After giving us Terminator (aliens from the future) and Aliens (aliens in space), in 1989 James Cameron decided to takes his theme to a new location and the setting for Abyss is entirely underwater. Its not a new idea, but out of all the attempts at this type of horror/sci-fi, this is undoubtedly the best. This time however the film is set in the totally recognisable world of the present day and comes complete with a moral message regarding humanity.
The film opens with us being introduced to the crew of a civilian underwater drilling rig, a bunch of experts and oddballs under the leadership of Virgil "Bud" Brigman played by the excellent Ed Harris. News reaches them that a US submarine has been lost on the edge of an abyss and with a violent storm moving in they are the only place a successful rescue attempt can be launched from. After being joined by a team of navy SEALs and the rigs designer, who happens to be the estranged Mrs Brigman, the storm closes in cutting all contact with the surface. The SEALs undisclosed mission is to ascertain the cause of the sinking and if necessary destroy the sub with one of its own nuclear missiles to prevent it from falling into Russian hands. In the meantime strange lights and happenings are seen, until finally it becomes clear that they are not alone under the sea, that there are NTIs, Non Terrestrial Intelligence. As the alien intelligence gets more familiar with the crew, the leader of the SEALs is slowly succumbing to pressure sickness and becoming not only irrational but also downright dangerous. In an attempt to save the situation which is spiralling out of control, Bud Brigman sets out on a dangerous mission. Will he save the day? why are the aliens here? will the navy destroy the sub? Only by watching the film will you find the answer.
The logistics of shooting a film to look like its under the sea must have been a nightmare, but the end result is convincing with the necessary claustrophobic feel to it. The scenes outside the rig are well shot, as are the indoor pieces were a combination of lighting and the deep blues of the water create a fantastic backdrop, but its the aliens that make the film what it is. Close Encounters of The Third Kind set underwater is not a bad way to think of this film and the aliens, their vehicles and their technology compare well with the special effects of the former. Considering that this film is fifteen years old and special effects have come a long way, this film still rates highly on the "wow" factor. The all turn in admirable performances, Harris is solid as the crew boss, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is a convincing virago of a woman as his wife, and Michael Biehn is totally mesmerising as the navy SEAL cracking under the pressure.
ONe word of warning is that you should not even entertain any thought of watching any other version but the directors cut. Cameron himself admitted that the original cuts made by the studio caused the film not to resolve the plot fully and you will be left knowing how the story ends but not why. In the full version, the one that the producer says is the film as it should have originally been released, the moral message comes home and the reasons for the alien presence is better explained. This version is a bit long at 171 minutes but worth the time invested in it.
If you are a fan of his other films, the likes of Alien, Blade Runner, Close Encounters or good sci-fi in general then this is for you. It has a solid story, good special effects and a cast who bring home a memorable performance and even by today's standards remains a classic sci-fi movie. Take the plunge, you wont regret it.
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Production Year: 1945 - Drama - Director: David Lean - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, Joyce Carey, Cyril Raymond
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Meticulously crafted but also ponderous and predictable, James Cameron's 1989 deep-sea ... more
close-encounter epic reaffirms one of the oldest first principles of cinema: everything moves a lot more slowly underwater. Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio...
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Meticulously crafted but also ponderous and predictable, James Cameron's 1989 deep-sea ... more
close-encounter epic reaffirms one of the oldest first principles of cinema: everything moves a lot more slowly underwater. Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
In this thrilling underwater action-adventure from writer-director James Cameron a ... more
civilian oil-rig crew is recruited to conduct a search-and-rescue effort when a nuclear submarine mysteriously sinks. One diver (Ed Harris) soon finds himself on a spe...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
In this thrilling, underwater action adventure from writer-director James Cameron ... more
(Titanic; Terminator 2: Judgment Day; Aliens), a civilian oil rig crew is recruited to conduct a search-and-rescue effort when a nuclear submarine mysteriously sinks. One...
![The Abyss [1989] [DVD]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78503517.jpg "The Abyss [1989] [DVD]")
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