Leviathan

This movie is always going to be compared to Deep Star Six and The Abyss, because all three films came out at the same time. It is an underwater "Alien" movie, but it doesn't rip off The Abyss, which came out third of the three and none of them did any real business.

Anyway, this movie was one of those films that is engrossing in the theater and transfers very poorly to television and video. I would venture a guess that a wide-screen DVD version may be able to pick-up most of the considerable detail that was placed into this film. The acting is not awful and the story is well-paced, which is a step ahead of the other two 1989 underwater movies. This isn't Shakespere folks, so don't expect it. A little more polish to the script would have helped this movie greatly, but it is a fairly B horror flick so it was expected.

The cast is Weller, Hudson, Crenna, and Pays doing their things. They don't exactly phone it in, but they aren't expected to deliver that many lines convincingly anyway. Whatever happened to Amanada Pays? After seeing this I thought she had a chance to break through, but instead she disappeared.

The setting and special effects are the keys to this one, though. Visually, it is as tough as they come. Like I wrote before, stick to the DVD version, because I already know the VHS version stinks because it is so cloudy and out of focus. Watch the DVD and I can almost guarantee that you will find this movie to be better than you have been lead to believe by others.

Leviathan follows the crew of a deep sea mining expedition who discover a wreck of a Soviet ship - the Leviathan, which is supposedly still in service. Exploring the wreck they find evidence of a mysterious 'illness' that took the lives of those on board. After smuggling some vodka back from the wreck, one of the crew starts to show signs of the same condition that killed the ship's crew, and after mutating into a genetic abomination begins to hunt the rest down...

Despite some big names this film has b-movie written all over it. Granted, the sets and special effects are actually quite good, with some disgusting body horror and slimy creatures, but the basic plot, characters and dialog feel like they are straight from a 50's sci fi horror. Not that there's anything wrong with that of course, but while watching this I did feel like I was watching a poor mans 'The Thing', with a sprinkling of Alien... and considering this came out a whole decade after the latter, at this point you really need to be stepping up your game. The characters and dialog are not as good as Alien, the paranoia and atmosphere is not as good as The Thing, and the underwater setting and special effects are not as good as in The Abyss (which came out the same year). It doesn't really bring anything new to the table to justify it's own existance, and as such ends up feeling derivative in pretty much every way.

Still, it's not exactly terrible or anything, and if you are into this kind of thing it can provide some passable entertainment. It's just not as good as any of the films that have so very obviously inspired it...

In the Atlantic Ocean, 16,000 feet deep, the Tri Oceanic Mining Corporation keeps a eight-men crew with the mission of extracting silver and other precious metals. The geologist and leader Steven Beck (Peter Weller) works with Dr. Glen 'Doc' Thompson (Richard Crenna) managing the miners astronaut wannabe Elizabeth 'Willie' Williams (Amanda Pays), the prankster Buzz 'Sixpack' Parrish (Daniel Stern), Justin Jones (Ernie Hudson), Tony 'DeJesus' Rodero (Michael Carmine), Bridget Bowman (Lisa Eilbacher) and G. P. Cobb (Hector Elizondo). He is also the liaison with the Tri Oceanic executive Ms. Martin (Meg Foster).

In their next to last day, Willie and Sixpack are assigned to work outside the base and Sixpack falls in a hole. Willie seeks him out and finds a Russian vessel named Leviathan. Sixpack finds a safe inside the vessel and brings it to their base. They find money, vodka, a videotape and documents and Beck keeps the content of the safe. However Sixpack steals a bottle of vodka and drinks with Bowman. Meanwhile Beck and Doc watch the videotape and the Russian Captain explains a problem that killed his crew. On the next morning, Sixpack does not feel well and stays in the sickbay. Soon Doc learns that his patient has a genetic mutation. When Bowman shows the same symptoms, Beck asks Ms. Martin to rescue them. But there is a hurricane on the surface and the rescuing mission is not possible.

"Leviathan" is an Alien rip-off underwater, but it is nostalgic to see this movie in the present days to admire the excellent cast in the late 80's. The lovely Amanda Pays shines with her beauty and is always good to see the eyes of Meg Foster. Peter "Robocop" Weller, Richard Creena and Hector Elizondo, all of them in good shape, is another attraction. Another good point is the special effect with the monsters, usual in the 80's and 90's and different from the exaggeration of the CGI in the present days. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Leviathan"

Note: On 11 July 2023, I saw this film again.

The first half of "Leviathan" is competently made and surprisingly absorbing, with strongly drawn characters and good acting all around. In the second half, the film degenerates into an "Alien" rip-off (and later on, it even steals a classic scene from "Jaws"), with derivative special effects and too many familiar elements. But it is saved (and gets 6/10) by Cosmatos' professionalism; he certainly redeems himself here for making the absolutely terrible "Cobra" three years earlier.

How can you go wrong with a Robocop, a Ghostbuster, a burglar from Home Alone, Pretty Woman and Axel Foley's personal assistants, and Richard Crenna????

Does it rip off Aliens? YES. Does it rip off The Thing? YES...but who really gives a rip?!?! It's just fun. Give me Stan Winston's practical effects any day too!

I remember going to the theatres when it came out, but I think I enjoyed it even more watching it 35 years later in retrospect. The stars and dialogue from the 80's was delightfully nostalgic. Grab the popcorn and go to town.

The kids might not get it, but if you were a product of the times, give it a rewatch!