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Leviathan's a shipwreck

What happens when you mix one hundred percent 'Alien' with fifty percent 'The Thing' add a dash of 'The Abyss' and add no originality of your own? Voila! You get Leviathan. This montage (montage is putting it very, very nicely) of 'Alien', 'The Thing', and 'The Abyss' doesn't even try to hide the fact that it is a rip-off of all three sci-fi classics. Instead, Leviathan unabashedly tries to make money, almost scene for scene, off retred ideas and comes up flat. Not even the all-star cast (how did the producers get Peter Weller and Richard Crenna to sign their names to this?) and an ineffectual Jerry Goldsmith score can save this shipwreck.

Great 80's fun!

Of all the underwater thrillers that came out in 1989, "The Abyss" might have had the biggest production value and "DeepStar Six" might have had the most gore scenes, but "Leviathan" was easily the most entertaining. The cast is a sight to behold. It's a get-together of countless familiar 80's faces: you get RoboCop, Col. Trautman from the "Rambo"-movies, Winston from "Ghost Busters", the nice hotel manager that helps Julia Roberts out in "Pretty Woman", Evil-Lyn from "Masters Of The Universe" and The Reverend from "C.H.U.D." (who you might also know as the funny tall burglar from "Home Alone" or just as Daniel Stern). Add to that the smokin' hot Amanda Pays (who I've never seen in any other movie before but whom I'd sure like to see more of) and you got yourself the crew of a lifetime.The basic premise doesn't alter much from "The Abyss" and "DeepStar Six" and borrows heavily from "Alien" and "The Thing". A group of scientists are working on *something* deep under the surface of the ocean. Just three days before their mission is reaching its end they discover a sunk Russian ship that carries a deadly cargo. It doesn't take long until all hell breaks loose."Leviathan" is hilariously cheesy, but that's okay. Even though the monsters look incredibly crappy and are so awkwardly intercut with the actors that we don't believe for a second the crew is actually fighting them, the movie is kinda thrilling from the get go until the very end. Most of all, the movie is a lot of fun and the one-liners hit home. Peter Weller's very final line is fried gold, as Nick Frost would say. They don't make them like that anymore. And when are computers finally going to work and talk like they do in this movie?

"Rambo, come rescue me!"

Honestly, that's the line that seems to be running through Richard Crenna's mind throughout this flick. As if he can't imagine why he is in this pic.Basically, Leviathan is probably the best of the '89 glut of aqua-horror-action movies. It's made on a decent budget (unlike DeepStar Six) and doesn't have bloated pretensions of greatness (unlike The Abyss). It's got a decent cast (hey, Hector Elizondo is a class act!) who seem to know they're not making a classic here, but are willing to give it their all for what is basically a cheesy horror flick.The plot also seems to at least bother to explain itself (unlike DeepStar Six, there' s an explanation for the monster). The cast is likeable (Peter Weller's another can't-miss sort of actor). I wouldn't give it high marks, but it's competently done.

Yet another predictable sci-fi/horror non-thriller

Every second of this movie you can basically predict from the start. All of the most basic uses of "foreshadowing" are utilized, making you do anything BUT sit on the edge of your seat. The stock horror "coming back for one final scare" pretty much made me laugh my butt off, because the "monster" was a basic joke, and it also gave the writers a chance to kill off the last of the characters who weren't romantically involved--therefore leaving just the two lovers left so that there weren't any odd feelings of having a "third wheel" in the mix (too bad, I liked Ernie Hudson's character a little).I think that if you suffer from insomnia, this just might be the cure. It will bore your brain into a coma.

