THE ABYSS
A film review by Carl Miller
Copyright 1996 Carl Miller
Rating (0 to ****): ***1/2
A submarine carrying nuclear warheads is sunk off the American coast. The action begins when a crew goes down to investigate the crash -- they are not alone.
The Abyss is one of the best science-fiction thrillers I have seen. Director/writer James Cameron builds suspense perfectly as the movie progresses, involving the audience in every scene. It's successful for the same reasons as ALIENS -- it makes the viewer feels as though they are part of the story.
Bud (Ed Harris) and Lindsey (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) are the battling spouses who lead the crew's descent. It's interesting to compare Harris's appearance in this movie to his role in JACKNIFE, where he played an alcoloholic war veteran. Without the beer gut, he looks six inches taller. Also among the crew is Michael Biehn from THE TERMINATOR and ALIENS, both directed by James Cameron. Biehn does a good job as the psychotic crew member, though it is not a particularly challenging role.
Except for a few scenes at the beginning and at the end, the entire film takes place underwater, giving the viewer a good idea of the claustrophobic effects the characters feel. As the film goes on, major complications arise -- Lt. Coffee (Biehn) succumbs to pressure-induced psychosis, and some very strange things start happening. The water rises up into the cabin as if it were alive. There's something else down there. When Coffee and a few other crew members attempt to take over the submarine and detonate the warheads, the story really gets going.
There were two scenes in movie I found particularly memorable -- the first was Coffee falling down the trench in an undersea capsule, as the water pressure increases. The capsule cracks, Coffee screams, and the vehicle implodes. Silence. That was a great effect. The second was Lindsay gasping for air as the cabin filled with water. Cameron is one of the few directors who could make that scene as effective as it was.
The film climaxes with Bud going down to the bottom of the trench in a fluid-filled suit to disarm the warheads. Unfortunately, the final ending is disappointingly abrupt, which is the only thing that keeps this from being a four-star movie. It's still a terrific movie, and one which I'm sure all science-fiction fans will not want to miss.
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