Review of The Abyss (1989) by Kylie P — 30 Jan 2010

From September 20, 2007:

The Abyss works as a film primarily for one reason--namely, the moods and atmosphere created by story and concept: tension, intensity, and even some spookiness associated with the underwater backdrop. To his credit, director James Cameron is something of an expert at fostering these emotions in the viewer.

Yes, that's right. Cameron directed this flick. Naysayers have to acknowledge that Mr. Cameron is a master at certain media, particularly science fiction. Titanic and "king of the world" aside, he's directed some popular films with mass appeal, including Aliens and the first two Terminator films. Whatever his faults or deficiencies, he's adept at probing, even skewering, ordinary human emotions in extraordinary circumstances. He's also adept at weaving a good yarn, and the Abyss is truly an original, imaginative story that makes one think, even if that thought is spent only on imagining the possibilities of exploring the depths of sea and earth where virtually no human has traveled. This movie is, in many ways, a redesigned 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with a modern twist.

The Abyss is not the greatest film ever created. It has its flaws. The ending is a little hokey, and an unlikely and, perhaps, contrived series of events occurs before disbeilef is completely suspended. The material is also a little dated, for later that year, the Berlin Wall came down, and the Cold War ended. For flaws, however, those are few and relatively unimportant, including the historical context, since the film does not try to project into a future based on the political status quo of the day, such as in 2010: The Year We Make Contact; it, instead, imagines a present where "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" crosses with Jules Verne.

The underwater milieu provides the perfect setting for a creepy thriller. Harris and Mastrantonio are wonderful actors who have great chemistry, as the film explores the love the characters still have for one another. The supporting players are interesting, particularly Michael Biehn, who leads the military group assigned to recover the Russian sub and its weaponry, though he is afflicted by pressure sickness with dire consequences for the rig's crew, providing one of the intensity-driven obstacles in their quest for survival. The special effects are groundbreaking and gave Mr. Cameron enough groundwork to create the masterful T-1000 effects in Terminator 2. Even if the viewer doesn't subscribe to the fanciful notion proposed by the film's ending, the concept alone is a highly imaginative and entertaining one, and Mr. Cameron realizes that vision quite spectacularly in the film's final sequences.

While it was only modestly successful at the box office, and even less successful critically, the Abyss is simply an entertaining film that does not disappoint in terms of the ride it gives the viewer. The thought of being hundreds of feet underwater, surrounded by unknown life forms and trapped by a violent storm, can really work the imagination.