Review of The Abyss (1989) by Nathan M — 25 May 2010
The US Government has BP send a crew of petro-engineers to diffuse a situation on the verge of becoming a catastrophe of global proportions. No, I'm not referring to the current Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster, I'm talking about James Cameron's meticulous aquatic epic.
BP stands for Benthic Petroleum and the issue is a sunken submarine carrying a massive nuclear payload. The film is just as much a commentary on the Cold War as it is a space thriller, the space being a drilling rig under the sea instead of a mining outpost.
The script and acting are both sharp, indicative of the punch that Cameron's scripts still packed in the 1980s. However, despite the better dialogue, the flow of the story is a bit sprawling and the film doesn't feel tight, but it doesn't feel flabby either.
Nevertheless, the characters are just as marvelously detailed as the visual experience with quirks and believable attitudes aplenty. There's even a suction-cup Garfield doll on one of the fish eye windows on the rig.
Cameron's trademark of strong female characters is also present here. The visuals are outstanding considering that the film was produced in 1989. The set pieces are exactingly detailed and the CGI is outstanding for the 1980s, looking better than some of the CGI done today.
Although not Cameron's best work, The Abyss would initiate the trajectory of James Cameron's big budget career, foreshadowing such works as Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Titanic, and Avatar.
This review of The Abyss (1989) was written by Nathan M on 25 May 2010.
The Abyss has generally received positive reviews.
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