This 2005 film is a loose adaptation of Steve Gerber and Val Mayerik's "Cry of the Native" story from the 1973 comic (Adventure Into) Fear #16, featuring Marvel Comics’ Man-Thing—a swamp creature with empathic abilities residing in the Everglades. The plot centers around conflict between Seminoles, environmentalists, and a developer aiming to take over their land. A new police chief investigates escalating deaths within the swamp alongside reports of a mysterious "man-thing" lurking there. While the production values are high—the sets, cinematography, music, locations (surprisingly, Sydney, Australia), and cast all stand out—this isn't a low-budget film; it was initially intended for theatrical release. The movie establishes a good sense of mystery, particularly in its opening thirty minutes and final twenty. It captures the feel of a comic book adaptation but manages to treat the source material with respect, avoiding excessive campiness. The creature design is a highlight; the Man-Thing resembles Val Mayerik’s original depiction, complete with gnarled branches and roots. However, he doesn't appear until roughly twenty minutes into the film. Although this could be acceptable if the narrative were compelling—like "Jaws"—it isn't. The story struggles to maintain interest beyond the first half hour and becomes bogged down in unnecessary characters and a slow pace. There’s an extended sequence of people simply existing within the swamp, often meeting unfortunate ends at the creature's hands. While this seems intended to showcase the impressive sets and lighting, it neglects the need for a strong story and engaging characters—a missed opportunity given the wealth of material available from Gerber's comic run. A significant flaw is how much the film deviates from the core concept of Man-Thing. Some additions are effective, such as the creature’s appearance and violent attacks, but his empathic nature and the iconic line "Whatever knows fear burns at the Man-Thing's touch" are absent. The creature inexplicably kills both innocent people and threatens the protagonists—behavior inconsistent with his comic book portrayal as a force for good representing nature itself, though this could be seen as thematically relevant. Certain elements remain faithful to the comics; Ted Sallis’ connection to the creature is one example, and the change from the original “super soldier” serum storyline is welcome. For context, Marvel's Man-Thing comic debuted two months before DC's Swamp Thing in 1971. There's also a curious detail: a creature resembling Man-Thing appeared on the cover of The Phantom Stranger #14 around the same time as Man-Thing’s debut. Even earlier, Theodore Sturgeon introduced a similar swamp creature named "It" thirty-one years prior to this film, which itself was inspired by The Heap from 1942. Comparing it to the 1982 “Swamp Thing” movie, the creature design in "Man-Thing" is vastly superior to that of a person in a rubber suit. The atmosphere and cinematography are also better, and the overall tone avoids goofiness. Storywise, both films are roughly comparable. Ultimately, while the middle section drags with its lack of focus and underdeveloped characters, “Man-Thing” offers something worthwhile for fans of creature features, especially swamp monster movies. It’s a decent film on that level, largely thanks to the impressive creature design. However, comic book purists may be disappointed by how loosely it interprets the source material and its tedious middle section—a real shame given the film's potential. The movie has a running time of 1 hour, 37 minutes and receives a grade of C.

Source on TMDB