Review of The Abyss (1989) by Andrew M — 17 Sep 2016

The most admirable quality of The Abyss is its sheer ambition on display. With just his fourth film (third if you exclude Pirahna II), James Cameron solidifies himself as a master of visuals. For all of the infamous production problems that occurred during filming, the film is a marvel in terms of practical effects: all of the sets are simultaneously expansive and finely detailed, and all of the underwater portions of the film are captured beautifully as these actors actually do their thing in millions of gallons of water. Of course, Cameron is never one to back down in terms of advancing visual effects as well, and The Abyss is no exception in that regard either. The mysterious forces lurking in the depths of the titular abyss are stunning creations, and one particular water creature clearly paved the way for the stunning effects of Cameron's next film.

With all that said, The Abyss suffers in the department that, up to this point in Cameron's career, he has not had all that much trouble with: storytelling. Not to say that The Abyss has a poorly written story or concept, but Cameron seems to have too many ideas that often times fight for dominance. The story itself takes a while to hit full speed, and the second act tries to cram in a strained relationship between blue collar oil rig workers Bud (Ed Harris) and Lyndsey (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) and a subplot with Navy SEALs opposing the actions of the protagonists, all while balancing out the overarching presence of the "non-terrestrial intelligence." It finds some focus in the final act, but it all culminates in an underwhelming, albeit visually beautiful, climax that is less emotional than the films Cameron seems to be inspired by (Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 2001: A Space Odyssey) and more of a rushed deus ex machina. Cameron's visuals mostly make up for it, but it's a big step down from the simplistic yet effective narratives of The Terminator and Aliens.