Yuck

Yet another hack rip-off of Alien and John Carpenter's The Thing. This one is gory and sickening, with unacceptable amounts of ripped-off material and terrible acting. Where there is a plot, it has been used since who-knows-when. Avoid this awful movie at all costs.Rating: 0.5/10

could've been a classic if it came out 10 years later

with all the alien rip off labeling this movie has...its a shame it didn't come out ten years later when the Alien saga is dwindling down. This movie is GREAT! The cast couldn't have been better, the effects are great, and the musics rocks. I recommend this film and thankfully its now on DVD cause its worth watching it on DVD. Give it a try today if you didn't ten years ago8.5/10

Good story and Good Effects.

This movie is about an underwater mining company that encounters a sunken Russian ship. The result of their find is a disease that causes the human body to mutate with horrible results. Although this movie may not be very original it is a solid movie with good acting and great effects.

Not one original moment in this film

However, that is not to say that it isn't entertaining, because it is. The film is about a group of undersea miners who discover a Soviet wreck. The wreck contains a potion that of course, one of the crew members has to drink. The potion turns out to be a formula that turns people into reptile like monsters that will eventually spread their symptoms to everybody else on board.We have seen this all before. The Thing, the Alien series, The Deep, etc all have one idea or another that were thrown into this film. You have got the creature that takes over people's bodies(Alien, The Thing), the blood supply being depleted by the creature(The Thing), the remainder of the crew trying to escape the ship in a limited amount of time before it self destructs(Alien), and the scene where all of the guys are sitting around eating, talking about sex and other things(Alien).This movie could have been a lot better if they had thrown something original into it. Why not use more comic relief? That may have spiced up the film a bit. However, the film is not that bad and if you cannot find anymore decent sci-fi horror films to view, this one may just be up your alley.

Actually one of the better Under-water Horror Sci-Fi:s !

The special effects and the claustrofobic environment makes it to an Alien-abyss combination that actually works really good for the Sci-Fi people ! Peter weller does good and i must say that even if it doesn't come close to Alien i think the end is far better than that of the Abyss or "Sphere" fot that matter...

Leviathan is Great Fun!

Leviathan is lots fun, with great special effects and slick directing by George P. Cosmatos (Tombstone, Shadow Conspiracy). Its part Alien, part The Abyss. Its a fast-paced action-packed thriller with a great cast. Richard Crenna (First Blood, Wrongfully Accused)is especially good as the doctor with a cloded past. The movie came out in 1989 along with the similar Deepstar Six. I haven't seen Deepstar Six but it would have to be a classic to be better then this movie. Leviathan also stars Peter Weller (Robocop, Screamers) and Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters, The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, Congo). I give it 10/10

David Bowie Rocks!

DUDE, I JUST SAW THIS MOVIE, and I jus wanna say that David Bowie rocks and so do all of his little puppet friends! Every time I watch this trippy flick, I jus wanna grab a bong and HIT IT like Cheech & Chong. Oh, dude, whatever happened to them.... DUDE, LABYRINTH ROCKS! Wait... what the hell, David Bowie wasn't in this movie....Where am I?OH MY GOD, WHERE AM I?... Drug use is incorrect for the body, and I do not support those that think: "Hey, it's cool to smoke the marijuana."Are my 10 lines up yet?

underrated...

Spoilers...The crew of an underwater research lab fall victim to a mysterious genetic mutation
after two of its members drink a tainted bottle of liquor taken from a russian shipwreck.
One by one, the crew are "contaminated" when they encounter the ever mutating
monster derived from improperly disposed of bodies of the original two infected crew
members. Once a member of the crew is attacked, they become part of the monster.Perhaps ironically, the film itself is a bit of a hybrid mutation, borrowing story elements
from the Alien film and its genre, as well as "The Thing", especially John Carpenter's
version. Like Alien, the creature stalks those inside the underwater complex through its
maze of dimly lit, high-tech looking corridors, crawl spaces and labs. When the crew
learns of a bogus cover story about their supposed deaths in the news, they realize the
corporation they work for has lied to them about a rescue (the good doctor has supplied
them with enough info) and struggle to survive while look for a way out.The characters are believable enough, especially Richard Crenna who does a good job
playing the role of crew doctor who begins to unravel what's going on. The creature
effects are very well done and they're shown just enough (until the laughably predictable
ending with its [intentionally?] humorous borrowing from Jaws ) to build terror. There is
a sub-genre of underwater movies just like this one, but for some reason none seem as
tightly wound and enjoyable as Leviathan. Perhaps because of the cast (and there are
two beautiful actresses in this one) or the sfx, none linger in the mind like this one did.
A fun rental for a rainy day.

