In The Abyss, the USS Montana – a U.S. Ohio-class submarine – is out in the Caribbean Sea when it encounters an unidentified object. As a result of the encounter, the sub sinks near the Cayman Trough.
With Soviet ships sent out to salvage the vessel, the US Government races to the area to recover the downed craft. However, with the USS Montana stuck at a depth of 2,000 feet, the Government enlists a team of oil riggers to aid in the operation.
The team get to work hunting down and exploring the downed sub, but find more than they bargained for. There is something down in the depths of the sea which they hadn’t expected, and it appears to be extraterrestrial in origin.
Written and directed by James Cameron, and originally released in 1989, The Abyss stars Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn. The film is a sci-fi picture which this year celebrates its 35th anniversary, and if you’re a fan of Cameron’s work (Aliens, Terminator 2, Avatar, etc) but you’ve never locked eyes on The Abyss, you should check it out.
The Abyss is a tour de force of special effects, with Cameron utilising (at the time of release) state-of-the-art techno wizardry to enhance his offering. The director is known for bringing spectacle to the screen and with The Abyss he doesn’t disappoint.
He also knows exactly how to shoot under-water scenes with flare and authenticity. Long before Titanicand Avatar: The Way of Water hit screens, Cameron perfected his water work with The Abyss and it’s pretty much seamless.
As such, The Abyss is a film which looked gorgeous back in ‘89 and all these years on it still looks gorgeous. This is because Cameron uses his Oscar-winning effects to develop his story, rather than to prop it up, and he doesn’t attempt to put visuals on screen that he can’t pull off.
But The Abyss is much more than just the visuals, the movie is also a fairly tense picture, built around suspense and claustrophobia. The riggers are essentially cut off from the rest of the world, while they have to deal with the problems and pitfalls of the sea, and then Cameron adds extraterrestrials and the sub’s nuclear weapons into the mix.
This creates an interesting twist on the usual sci-fi adventure-thriller. Rather than the central characters being thrust into the vastness of space they are remain on Earth, but are submerged in the cold dark ocean and have to deal with the threat of drowning, as well as additional conflicts.
The characters themselves are also interesting and fairly relatable. Similar to how Cameron brought his rag-tag cast of marines to life in Aliens, he does a similar thing here, by writing rounded people with quirks and idiosyncrasies and they blend perfectly with the plot.
So, all good then? Well, yes, mostly.
Where The Abyss struggles a bit is in its length. The original theatrical cut is 140 minutes long, while the special edition is 164 minutes, and for some this may be a touch too much.
The film is enjoyable stuff, but it does move at a slower pace and it is long. However, if you are a Cameron fan you’ll be used to long movies which take their time, as this is often his default setting, so it may not phase you.
Either way, the director likes to spend time living in the world he creates. Just keep this in mind.
Should you wish to check out The Abyss, the film is available on recently released region free 4K. However, if you live in the UK you will need to import the disc from the US, because a disagreement between the BBFC and Cameron over a proposed cut scene quashed plans for a UK release.
Outside of 4K, The Abyss is unfortunately not currently available on digital or Blu-ray, but you can find a copy on DVD. Alternatively, dust off that ol’ trusty VCR and hunt down a copy on VHS.
__
__
Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
It's A Stampede! 
Leave a comment