myrddinfyrch Why the low rating? Same reason it's on the Sundance Channel - because I watched the Director's Cut, rather than the original theater version. This may be called the Special Edition but I have no interest in figuring that out any longer.I had enjoyed the theater version on DVD since the concept seemed a relatively benign underwater alien encounter. It seemed disjointed, I had seen on TV the filming difficulties, and James Cameron is a preachy anti-Christian scumbag who was miserable to work with, but yeah OK it was watchable and has some decent scenes.Sundance Channel, of course, is Robert Redford's pet cable channel, and Redford is another notoriously noxious anti-American kinda guy (who earned much of his wealth playing military heroes &c.) So I thought I'd be interested in seeing what wound up on the cutting room floor. I was horribly mistaken, sitting through 4 hours worth of this atrocity (commercials included though, so I have no idea what the real length was; Special Edition is reportedly almost 3 hours).First, the movie lost nothing by such substantial cutting. The theater version was often turgid, but that was due to bad direction. The portions cut out of the backstory that are NOT directed at the main theme don't account for much; there's some more bits about the failed marriage of the two primary characters but nothing that builds any better empathy. About the only meaningful thing is that Ed Harris is presented slightly more "good ole boy" and Mastrantonio a bit more arrogant bitch.The bulk of the difference which was cut from theatrical release deserved to be. With Cameron's intent included, the movie turns into a preachy, clumsy anti-American screed that fails on pretty much every level. The American-Soviet antagonism which is not much more than a backdrop in the theatrical version is instead the main plot: the Cold War is about to explode into nuclear confrontation purely on the basis of the sunken US sub and an at-sea collision. The SEAL team are monsters, rather than just having a crazy leader. The aliens conjure a world-wide tsunami with their water magic, only to cause the wave to stop, with subsequent scenes of mindless human rejoicing.There's additional dialogue from Harris on behalf of the aliens which is more of the same "UFO angels won't destroy you... THIS TIME" Apparently the only reason the aliens didn't wipe out most of humanity was Harris' goodbye message to Mastrantonio? You can find it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD3vOduCwu0THOSE are the grounds for the not-well-explained saucer-city rising to the surface at the end of the film. It seemed pretty meaningless in the theatrical release, but now it's an obvious threat by a superior intelligence that humans are evil and better stop acting like children or we'd be wiped out be the angelic aliens.

Jawbox5 The Abyss certainly feels like James Cameron's most personal and low-key directorial effort. The big action set-pieces and ahead of their time special effects are still here, yet the story he's trying to tell feels much more human and conscious of its time period. It's his first film to mainly concentrate on humans and have the science fiction elements play more of a side role. On a technical and atmospheric level there is nothing to hold the film back, only Cameron himself does that with some inconsistent plotting and writing which leads to a frequently spectacular but unbalanced film. We follow the workers of an underwater oil rig as they are joined by navy seals and asked to investigate the crash site of a navy submarine and find out what caused it. The rigs designer Lindsey insists on going along despite her estranged husband Bud being the foreman. You can see that this will lead to their personalities clashing and it does which creates an interesting dynamic to the films credit. It's no surprise when we learn that something alien caused the crash, after Lindsey comes face to face with a life form that can manipulate water. This alien story works best when it's shrouded in mystery, yet I really don't like the eventual resolution to it. After a lot of interesting build-up we end on a note that feels straight out of E.T and doesn't fit the films tone at all. The real meat of the story comes when navy seal Coffey steals a warhead from the wreckage. Struck with paranoia he believes that the life form is a Russian spy and turns on the crew when they don't cooperate with his plan to attack it. The tension during these scenes is wonderful. Coffey is the most interesting character and seeing him slowly snap is disturbing in all the right ways. The clashes between him and the crew are always brimming with intensity too. The film is at its best when it lets the claustrophobia of these situations wash over it. The sense of isolation and unease does get appropriately strong, as scenes like the crew trapped as water floods in or racing to stop the warhead being launched are what really suck you in. I actually think that if the film discarded the Sci-Fi elements then it could probably work even better as a straight-up thriller.An area of weakness is in regards to the characters. Most of the crew just don't have much personality because of a lack of development and bland writing. Having characters like Hippy whose trait is being a conspiracy theorist and carrying a rat or Standing whose nickname is One Night (which is the worst excuse for a nickname you'll see) stinks of laziness. Ed Harris is solid as usual and Mastrantonio does a serviceable job, yet its relying on their acting talents to carry bland characters. The only real standout is Michael Biehn who provides a genuinely chilling performance as the paranoid Coffey.With that said Cameron's direction and staging is as impressive as ever. The set itself is simply incredible. Not only does it look gigantic, but it is lit perfectly and gives a real sense of being deep in the ocean. The special effects are impressive and still hold up well, while the in-camera effects still amaze too. I didn't think it was possible to make a fight scene between two mini-subs gripping but they managed to pull it off. There are also a number of sequences that are really deliver the tension necessary. Notably the resuscitation scene which, though a little ludicrous, is almost overwhelmingly intense and superbly acted by Harris. The same goes for Harris attempting to retrieve the warhead, it's heart-pounding in every way you could wish.When The Abyss reaches its conclusion I was relatively satisfied. It is an intelligent and frequently thrilling film based around an interesting idea. The issues arise from when that idea isn't fully realised and the writing gets in its way. When the film concentrates on offering thrills and intensity in a unique environment then it really does engage. Yet all the talk of alien life forms feels out of place in such an oppressive setting and the majority of characters aren't strong enough to really involve the audience for such a long film. In saying that I was never bored or confused by the film, and with a little fine-tuning it could have been something special.

