The Abyss
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A civilian oil rig crew is recruited to conduct a search and rescue effort when a nuclear submarine mysteriously sinks. One diver soon finds himself on a spectacular odyssey 25,000 feet below the ocean's surface where he confronts a mysterious force that has the power to change the world or destroy it.
What critics thought
Cameron's deep-sea thriller is widely admired for its claustrophobic tension and groundbreaking underwater effects, but critics then and since have argued fiercely over whether the final act earns any of it — the alien-deus-ex-machina ending struck many as a betrayal of everything that came before. The 1993 Special Edition softened that verdict somewhat, with reviewers who hated the theatrical cut conceding the fuller version makes better sense of the story.
“At its best, The Abyss offers a harrowing, thrilling journey through inky waters and high tension. In the end, however, this torpedo turns out to be a dud—it swerves at the last minute, missing its target and exploding ineffectually in a flash of fantasy and fairy-tale schtick.”
Chris Dafoe·The Globe and Mail
“The payoff to The Abyss is pretty damn silly — a portentous deus ex machina that leaves too many questions unanswered and evokes too many other films.”
David Ansen·Newsweek
“[The Abyss is] the greatest underwater adventure ever filmed, the most consistently enthralling of the summer blockbusters…one of the best pictures of the year.”
Peter Travers·Rolling Stone
“For some, this was James Cameron's Waterworld, a bloated, sentimental epic from the king of hi-tech thrillers. Some of the criticism was deserved, but it remains a fascinating folly, a spectacular and often thrilling voyage to the bottom of the sea [...] Cameron excels in cranking up the tension within the cramped quarters and the effects are awe-inspiring and deservedly won an Oscar. It's only marred by being overlong and by its sentimental attachment to aliens.”
John Ferguson·Radio Times
“Most of this underwater blockbuster is 'good,' and at least two action set pieces are great. But the dopey wrap-up sinks the rest 20,000 leagues.”
Mike Clark·USA Today
Accolades
Genres
Adventure, Drama, Mystery
Cast & Crew
James CameronDirector
Ed HarrisVirgil 'Bud' Brigman
Mary Elizabeth MastrantonioLindsey Brigman
Michael BiehnLieutenant Hiram Coffey
Leo BurmesterCatton ‘Catfish’ De Vries
Todd GraffAlan 'Hippy' Carnes
John Bedford LloydJammer Willis
Kimberly ScottLisa 'One Night' Standing
Chris ElliottBendix
J.C. QuinnArliss 'Sonny' Dawson
Alan SilvestriComposer
Mikael SalomonCinematographyThe Abyss
A civilian oil rig crew is recruited to conduct a search and rescue effort when a nuclear submarine mysteriously sinks. One diver soon finds himself on a spectacular odyssey 25,000 feet below the ocean's surface where he confronts a mysterious force that has the power to change the world or destroy it.
What critics thought
Cameron's deep-sea thriller is widely admired for its claustrophobic tension and groundbreaking underwater effects, but critics then and since have argued fiercely over whether the final act earns any of it — the alien-deus-ex-machina ending struck many as a betrayal of everything that came before. The 1993 Special Edition softened that verdict somewhat, with reviewers who hated the theatrical cut conceding the fuller version makes better sense of the story.
“At its best, The Abyss offers a harrowing, thrilling journey through inky waters and high tension. In the end, however, this torpedo turns out to be a dud—it swerves at the last minute, missing its target and exploding ineffectually in a flash of fantasy and fairy-tale schtick.”
Chris Dafoe·The Globe and Mail
“The payoff to The Abyss is pretty damn silly — a portentous deus ex machina that leaves too many questions unanswered and evokes too many other films.”
David Ansen·Newsweek
“[The Abyss is] the greatest underwater adventure ever filmed, the most consistently enthralling of the summer blockbusters…one of the best pictures of the year.”
Peter Travers·Rolling Stone
“For some, this was James Cameron's Waterworld, a bloated, sentimental epic from the king of hi-tech thrillers. Some of the criticism was deserved, but it remains a fascinating folly, a spectacular and often thrilling voyage to the bottom of the sea [...] Cameron excels in cranking up the tension within the cramped quarters and the effects are awe-inspiring and deservedly won an Oscar. It's only marred by being overlong and by its sentimental attachment to aliens.”
John Ferguson·Radio Times
“Most of this underwater blockbuster is 'good,' and at least two action set pieces are great. But the dopey wrap-up sinks the rest 20,000 leagues.”
Mike Clark·USA Today
Accolades
Genres
Adventure, Drama, Mystery
Cast & Crew
James CameronDirectorEd HarrisVirgil 'Bud' BrigmanMary Elizabeth MastrantonioLindsey BrigmanMichael BiehnLieutenant Hiram CoffeyLeo BurmesterCatton ‘Catfish’ De VriesTodd GraffAlan 'Hippy' CarnesJohn Bedford LloydJammer WillisKimberly ScottLisa 'One Night' StandingChris ElliottBendixJ.C. QuinnArliss 'Sonny' DawsonAlan SilvestriComposerMikael SalomonCinematographyStream
Rent & Buy