Of the numerous monster-at-sea movies to have been made - and it's a big list that includes the good (THE ABYSS, DEEP STAR SIX), the not-so-good (THE RIG) and the plain crazy/awful (CREATURES FROM THE ABYSS), LEVIATHAN is probably the best of the bunch. When it comes down to it, it's a shameless rip-off of both ALIEN and THE THING, but when the production values and calibre of the cast are all so strong it's pretty hard to go wrong.
Veteran director George Pan Cosmatos (RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II) handles the directorial chores in this tale of an undersea base at the mercy of a sinister Russian creature which has the ability to infect those who come into contact with it. A cast of somewhat clichéd characters are thus forced to fight for their lives against the unknown menace, and there's plenty of horror, both in the form of icky effects and more unsettling suspense scenarios.
Cast-wise, we're treated to ROBOCOP's Peter Weller as the stalwart captain of the crew, and the ever-great Richard Crenna as the doctor, who plays probably the most interesting - and morally ambiguous - character. Amanda Pays and Lisa Eilbacher are easy on the eye as the female crew members, and there's an average-sized past for the ever-underused Ernie Hudson (GHOSTBUSTERS) as the token black guy. Watch out for Daniel Stern (VERY BAD THINGS) as a slobbish character, Hector Elizondo (PRETTY WOMAN) as another expendable and she of the glowing eyes, Meg Foster (THEY LIVE), as the stock corporate villain.
LEVIATHAN will win no awards for originality, but I liked it well enough. The pacing is strong, the deaths are well handled, and there's just the right among of gore without it feeling excessive. In addiction, the sticky special effects bring just the right level of eye-popping spectacle to the production. For reasons unknown I'm a huge fan of this underwater sub-genre, and LEVIATHAN just might be the best of the bunch.
