’s commentary would have made one appreciate the film more for what it is and understand the filmmaker’s intentions better. A gallery of trailers (6:32) that include “The Punisher”, “Alone In The Dark”, “Undead”, “Zombiez”, and “The Slaughterhouse Massacre” are the only bonus materials available on the DVD.

The interactive menus are animated scenes from the film and are all easy to navigate. If you only saw “Man-Thing” on the SCI FI Channel, I suggest you give the film a second chance on DVD. While far from perfect, “Man-Thing” is visually beautiful with great effects that the DVD renders with gusto. “Man-Thing: Widescreen” is available on DVD-Video now at retailers on and offline courtesy of Lions Gate Home Entertainment.

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