Movie Review: The Abyss (1989)

Let's keep this deep-sea boat sailing, shall we? Today, we're going to be taking a look at James Cameron's The Abyss (1989).

A group of miners led by Ed Harris's Bud Brigman are called in to assist a team of gung ho Navy SEALs when they have a bit of a problem with a missing nuclear sub. Add corporate interference in the form of Bud's nearly-ex-wife, Lindsey (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), and you've got a tricky situation well before you toss in some bottom-dwelling sentient sea life.

The Abyss was relatively overlooked when it was released (probably because the theatrical version was cut to shit) but, over time, it has earned classic status. Now, you can watch the full director's cut and, really, that's the only way to go. If you watch the theatrical version, chances are it won't make a whole lot of sense. (Hence why it was originally a flop in the cinemas.)

In some ways, The Abyss shares many faults with other movies that were released around the same time like Leviathan and Deepstar Six. For starters, there's the bitch thing. I don't know how many times the "b" word is dropped in these three movies but it's a lot. Enough to make me pretty fucking twitchy. When I hear this constant abuse in movies I have to wonder, did the people who make them hate all women or just powerful women?

(And don't even get me started on how the only black woman is a total yokel. *sigh*)

Yes, there's the typical (totally expected) Eighties brand sexism, but The Abyss is far removed from its peers in most other ways. There's quality, for starters. You can instantly tell that The Abyss is something different when it starts. (If you couldn't tell from the nearly three hour run-time.) Unlike most other aquatic movies, The Abyss doesn't start with some random shot of tranquil sea life; it gets right into the action with a fatalistic feel driven by a military drumbeat.

The underwater shots are just beautiful to look at. Cameron's use of light and shadow can't be beaten. His use of color is more subtle, but just as effective. It changes from almost grey-blue, when they're near their ship, to pink-blue when the creatures are near. It's beautifully done.

There was some argument here at Castle Vanian over whether or not The Abyss is technically a horror movie. Jay says no--but I'm more easily frightened than he is and those dead bodies floating in the sub creep me the fuck out. If I have to sleep with the lights on, it's a horror.

I won't deny that science fiction is the dominant genre of the film and the sci-fi is also well done. The creatures living at the bottom of the ocean, controlling the oceans, seem part alien, part jellyfish and are stunning to look at. They manage to feel otherworldly while still looking natural.


The main antagonist of the movie isn't one of the glowing creatures the divers find but one of the Navy SEALs (Michael Biehn's Lt. Coffey) whose jackass personality is amplified by pressure sickness that makes him straight up batshit crazy. Eventually, his own people turn against him--but not before he manages to put the lives of the mining corporation, his fellow SEALs, and the creatures at risk.

I won't lie. I have serious issues with military personnel. The Abyss doesn't help with my general animosity toward the military because the SEALs clearly don't give a damn about anything beside their supposed mission--including human life. The whole movie is set against a rising escalation between (of course) America and Russia. This movie definitely brought back some unpleasant fears from the Cold War that I thought I'd buried a long time ago.

*shudder*

There's also the nuclear threat, which is hardly surprising since we're talking about Russia and the Cold War. (It's worth mentioning that nuclear weaponry is also a major factor in Deepstar Six.) The nuclear theme is especially relevant now, with all the recent talk of Chernobyl and, yeah, another nuclear explosion just weeks ago in Russia.

*eyeroll*

The thing that amazes me about The Abyss isn't how well filmed it is or the fantastic caliber of actors used (both true) but how much happens. Where most movies would start wrapping things up, The Abyss hits its halfway point. You'd think that at nearly three hours long, it would feel long but it really doesn't. The Abyss stays interesting, stays intense right to the end.

Yes, The Abyss does have a sort of wishy-washy, super nice ending--but not in a way that makes you want to gag. It's a good ending with a powerful message that is every bit as important now as it was when the film was made thirty years ago.

The Abyss is shot well and has a solid plot, believable characters, engaging action, and hateful villains. It has everything you need for a classic sci-fi/horror and shows a remarkable attention to detail. (I really love all the little humanizing touches, like a Garfield doll in the window.) The alien-like creatures are slick and the graphics are seamless. My only complaint with The Abyss is that I think the creatures made a bad decision.

They should have wiped us out when they had the chance. No way humans would allow them to exist without trying to take them out. Some idiot leader would view it as a threat and find a way to boil the oceans (you know, faster than we already are.) Clearly, the creatures have more faith in humanity than I do...