Review of Leviathan (1989) by Bence L — 15 Jun 2011

Grotesque and entertaining sci-fi thriller from the late 80s offers little in the way of solid filmmaking but delivers quite a bundle in the so-bad-it's-strangely-good department of cinematic pleasures. Take a second to consider the following:

1.) Peter Weller as an ass-kicking geologist, yet more proof that he was probably one of the coolest people alive during his heyday in the Me decade.

2.) Sexy-eyed Meg Foster in a supporting role as the stereotypically heartless corporate female masthead. Her character's name is actually Martin, but why give a shit?

3.) Ernie Hudson and Hector Elizondo essentially playing themselves, which only Tim Curry and the pelagic monstrosity at this film's center might consider a bad thing.

4.) The aforementioned pelagic monstrosity; try imagining an angler fish crossbred with Rush Limbaugh and the hallway demon from Hellraiser. Russian scientists are to blame as usual.

5.) Daniel Stern drinks a flask of vodka recovered from the Russian vessel and is either absorbed by or transformed into the aberrant creature. That's about as clear as I can describe it. Beats the hell out of dealing with Macauley Culkin again, I suppose.

6.) A gratuitous arsenal of flamethrowers, buzzsaws and razor-sharp undersea mining instruments. Daniel Stern, of course, never gets to use any of them.

7.) Weller eventually knocks the stuffing out of Meg Foster after realizing what an insidious creep she is.

Rent. Play. Laugh. End Transmission.