Enjoyable, well made Sci-Fi/B Movie monster flick.

In a mining corporation "Tri-Oceanic", the company hires civilians to work under the sea for 90 working days. The man in charge is Steven Beck (Peter Weller), who does his best handling his crew members (Amanda Pays, Ernie Hudson, Hector Elizondo, Michael Carmine, Lisa Eilbacher and Daniel Stern) and the doctor in staff (Richard Crenna). Like any other working day under the sea, two of the crew members has discovers an sinked Russian ship named "Leviathan". When they looked around, one of them has discover an safe. All they found inside is a pictures, a vodka bottle, a video tape and a flask of vodka. Which the crew member found in the safe has taking it without his boss seeing it. When he starts drinking it, along another crew member drinking it secretly. Then they both gets sick, one of them died quietly and the other committed suicide. The doctor, who knows the Russian language well. Along with Beck, they watched the video and they discover the Russian crew are actually scientists and they were playing god. Now these two dead crew members are having generic alteration and slowly turning into the unknown. When the crew tries to get rid of these bodies and putting it out to sea. Parts of the creature got inside the vessel. Now starts killing the crew, one by one. While Beck's boss above the sea (Meg Foster) warms them, they can't escape. Since there's an major storm coming. Now the crew has to do anything to stay alive.Directed by George P. Cosmatos (Rambo:First Blood Part 2, Cobra, Tombstone) made an entertaining, familiar Sci-Fi/Adventure/Horror/Thriller. They were two Science Fictions films about under the sea back in 1989. One was Sean S. Cunningham's cheap looking but horrible "Deep Star Six" and James Cameron's underrated "The Abyss". Since this feature and the two others were major box office disappointments. The premise isn't really nothing new but director Cosmatos has an good cast at work here, the production designs by Rob Cobb (Conan the Barbarian, The Last Starfighter), imaginative creature work by Stan Winston studios, good looking cinematography by Alex Thomson (Alien 3, Death Line, Legend) and fine music score by Jerry Goldsmith (Gremlins 1 & 2, The Omen, Total Recall)."Levithan", it's far from a perfect movie. The screenplay by David Webb Peoples (Blade Runner, Twelve Monkeys, Unforgiven) and Jeb Staurt (Another 48 Hrs, Die Hard, The Fugitive) does have its problems at times but hardly matters. The picture does have an refreshing sense of humour at times and there's few memorable gory moments of suspense. This film sort of went on to be an cult favorite over nearly 20 years now. Fans of Science-Fiction/Horror Genre will certainly like this one. Joe Dunton Camera Widescreen (J-D-C Scope). (*** ½/*****).

Cool film!!!!!!!

This is a cool creature flick about a mutant sea monster that attacks a mining base on the ocean floor. The cast is good and Stan Winston's creature effects are amazing. the direction is also fare.

Glub! Glub! Glub!

Somewhere in this Aliens meets 20000 Leagues Under the Sea mismatch is an interesting movie waiting to get out. However, it's not the special effects monster that wreaks havoc in the second half of the film. Rather, it's seen in the first 30 minutes of the film, where a mixed gender crew of undersea miner's attempts to work together and keep out of each others hair in the last 3 days of a long shift at sea. Labor problems, malingering, sexual tension, lots of stuff for an interesting, if offbeat, sci-fi film.

