Coming in the late 1980s with all the momentum sprung from the "Alien" original and first repeat, "Leviathan" sought to take the alien model underwater, where a group of trash collectors fights on-board monsters with saws and flamethrowers.

The producers of this film knew a good model when they found it and obviously allowed the audience to laugh at their copycat ways by creating aliens that alternately look like tongues with teeth and moving intestines. There's also a paean to the real "Alien" near the end that Peter Weller does away with by squishing it's head in an elevator shaft.

And, in the final scene, you won't believe how hokey and stupid this kind of movie could be just a few years before the advent on high tech and high gloss computerization became de riguer in this type of thing. It's worth it to sit through the whole thing just to see that unbelievably dumb final scene.

Weller "starred" in this vehicle two years after his biggest hit, 1987's "RoboCop". This didn't do much for his reputation even though the cast included some great eye candy in Amanda Pays and the steely blue eyes of Meg Foster. A solid supporting cast headed by the great Richard Crenna, Ernie Hudson and Hector Elizondo offer a high level of acting credibility.

Still, they can't make sense of this mishmash which, oddly and fantastically, still works as horror. Leonard Maltin says to, "Skip it" on this one but I'd disagree. I think there's enough humor, whether intentional or unintentional, eye candy, schlock horror and fine acting to give you your money's worth. It didn't work as a big release in the theater but it's pretty good entertainment on a Tuesday night on your home system.
Coming in the late 1980s with all the momentum sprung from the "Alien" original and first repeat, "Leviathan" sought to take the alien model underwater, where a group of trash collectors fights on-board monsters with saws and flamethrowers. The producers of this film knew a good model when they found it and obviously allowed the audience to laugh at their copycat ways by creating aliens that alternately look like tongues with teeth and moving intestines. There's also a paean to the real "Alien" near the end that Peter Weller does away with by squishing it's head in an elevator shaft. And, in the final scene, you won't believe how hokey and stupid this kind of movie could be just a few years before the advent on high tech and high gloss computerization became de riguer in this type of thing. It's worth it to sit through the whole thing just to see that unbelievably dumb final scene. Weller "starred" in this vehicle two years after his biggest hit, 1987's "RoboCop". This didn't do much for his reputation even though the cast included some great eye candy in Amanda Pays and the steely blue eyes of Meg Foster. A solid supporting cast headed by the great Richard Crenna, Ernie Hudson and Hector Elizondo offer a high level of acting credibility. Still, they can't make sense of this mishmash which, oddly and fantastically, still works as horror. Leonard Maltin says to, "Skip it" on this one but I'd disagree. I think there's enough humor, whether intentional or unintentional, eye candy, schlock horror and fine acting to give you your money's worth. It didn't work as a big release in the theater but it's pretty good entertainment on a Tuesday night on your home system.