6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Perched on the hull of a wrecked Soviet freighter, a team of deep-sea miners—led by head oceanographer Steven Beck—comes face-to-face with a mutant creature that's the product of a failed genetic experiment. As Beck's crew members begin to disappear one by one, the flesh-eating monster lurks below the surface—and the divers left alive are scared to death.
Starring: Peter Weller, Richard Crenna, Amanda Pays, Daniel Stern, Ernie HudsonHorror | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
George Cosmatos' "Leviathan" (1989) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by critics Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson; archival program with Hector Elizondo; archival program with Ernie Hudson; remastered original trailer; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
Deep down below
Kino Lorber's release of Leviathan is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray disc is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray disc is Region-A "locked".
Please note that some of the screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.
Screencaptures #1-25 are from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #28-39 are from the 4K Blu-ray.
The release introduces a new 4K makeover of Leviathan that was struck from an interpositive. In native 4K, the 4K makeover can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I viewed it in its entirety with Dolby Vision and did not test the HDR grade. However, I tested several areas of the 1080p presentation.
The new 4K makeover is very beautiful. To be honest, it is probably one of the very best I have seen from Kino Lorber because it is unquestionably one of the most accurate. Indeed, while I was viewing Leviathan last night, I felt as if I was transported back to one of my favorite theaters from the 1980s, where I had many, many special encounters with great cult and classic films. In native 4K, Leviathan has a rock solid authentic appearance that is gorgeous from start to finish. Delineation, clarity, and depth were impressive, too. Darker material, in particular, looked lovely and there was not a single area where I felt that black/shadow nuances were not managed right. Fluidity was fantastic as well, so during the final act the action looks great. What about color balance? It is pitch-perfect. The underwater footage with the rich deep blue and blue nuances is breathtaking, but even some of the station footage look great. The equipment lights look exactly as they should on a 1980s film as well. (There are no turquoise or green screens here). Image stability is excellent. The entire film is spotless, too.
The main discrepancy that I observed between the 1080p and native 4K presentation was in the dynamic range of the visuals they produce. In 1080p, some areas are not as rich and vibrant as they are in native 4K, and because there are a lot of darker nuances, the perception of depth varies as well. Still, I think that Leviathan looks terrific in 1080p, too.
There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
I viewed very large sections of the film with the 5.1 track and also tested the 2.0 track. The 5.1 track will almost certainly be the one fans of the film choose because it does alter the dynamic field pretty well. However, there are areas where only the music score creates subtle contrasts that are equally effective on the 2.0 track. Frankly, I like how the action footage sounds on it as well. The dialog is always very clear and easy to follow. However, keep in mind that there are some pretty random technical terms that are being thrown around.
4K BLU-RAY DISC
If you successfully ignore the obvious, which is that Leviathan is a copycat, the trip to the bottom of the ocean and the drama that is part of it can be pretty entertaining. Leviathan is not a bad looking film, either. However, I have always been a bigger fan of its twin brother, DeepStar Six, for several different reasons, too. Kino Lorber's release introduces an exclusive new 4K makeover of Leviathan that is a thing of beauty. It is also one of the most accurate I have seen from the boutique label. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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20th Anniversary Edition
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Director's Cut
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