Instead, just as we start to get interested in the characters and their strange, if claustrophobic world, along comes Nessie, in the form of infected vodka lifted from a sunken Russian ship that works some unpleasant effects on members of the crew. There's no need to describe the resulting carnage, as we've seen it all too many times in far better films.

Leviathan is better than it ought to be thanks to a first class cast and some better than average make-up and special effects work. Definitely a B film with some bite, and best relegated to the second or third video in a Saturday nite sci-fi blitz.

3 out of 5 stars for a strong start and good production values

Very cool special effects

I loved this movie, aldo it was a huge ALIEN rip-off. Jerry Goldsmith did a beautiful job on this movie's music score. Special effects are great. Performances are decent. Script is enjoyable. Overall, I think this movie much better than most of the similar movies. It's definitely better than Deep Star Six, similar movie in 1989.

Mutant waiting to be found.

My rating: 0 (zero) stars out of ****Horrible sci-fi/horror film about a crew of a deep-sea laboratory that begin mutating into hideous mutants after injesting what they thought was wiskey. Terrible, with lots of gross monster effects, gruesome gore, and Peter Weller's HORRIBLE acting. We do get some cool F/X and Amanda Pays in her underwear and Bra (Twice! What goodies!), and the monster effects are wildly creative, but the "alien" rip-off settings, poor script, by-the-numbers plot, and predictable (but kind of fun) ending hammer it tremedously.

Good Movie

It is about a minning group who accedentaly stumble apon a russian capsised wreck they find some vodka and 2 of them drink it they become some frekky monsters

Slime, slime and slime..

I've always wondered why aliens/monsters/etc have to be so slimy? Is there a reason for this? As you understand, otherwise I wouldn't be writing this, Leviathan is no exception. I just don't get it. Is that supposed to make them more frightening? Another feature that I never understood was the fact that all computers have different interfaces. No "Microsoft rules the world" here. No, no. According to the movie industry there are about 2 000 000 different OS developers out there. And I, personally, would love to have a OS that lets me write questions like "Take a guess". And they all have a voice interface. Then that they spite this advanced technologies still used CGA graphics didn't seem to disturb any directors. This have become better. Like the interface in "Johnny Mnemonic". But I guess we are all limited by our time. Very few of us can in a realistic way foresee what things will look like in 20 years. Remember the computer in Space: 1999? Even Mr Kubrick, my favourite, couldn't see past the terrible fashion that ruled back in the late 60's in "A Clockwork Orange". I wouldn't want to wake up with a hang over and be forced to go into that kitchen to make coffee.I guess most of the different aspects of this movie, Leviathan, has been covered here already. But I wanted to reflect over one actor that I've never really could deal with; Richard Crenna.The first time I saw Crenna was in "First Blood". I think most of you know about his appearance in this movie, but for those who don't he is a Colonel in the Special Forces that is going to help the local police and national guard to catch Mr Rambo. And from this moment and forward, I just can't stand his acting. He is stereotype no matter what role he plays. Always the same "one eye brow up face a little to the side" look. And I find that unbearably annoying. I guess I'm not the only one, because he played mostly for TV and I guess that shows that he was not a top-notch actor.

Decent underwater "Alien" rip-off.

Underwater deep-sea miners encounter a Soviet wreck and bring back a dangerous cargo to their base on the ocean floor with horrifying results. In a story owing a lot to _Alien_ and _The Thing_, the crew of the mining base must fight to survive against a genetic mutation that hunts them down one by one. I rather liked this film. The story isn't new, I'll admit that, but I found it more entertaining than some of the other 80's "Terror-at-seas" themed movies. The cast is good, and all give fine performances. George P. Cosmato's direction is a major downfall--the pace is fast enough but there's virtually no atmosphere, suspense, tension, or style. Shame. The special effects are excellent. Obviously inspired by "The Thing" (Carpenter's version) we get loads of nasty gore and goopy parasite business to keep smiles on our faces. What bothers me most about the film was the pedestrian feel the movie has to it.5/10.