Predrag "The Abyss" is one of the most intriguing Sci-Fi/action movies to have ever been made. From the very beginning of this exceptional movie to the end, for the first time viewer or for those that have watched it many times, it is a highly inventive and an ultimately captivating movie. Although there have been many movies made about events under the surface of the ocean, few can match up to the intensity that "The Abyss" is laden with. One of the more intriguing aspects about the edition of "The Abyss" that I'm reviewing today or any other version that contains both the original theatrical release and the Special Edition with twenty eight minutes of additional footage is how the whole tone of the conclusion of the film changes between the two. This is not something that I wish to go in to in great detail; suffice it to say that the Special Edition gives a whole new meaning to this classic movie.From Ed Harris to Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio to Michael Biehn and all of the other marvelous actors that performed in this film, they all deserve high praise for their collective efforts in creating this Science Fiction classic. It isn't too often that Ed Harris or Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio gets the lead roles in films but in the case of "The Abyss," they both proved that they were quite ready for such roles.Technically, it has few peers. It is scientifically accurate in what it depicts, and the special effects are virtually flawless. The story is very engaging. It unfolds slowly and smartly and takes many twists and turns. The aliens and their importance to the story are kept a mystery until the end. And the movie also has something often missing in science fiction, drama. Science fiction in television and movies often tends to be overly intellectual or overly melodramatic. The Abyss, in contrast, is a dramatic story through and through. The scenes between Bud and his wife (particularly when he tries to revive her after she drowns and when she talks to him as he descends into the abyss) are among the most engaging I have ever seen in any movie. Give it a shot, this is definitely a sleeper classic that deserves more exposure than it's gotten!Overall rating: 9 out of 10.

PimpinAinttEasy Dear James Cameron, what a piece of crap this was. It started off OK. In fact it was very intriguing. Ed Harris is a very competent actor. The thrills were excellent. The sets were great. The film had this ominous and claustrophobic feel about it. A bunch of people confined in these small and closed spaces where death could be imminent. But everything fell apart after that phony alien made an appearance. It was a tough survival flick until then. The Abyss might have created the prototype for big budget sci-fi flicks like The Martian. Especially the bit where a bunch of people are in contact with some guy who is in grave danger. And they are guiding him or something and he snatches victory from the jaws of defeat. At this point they all jump around like a bunch of monkeys shouting and yelling as if someone invited them to an orgy. Jeez! Yes. I know it is supposed to be an allegory and all. But all this humanitarian crap was boring. I'll take Alien and Terminator over this, alright? Best Regards, Pimpin.(5/10)