The Abyss (1989)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

James Cameron

Writer (WGA):

James Cameron (written by)

Release Date:

9 August 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

A place on earth more awesome than anywhere in space.

Plot:

A civilian diving team are enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and face danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.

Plot Keywords:

Submarine | Underwater | Abyss | Ocean | Estranged Couple

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Ed Harris	...	Virgil 'Bud' Brigman
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio	...	Lindsey Brigman
Michael Biehn	...	Lt. Hiram Coffey
Leo Burmester	...	Catfish De Vries
Todd Graff	...	Alan 'Hippy' Carnes
John Bedford Lloyd	...	Jammer Willis
J.C. Quinn	...	Arliss 'Sonny' Dawson
Kimberly Scott	...	Lisa 'One Night' Standing
Captain Kidd Brewer Jr.	...	Lew Finler (as Capt. Kidd Brewer Jr.)
George Robert Klek	...	Wilhite
Christopher Murphy	...	Schoenick, SEAL Team Member
Adam Nelson	...	Ensign Monk, SEAL Team Member
Dick Warlock	...	Dwight Perry (as Richard Warlock)
Jimmie Ray Weeks	...	Leland McBride
J. Kenneth Campbell	...	DeMarco

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language and some scenes of action. (special edition)

Runtime:

138 min | USA:171 min (special edition)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DuArt)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (special edition) (2000) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (special edition) (2000) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) (also special edition) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (original cut) | Portugal:M/12 | Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | USA:PG-13 (Certificate #29764) | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Iceland:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 (special edition) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | West Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL (special edition)

Filming Locations:

Harbor Star Stage, San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The role of Commodore DeMarco was originally meant for Lance Henriksen, but he couldn't appear due to a scheduling conflict.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Coffey is assembling a sub-machinegun there are only two people in a small room, but a third person can be seen on the right for a moment.

Quotes:

[first lines]
USS Montana Captain: Sixty knots? No way, Barnes. The Reds don't have anything that fast.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Making of 'True Lies' (1994) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Too Much Pressure

This top-notch underwater saga is one of my favorite films.

Epic-scale, intensely emotional science-fiction/drama/thriller in which an underwater drilling crew, led by Virgil "Bud" Brigman (Ed Harris) is recruited by the Navy to assist in a dangerous rescue mission. Eventually they all discover they are not alone deep down there in the water...

I love this movie, what more can I say? Many underwater movies have got nothing on it. The only problem is the running time: 145 minutes, extended to 171 minutes for the special edition. Some people may therefore have a hard time sticking with it, especially those who can't stand material that they deem "sappy".

It is in any event an impressive, major undertaking for writer/director James Cameron that provides acting showcases not just for the leads (Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn) but a fine supporting cast filled with good character actors.

I think it is a very slick, professionally handled movie with stunning special effects that had to have been state-of-the-art at the time. The drama is compelling (there is no shortage of crises to overcome) and the dialog is often good.

I sure have to admire Cameron for having a successful track record. All of his movies have been good (not to mention big money-makers), with the possible exception of his directing debut "Piranha Part II: The Spawning", which I still haven't seen.

And once again, an excellent score by Alan Silvestri.

9/10