The Abyss Movie Review

The Abyss (1989)

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Written by: James Cameron
Directed by: James Cameron
Starring: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.

Verdict
I've seen this before quite a while ago, and I didn't like it as much as I remembered. It's a great concept, but it's too long and dramatic. The characters are flat or stereotypes. It also feels like a lesser version of Cameron's earlier movie Aliens. What's the focus of this movie; is it the alien species, a deranged soldier, or the dangers below? Shortening this would have helped the focus and hidden some of writing flaws of the characters. The end skips over aliens, antagonists, and the base at the bottom of the ocean for a very easy ending that easily solves everything.
It depends.

Review
The plot kicks off when a submarine encounters an unidentified craft before crashing. The government takes over a drilling platform to act as the base of operations to recover the sub. We've got a Navy SEAL group led by Coffey (Michael Biehn), the contractors on the drilling rig led by Bud (Ed Harris), and the designer of the rig Lindsey (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) in a small space deep in the ocean. They aren't friendly.

This creates such a great and unsettling atmosphere. It's not all that different from space. We've got characters in dive suits where we can hear their breathing which becomes labored as fear increases. The passages of the underwater drilling rig could pass for a space ship. This feels and looks a lot like Aliens.

Michael Biehn plays Coffey

A storm topside traps the platform at the bottom of the ocean. SEAL Coffey is convinced the Soviets are after the sub, He's suffering from pressure sickness and delusional. They also encounter an alien species, and the effects are really good; even better considering the time of release.

Stopping Coffey puts them all in danger which leads to a revival scene after Lindsey nearly drowns. That goes on a bit too long, stretching credibility. Mastrantonio reportedly walked off the set during filming of the scene and refused additional takes. None of the actors have anything positive to say about filming the movie, complaining about Cameron and his directing style.

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Ed Harris play Lindsey, Bud

This movie is just too long and too dramatic. This artificially inflates the tension at every step, starting with Bud and Lindsey being divorced. What are the odds? Why is she even there? Bud has a drawn out scene where he's prepared to die. It's heroic, but undercut by the ultimate ending that robs the movie of any stakes.

This does nothing with this new alien species. Their purpose is to be the deus ex machina that provides a happy ending and solves immediate problems. This is Aliens in water, and Aliens did this concept so much better.