 Author John Kenneth Muir notes that "Swamp Thing" differs in many respects from Craven's usual work, in that Craven's intent was to show the major Hollywood studios that he could handle action, stunts and major stars.Craven substituted his usual focus on the problems of family and society for pure entertainment.Nevertheless, Muir points out, some of Craven's usual themes and images do appear in "Swamp Thing".