The Abyss poster & wallpaper

Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn

Meticulously crafted but also ponderous and predictable, James Cameron's 1989 deep-sea close-encounter epic reaffirms one of the oldest first principles of cinema: everything moves a lot more slowly u...( read more  read more... )nderwater. Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, as formerly married petroleum engineers who still have some "issues" to work out, are drafted to assist a gung-ho Navy SEAL (Michael Biehn) with a top-secret recovery operation: a nuclear sub has been ambushed and sunk, under mysterious circumstances, in some of the deepest waters on earth, and the petro-techies have the only submersible craft capable of diving down that far. Every image and every performance is painstakingly sharp and detailed (and the computerized water creatures are lovely) but the movie's lumbering pace is ultimately lethal. It's the audience that ends up feeling waterlogged. For a guy who likes guns as much as Cameron (his next film after all, was the body-count masterpiece Terminator 2: Judgment Day), it's interesting that the moral balance here is weighted heavily in favor of the can-do engineers; the military types are end-justifies-the-means amoralists, just like the weasely government bureaucrats in Aliens. --David Chute

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78% liked it

46,523 ratings

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85% liked it

39 critics

PG-13, 2 hrs. 20 min.

Directed by: James Cameron

Release Date: August 9, 1989

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DVD Release Date: November 7, 2000

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Stats: 3,552 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (3,552)

  • Chiefilms
    October 18, 2009
    Chiefilms
    "I'm going deeper underground", Jamiroquai's 1998 song on the Godzilla soundtrack should have been made 9 years earlier to go on this movies' soundtrack. It would have been perfect, the underwater search team diving farther into the deep sea than anyone else before to the funky ...( read more)groove beats of Jamiroquai, badass!

    The filming for this movie must have been one of the most dangerous productions ever, at least for the actors (not including the stuntman). James Cameron filmed almost exclusively underwater in a 40 ft deep hole in a nuclear power plant. 7 million gallons of water was used to fill the hole and that's where the movie was shot, with the actors completely underwater. They all had to become certified divers. I've read stories on how the actors, especially Ed Harris, experienced psychological breakdowns during the production. The movie was filmed over a 6 month period and more than half of that time James Cameron wasn't even filming the movie, he was experimenting with shit underwater with the actors submerged. The actors went crazy and were spontaneously crying on and off the set. There can't be many of these instances in Hollywood at least comparable to that! Perhaps it's commonplace, who knows? James Cameron does.

    With all that said, this movie is pretty good and realistic, freakishly. The only downside is there are underwater aliens, but don't let that ruin the movie. If you read into the background of this movies' filming and then watch it, the experience will be great. It's in your face, Ed Harris is literally drowning! Gonna have to watch this movie again, James Cameron is quite the risk taker.
  • SirPant
    September 16, 2009
    SirPant
    A fantastic underwater sci-fi adventure and probably my favourite James Cameron film!
  • mrpopcorn
    October 28, 2008
    mrpopcorn
    ''There's everything you've ever known about adventure, and then there's The Abyss."

    The crew of an experimental, high-tech submersible is called into action to investigate a mysterious nuclear submarine crash. A series of strange encounters leads the crew to suspect th...( read more)e accident was caused by an extraterrestrial craft, and that they may be participating in an encounter with an alien species. However, in order to make contact, they must not only brave the abyss, an exceedingly deep underwater canyon, but also deal with the violent actions of one of their own crew members, an increasingly paranoid Navy SEAL officer. Approved by director James Cameron, The Abyss: Special Edition is an extended director's cut of the 1989 underwater science fiction epic, reinstating nearly a half hour of footage removed from the original release under studio pressure. Much of the restored footage places the film's events in a grander political context, as the crew's mission becomes a factor in the dangerous escalation of nuclear tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The largest change involves the film's ending, which provides further information on the aliens' mission on Earth, bringing the film to closer to Cameron's intention: a modern remake of Robert Wise's The Day the Earth Stood Still.

    Review
    This is Science Fiction at its best: science fiction based on science fact. It's difficult to find a flaw in this impeccable production. It has above average characters and acting, brilliant editing and camera-work, and top notch special effects. The plot is one that crops up fairly regularly, as is the simple message of the movie; but this is undoubtedly the best of the sudden spate of under sea alien movies that appeared during the 1980's. It is beautiful to look at, and it conveys the religious overtones of an alien encounter quite well.

    Some scientific accuracy is necessarily compromised in places to make easier and more exciting viewing, but never to the point of fantasy. I think the balance here is just right, and this is - hands down - one of the best sci-fi films I have seen. The ending of the film was really awesome and the thought of "underwater flying objects" still amazes me. Good going there James Cameron.
  • Gx7
    May 1, 2008
    Gx7
    Man, how can you people rate this movie so high? Entertainment-wise this was a butt-sore! Its just too long and all the good stuff really happens on the second half of the film. Although the CGI is great (considering that this was made in the late 80s) and the message is good, co...( read more)uldnt this have been made shorter? I had to watch this half and half cuz I always fall asleep waiting for something thrilling to happen.
  • PvtCaboose91
    April 27, 2008
    PvtCaboose91
    "These guys are about as much fun as a tax audit."

