THE ABYSS
A film review by Greg Goebel
Copyright 1989 Greg Goebel
Given the skills of the Cameron-Hurd team (which has already brought us the memorable TERMINATOR and ALIENS), it would be a shame to say that they let us down with their latest film, THE ABYSS -- so it is pleasant to say that THE ABYSS is one of the more worthwhile films of the summer.
A nuclear submarine has a disastrous accident in the waters of the Atlantic; the Navy sends a SEAL team to commandeer an undersea oil rig in the vicinity to perform, if possible, a rescue operation. Of course, nothing is goes right -- if it did, would there be much of a story? -- and everyone involved finds themselves in an ever-widening predicament that tests their ability to survive.
I am told $45 million was spent on producing this picture. Large budgets don't always translate into impressive productions -- sometimes they're the result of mismanagement -- but in this case, the special effects are so spectacular that one wonders how they managed to do it for that small a sum!
This is fortunate, because if THE ABYSS had to rest on the virtues of its story line, it would most likely sink into a financial abyss even deeper than the watery canyon which threatens the heroes of this underwater epic. While it is hard to be unkind to a team which has done their level best (and then some!) to give the customers their money's worth -- not only is the production superlative, but all the actors (Ed Harris in particular) put in good performances -- the script is, alas, almost as mechanical as the special effects, resembling nothing so much as the kind of story Irwin Allen might tell on a good day; it punches all the right buttons, sometimes very effectively, but never with enough subtlety to make the viewer fail to realize that his or her buttons are, indeed, being punched.
But I will not be cynical; while this film does fail to reach the margins of greatness, it is very definitely on the high side of good; and I suspect there are some less jaded and finicky than myself who will be absolutely blown away by it. As for myself? I count myself satisfied. My compliments to the chef.
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