Leviathan (1989) (Blu-ray Review)
Directed By: George P. Cosmatos
Starring: Peter Weller, Richard Crenna
Rated: R/Region A/1:85/1080p/Number of Discs 1
Available from Scream Factory
On the dark and forbidding ocean floor, the crew of a deep-sea mission rig discovers a sunken freighter that harbors a deadly secret: a genetic experiment gone horribly wrong. With a storm raging on the surface and no hope of rescue, the captain and his team are propelled into a spine-tingling battle for survival against the ultimate foe: a hideous monster that cannot die…and lives to kill! Starring Peter Weller (Robocop), Amanda Pays (Max Headroom), Richard Crenna (First Blood), Daniel Stern (Home Alone) and Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters) and directed by George P. Cosmatos (Tombstone, Of Unknown Origin), Leviathan features a solid script by veteran screenwriters David Peoples (Blade Runner) and Jeb Stuart (Die Hard, The Fugitive) and amazing creature effects by the one and only Stan Winston (Aliens, Predator, Terminator 2, Jurassic Park).
You know, it kind of reminded me of Aliens only in the water. That would be what I’d say to sum up, Leviathan to anyone who asked. You will find a lot of good in the film. There is a cast of recognizable faces and we get some really gnarly special effects. The whole isolated terror thing world just as well deep under water as it does deep in space I think. When things start to go bad the pace is picked up, yet the film never seems to be above a laugh as well. There are more than a few key plot-holes you might not be able to forget, but the key thing is entertainment and Leviathan is that if it isn’t anything else. It is also hard to say bad things about a movie with a cast made up of Ernie Hudson, Peter Weller, Richard Crenna, Hector Elizondo, and Daniel Stern. I mean come now, can you say that doesn’t just sound like an awesome time?
Going back to the effects for a moment, that is really the bread and butter of this whole thing. In the days before CGI good effects could make or break a film and this one hits a home run with what it brings to the table. Now, I won’t sit here and say that in the final act things don’t get a little crazy with perhaps some literal shark jumping and other wild and wacky stuff that seems off based on what has led to that point. That still ends up making the movie what it is. As far as transfers go you can’t complain about what you get here. Everything looks clean and clear with very nice colors. If you’ve seen it before, you certainly haven’t seen the movie like this.
- New Interviews with actors Hector Elizondo, Ernie Hudson and creature effects artists Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr.
- Theatrical Trailer
