Movie Description
After a nuclear submarine mysteriously sinks in a remote part of the ocean floor, a team of divers on a prototype underwater oil rig are pressed into service by the U.S. Navy in a rescue attempt. When a hurricane cuts off contact between the surface and the underwater depths, the crew begin to see evidence of a strange, possibly alien intelligence at work. While chief Bud Brigman (Ed Harris) bickers with his ex-wife and boss (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), the Navy commander begins to grow increasingly paranoid about the mysterious alien life and threatens to use a recovered nuclear weapon to destroy everything. James Cameron's undersea epic is a tale of sacrifice and hope in an amazing alien landscape that covers 2/3 of the Earth's surface. Featuring landmark visual effects but plagued by production difficulties, the cast and crew were stretched to the breaking point and THE ABYSS became one of the most expensive films ever made in its time, but the final result is a remarkable blend of action and human drama. Scenes cut from the theatrical version, including a number of special effects sequences involving huge tidal waves threatening the cities of the world, are restored in the Special Edition versions.
| Credits | | Producer: | Gale Anne Hurd | | Cast: | Chris Elliott, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Todd Graff |
| Details | | Edition: | Full Frame | | Sound: | HiFi Sound, Stereo Sound, Surround Sound, THX Sound |
Notes
Budget estimate over $50 million.
Rated BBFC 12 by the British Board of Film Classification.
Copyright 1989 20th Century Fox Film Corporation., DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Full Frame - 1.33
Single Side - Dual Layer
Audio:
THX Surround - English
Editorial Reviews
"...[A] stupendously exciting and emotionally engulfing film....With probing intelligence and passionate feeling, Cameron has raised the adventure film very close to the level of art..."
Rolling Stone - p.37 - Peter Travers
"...Cameron again delves in....An epic story line...and much more..." -- Rating: B
Entertainment Weekly - pp.66-8 - Glenn Kenny
"...A technical marvel with sustained tension, exciting action footage and an emotional wallop in its nearly platonic love story..."
Variety - Lawrence Cohn
"...THE ABYSS is at heart a sweet movie....The undersea effects are glowingly beautiful..."
Los Angeles Times - Sheila Benson (08/09/1989)
"...A great achievement....The cast is solid and the pioneering CG effects still look incredible..."
Total Film - James White (05/01/2000)
Awards
1989Academy AwardsBest Visual Effects
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