James Cameron has never been one to shy away from ground-breaking visual effects. In fact, he’s made a career out of pushing the envelope. Coupled with the cutting edge visuals is an original story that encompasses science fiction, romance, comedy and drama. This rare blend of everything we love about the movies makes The Abyss stand out among its sci-fi peers.When a US submarine mysteriously crashes and sinks in the Atlantic Ocean with nuclear warheads on board, the crew of a nearby underwater drilling platform is enlisted in tracking down the sub and recover the nukes. Tensions rise and tempers flare as the personalities of the drilling team and the military grunts leading the mission clash.
The mission is interrupted by a hurricane on the surface, which cuts off communication with the ships above. During this time, the crew encounters mysterious phenomena that turns out to be alien life forms living in the depths of the oceans. As the humans struggle to understand the motives of these odd creatures, the stakes are changed as one of the military personnel suffers a nervous breakdown that endangers the lives of everyone.
From a technical standpoint, this is a fully-realized production. The submersibles were all built for the production and the massive underwater drilling station was built in full in the belly of an enormous water tank. The claustrophobia presented on screen is genuine because the cast and crew are really stuck inside an area as small as it appears. This helps add to some of the tensest moments, when chaos erupts aboard the vessel.
The subplot featuring the ex-wife of the drill team leader (she also designed the station) coming aboard helps keep the film grounded. Very few people can connect with oil drillers, aliens and loose cannon military men, so the romance and drama coming from Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio gives us something to hold onto. In fact, this love story is what holds the film together. As their marital troubles are revealed, we warm up to the characters. As their affections for each other reappear, we grow firmly attached. When their love and happiness is threatened, we as viewers grow concerned. It’s a proven formula that can work wonders or it can blow up in a director’s face. Later in his career, Cameron’s use of this subtle trick to grab and manipulate an audience would snatch him an Oscar.
The love story doesn’t dominate the film though. It is merely used as an emotional anchor. Cameron is still able to flood The Abyss with stunning visuals and intense action. While not all of the writing is as crisp as it should be, Cameron keeps the pace thrumming along fast enough that you never pay much attention to any shortcomings. There are also enough things that Cameron does right to cover up any bad spots.
The twist Cameron puts on sci-fi is brilliant. Aside from the aliens at the bottom of the ocean, much of what takes place in The Abyss is possible, if not plausible. It is remarkably easy to suspend disbelief when you are presented with a world containing so much realism. The placement of something so foreign in a place quite commonplace to many is clever. Instead of people surrounded by fantastical elements, we are given the fantastic surrounded by the normal. If there is a message in this, it’s not such a bad thing.
Speaking of messages, it doesn’t take much to conclude where Cameron stands on several issues based on what he puts into this film. Unstable, trigger-happy marines? Sounds anti-military industrial complex to me. The Special Edition version of the film also exudes anti-war and pro-environmentalist stances as well. While these sorts of veiled messages may annoy people who disagree with such views, it will only become a problem if you think about it too much. Everyone else will be treated to a one-of-a-kind movie capable of bringing sci-fi geeks and average movie fans together.
RATING: 3.75 out of 5
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