Leviathan (1989)

 Leviathan (1989)

PLOT - A crew of underwater deep-sea miners encounter a Soviet wreck and bring back a dangerous cargo to their base on the ocean floor with horrifying events. The crew begin to notice a genetic mutation that slowly begins to spread, infecting them one by one.

LOWDOWN - You know it's getting bad when you forget if you wrote a review on this or not. Well, guess what…there's going to be another! Leviathan is a movie I clearly remember watching bits and pieces of when I was little. Somehow I think I mixed this movie up with The Abyss from time to time since they pretty much have the same exact setting and set/up. I remember there being a giant sea turtle, and Winston from the Ghostbusters being dragged underwater (…) seeing that none of these things actually happen in the movie I think I might have been dreaming. Any who, I rented Leviathan due to the killer original VHS artwork. There are few things that truly scare me and the idea of a crew trapped in space or underwater where there's no place to go really digs at your mind. I'm not really all for the tight spaces, but just thinking of being trapped while something picks people off one by one honestly scares the ever living shit out of me. Alien anyone?

In fact Leviathan is what really The Abyss should have been about. Now I know, I know…Cameron had all ready made Aliens which was beyond awesome, and really if he had gone the horror route with The Abyss it would have been remaking Alien all over again but under the sea. Still, as much as I loved The Abyss in middle school nothing scarier would have been having some flesh eating alien or sea creature attack Ed Harris and Michael Biehn. Hey, a girl can dream can't she? Anyways, there were tons of when creatures/aliens attack movies that ripped off The Abyss, making the creatures not so friendly (Deepstair Six anyone?) but I believe Leviathan did it best. With killer practical effects, a great cast with the likes of Peter Weller, Richard Crenna, Amanda Pays, Daniel Stern, Ernie Hudson, Hector Elizondo, and Meg Foster. It's rare when you have such a great cast in what seems to be a creature feature. This movie came at the tail end of the 1980's when horror was huge. In fact I see this movie more as an action/sci-fi film than anything else. It had gross awesome practical effects, likable characters, memorable quotes, and one hell of an ending. This was a movie I caught on TV here and there and always watched A). For the awesome effects, and B). For Peter Weller who I have adored ever since he played Buckaroo. 

What I really liked was the fact that this creature began as a virus that began spreading through the crew after they brought in the poisoned cargo. I like how slow it begins, and once it picks up it never lets up. The deaths are brutal, and you honestly feel really bad for these people. Peter Weller as much as he mumbles (me and my friend one night legit were in tears since we couldn't understand one word he said) plays the best anti-hero who is just looking out for his crew. Ernie Hudson is sassy as always with some great lines "Hell? We're still here!" who plays great against Daniel Home Alone Stern who plays 6-pack. Amanda Pays who I know best from The Kindred is lovely, as is Meg Foster with her stunning yet scary blue eyes. I love the last shot of the movie. In fact, I may have to say it's the best final scene e-v-e-r. 

This movie doesn't take itself too serious, but when the action and gore starts it doesn't let up. One of my favorite scenes is when the three leads understand they need to escape the underwater base before the entire place falls apart around them. Here they have to swim to the surface from the ocean floor (pretty impossible since your lungs would burst) still anytime I see Deep Blue Sea, I think of this movie.

So in closing, Leviathan is a great creature feature to watch. Scream Factory did a great re-release on blu-ray last summer and it's crystal clear. In fact nothing says a day at a beach more than watching a flesh eating alien from the sea gobble up some 1980's actors!

3 stars!