This overlong concoction is scuppered by dire dialogue, histrionic performances and maudlin sentimentality.
The Abyss (1989)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:39
Fresh:33
Rotten:6
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: The utterly gorgeous special effects frequently overshadow the fact that The Abyss is also a totally gripping, claustrophobic thriller, complete with an interesting crew of characters.
Runtime: 5 hrs 26 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: After a nuclear submarine mysteriously sinks in a remote part of the ocean floor, a team of divers on a prototype underwater oil rig are pressed into service by the U.S. Navy in a rescue attempt.... After a nuclear submarine mysteriously sinks in a remote part of the ocean floor, a team of divers on a prototype underwater oil rig are pressed into service by the U.S. Navy in a rescue attempt. When a hurricane cuts off contact between the surface and the underwater depths, the crew begin to see evidence of a strange, possibly alien intelligence at work. While chief Bud Brigman (Ed Harris) bickers with his ex-wife and boss (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), the Navy commander begins to grow increasingly paranoid about the mysterious alien life and threatens to use a recovered nuclear weapon to destroy everything. James Cameron's undersea epic is a tale of sacrifice and hope in an amazing alien landscape that covers 2/3 of the Earth's surface. Featuring landmark visual effects but plagued by production difficulties, the cast and crew were stretched to the breaking point and THE ABYSS became one of the most expensive films ever made in its time, but the final result is a remarkable blend of action and human drama. Scenes cut from the theatrical version, including a number of special effects sequences involving huge tidal waves threatening the cities of the world, are restored in the Special Edition versions. [More]
Starring: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Leo Burmester
Starring: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Leo Burmester, Chris Elliott, Todd Graff
Director: James Cameron
Director: James Cameron
Screenwriter: James Cameron
Producer: Gale Anne Hurd
Composer: Alan Silvestri
Reviews for The Abyss
The movie was a bear to make and it shows onscreen, parading around a series of mesmerizing set-pieces that look deliciously hard-earned in ways our current CG-drenched filmmaking climate never allows.
A disappointing follow-up to Cameron's great sci-fi Aliens, The Abyss is too verbose for an actioner and the special effects, striking as they are, are not well integrated into the narrative.
What ultimately saves the film are its extraordinary sets and phenomenal Oscar-winning visual effects.
The attempt to extract the essences of several genres (cold-war submarine thriller, love story, Disney fantasy, pseudomystical SF in the Spielberg mode) and mix them together ultimately leads to giddy incoherence.
What was once a well-made, well-acted mess is now a very poignant and satisfying sci-fi adventure.
For God's sake, make sure you have the director's cut. The theatrical cut was an abomination.
Latest News for The Abyss
August 11, 2008:
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We showcase 20 films which have employed Pixar's pioneering software RenderMan to create some of the last two decades' most visually-impressive movies. More...
April 08, 2007:
Michael Biehn Hopin', Wishin' and Waitin' for "Avatar"
James Cameron staple actor Michael Biehn ("Terminator," "Aliens," "The Abyss") must be happy that the director is coming back to narrative... More...
March 27, 2007:
Biehn and Cameron Back Together on "Avatar"?
They worked pretty darn well together on "The Terminator," "Aliens," and "The Abyss" -- so maybe filmmaker James Cameron and actor Michael Biehn... More...
January 17, 2007:
An Old Friend Checks Out James Cameron's New "Avatar"
Well here's some James Cameron news that's interesting if not all that surprising: In addition to the already-cast Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, the "Avatar"... More...
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