How long can you hold your breath?
Released by: Scream Factory
Release Date: August 19, 2014
Region Code: A
Running Time: 1:38:00
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 / English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Video: 1080p (2.35:1 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: English
THE FILM:
On the dark and forbidding ocean floor, the crew of a deep-sea mission rig discovers a sunken freighter that harbors a deadly secret: a genetic experiment gone horribly wrong. With a storm raging on the surface and no hope of rescue, the captain and his team are propelled into a spine-tingling battle for survival against the ultimate foe - a hideous monster that cannot die... and lives to kill!
This film has to me, always felt like a hybrid of John Carpenter's "The Thing" and Ridley Scott's "Alien". It's not as good as either film, in my opinion, but it's still an enjoyable movie with a good cast and special effects.
"Leviathan" was directed by George P. Cosmatos (Tombstone) and stars Peter Weller (RoboCop), Richard Crenna (First Blood), Daniel Stern (Home Alone), Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters), Hector Elizondo (Chicago Hope), and Amanda Pays (The Kindred).
AUDIO:
"Leviathan" features two English audio tracks, a DTS-HD MA 2.0 and DTS-HD MA 5.1. The 5.1 track will make good use of your surround speakerss but you may want to lower their volume a little because they can be a little overwhelming at times in regards to your other speakers and dialogue. The 2.0 track, which I prefer, sounds fine and does an adequate job of putting you in the middle of the action.
VIDEO:
"Leviathan" comes to Blu-ray thanks to Scream Factory. The film is presented in 1080p with a 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio. Overall I found the Blu-ray to look very good. The film does not feature much in the way of colors, focusing more on black, white, gray and dark blues. Other colors may look a bit flat, but it seems fitting for this film. Black levels look very good. Fine detail looks quite good and I am surprised just how good, some shots appear. There is a fine layer of grain which looks natural and doesn't seem to have any clumping issues.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Along with the following, this Blu-ray also features a Chapter Selection Screen and English Subtitles. The cover art for this release is also reversible.
Leviathan - Monster Melting Pot (40:26) - This extra features interviews with Tom Woodruff Jr. and Alec Gillis who works on the film as part of Stan Winston Studios. The pair discuss Stan Winston choosing to work on "Leviathan" as opposed to another undersea film. They talk a bit about issues working with Director George P. Cosmatos and their work on the film. A fairly informative set of interviews that fans will want to watch.
Dissecting Cobb with Hector Elizondo (12:35) - Mr. Elizondo discusses playing 'bad guys' and shares some advice he once received from Lee Marvin. Among other things, he also talks about the exosuits and a near accident while inside one of them.
Surviving Leviathan with Ernie Hudson (15:01) - Mr. Hudson expresses his displeasure about the demise of his character so close to the end of the film. He also speaks about his role in the film and some of the special effects used in the movie.
Theatrical Trailer (1:51)
More From Scream Factory (1:42)
IN CONCLUSION:
"Leviathan" should appeal to fans of "The Thing" or "Alien" at least to some degree. It's a decent movie that has a good amount of action, good special effects and great looking creature effects thanks to Stan Winston Studios. The Blu-ray is pretty good with above average audio and video quality as well as a few decent extras. If you're a fan of the film, you should definitely buy this release. If you're a sci-fi/horror/action film fan and have never seen "Leviathan", you owe it to yourself to check this one out.
OVERALL RATING: 3.5 / 5