    James Cameron was indisputably one of the most influential directors throughout the 20th Century; with each new film brought new groundbreaking special effects as well as mind-blowing, innovative concepts.

    The Ab...( read more)yss is undoubtedly a top notch, extraordinarily well made film that can be regarded as more of an underwater adventure film than a sci-fi outing. Being a big fan of Cameron's prior films, I was eager to see this one and I was far from disappointed.

    During the height of the Cold War, a group of oil rig workers are assigned by the navy to investigate a nuclear submarine that mysteriously sunk somewhere in the depths due to causes unknown. The navy suspects the Russians are behind the mysterious attack, and scramble to get to the site of the submarine before the Russians get there first. While the operation is being executed, freak weather conditions damage the platform and sever its communication with the surface. As World War III looms above and tensions rise between the divers and a deployed SEAL team, the rescuers discover that there is something else in the deep abyss of the ocean besides the submarine.

    The film is told at such a snail pace but is full of state-of-the-art special effects to capture the imagination of Cameron's inspirational ideas. Each new creature only heightens the 'wow' factor of the overall production. The film's only real flaw was the convoluted dialogue that becomes hard to follow. But on the other hand, James Cameron tells the story exceptionally well.

    The production design is great, as are the Oscar winning special effects that are outstanding for its age. Although they may look a tad weak compared to today's standards, they were utterly groundbreaking upon first release. I found Cameron's direction throughout to be almost flawless.

    The atmosphere allows the audience to really get into the action unfolding on the screen. This wouldn't have been possible without the engaging performances as well. Ed Harris was very good in the principal role. Kudos to the production team for giving the audience the sense that there was no escape. Thanks to their remarkable work we can feel the tension and the fear of the characters.

    Overall, The Abyss is a groundbreaking masterpiece from a wizard of modern filmmaking. My respect for Cameron can only heighten with each new film he produces. The Abyss is a landmark film and an extraordinary experience. One not to be missed!
  • GreenGoblin92
    November 7, 2009
    GreenGoblin92
    A great film. It has an almost perfect CGI (that still hold up today), great cast, engaging story and fantastic music. A beautiful, touching, suspenseful and an amazing film. I'm saddened that it's underrated.
  • doctordoom
    November 5, 2009
    doctordoom
    This is a solid sci-fi adventure about ateam sentn down to some of the deepest depths of the ocean to retrieve a sunken nuclear submarine. They soon discover a unknown intelligent life living under these deep oceans. The film has a solid story and a great cast. Plus the F/X of th...( read more)e water creatures are great. A bit slow at times but overall was a solid movie. Worth a one time watch.
  • hugenymetsfan
    November 2, 2009
    hugenymetsfan
    not enough credit goes to this film. It was before its time
  • JBainy
    October 15, 2009
    JBainy
    love the water tentacle
  • bryanwells
    October 7, 2009
    bryanwells
    Just watched this again, and I really enjoyed it.

View All The Abyss Reviews

Critic Reviews

May 12, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Anyone looking for a discouraging word about this stupendously exciting and emotionally engulfing film should read no further. The Abyss confirms James Cameron as a world-class filmmaker. full review

View more The Abyss reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

  • Gx7
    May 1, 2008
    Gx7
    Man, how can you people rate this movie so high? Entertainment-wise this was a butt-sore! Its just too long and all the good stuff really happens on the second half of the film. Although the CGI is great (considering that this was made in the late 80s) and the message is good, couldnt this have been made shorter? I had to watch this half and half cuz I always fall asleep waiting for something thrilling to happen.
  • Aritosgold
    November 23, 2007
    Aritosgold
    Very good movie;;
  • universalkid1000
    June 5, 2007
    universalkid1000
    For you fans of the movie, I masde a quiz on the film to challenge your knowledge about the film. If I get more responses, I might make another one. Hope to see your score!
  • whitesnake41
    November 23, 2006
    whitesnake41
    one of my all time fave films. so well made a lot better then some of the junk being made now
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The Abyss Trivia

  • The American Humane Association rated this film "unacceptable" because of the rat that was submerged in oxygenated liquid in one scene.  Answer »
  • What movie is this quote from - It went straight for the warhead, and they think it's cute!  Answer »
  • Which 1989 film featured the largest underwater set in the world at 7 million gallons?   Answer »
  • Which movie has this tagline : " Deep below the blue surface, there lies a place no one has ever dreamed of..... "  Answer »
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