The U.S.S. Montana, an Ohio-Class nuclear-powered submarine, has
encountered a strange vessel under the surface of the ocean. The unknown vessel
doesn’t appear to be powered by conventional propellers, and yet it’s so fast
that it literally does rings around the submarine. When the Montana gets too
close to the mysterious vessel, the sub gets caught in its wake and crashes,
smashing apart on a rock cliff several thousand feet below. With a storm fast
approaching the area, the Navy has no choice but to rely on an underwater oil
rig named Deep Core, a civilian operation led by Virgil "Bud" Brigman
(Ed Harris). While his crew are more than happy to explore the sub--especially
with the company tripling their pay just for the job--Bud is still uneasy about
this situation, not liking the idea of his team of divers being under the
command of a team of Navy Seals led by the pragmatic Lt. Coffey (Michael Biehn).
And as if that weren’t enough, Bud also must contend with Lindsey (Mary
Elizabeth Mastrantonio), the designer of the Deep Core platform, as well as
Bud’s soon to be ex-wife--not to mention some unearthly creatures who dwell at
the bottom of the abyss.
James Cameron’s first film after Aliens, The Abyss is an epic science fiction
tale that tells its story with very broad strokes. The cataclysmic crash of the
Montana, the investigation of the sub’s wreckage, the Deep Core rig’s own
disastrous mishaps, meeting the underwater aliens--all of these story beats are
given the highest possible attention they deserve in the best special effects
that money can buy, including an early CGI sequence (produced pre-Terminator 2)
when Lindsey and the others contend with a watery, probe-like tendril that
creeps into the oil rig. Yet Cameron’s efforts to "humanize" his characters,
while laudable, oftentimes bogs the movie down, especially in the extended
version of the film, which is included with the original theatrical version on
the DVD. While visually stunning, The Abyss ultimately suffers from being too
predictable and a bit slow.
Yet despite being wracked with maudlin melodrama, the extended version of
the Abyss is still the better film, because of the added effects sequences, as
well as the expanded plotline that raises the stakes not just for the Deep Core
crew, but for the entire planet, as well. The climatic scenes with the super
tsunamis rising up all over the world and threatening humanity is well worth the
price of the DVD. Another reason that The Abyss is worth buying is that it’s
loaded with special features. Filming the Abyss was a contemptuous, fascinating
story in itself, and the special features pull no punches in covering everything.
Cameron filmed the underwater scenes inside the tank of a never-used nuclear
power plant, and he helped to create the special diving suits that enabled his
actor’s faces to be seen while submerged.
Cameron also often pushed his actors to the brink, such as he did with actress
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio in a well-documented on-set blow up that’s covered
in the 60 minute documentary "Under Pressure: Making The Abyss". While there’s
no audio commentary, both versions have subtitled commentaries which delve
plenty of behind the scenes facts. The second disc also has Cameron’s completed
screenplay, storyboards and concept art, and more. While The Abyss may be
considered a flawed masterpiece, it’s still a very enjoyable ride.
--SF
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