The Abyss (1989)

*** out of ****

James Cameron clearly isn't afraid of the water. Historically some of cinema's biggest losses have been with films based on or under water, but time and again Cameron finds a way to make it work. “The Abyss” was his first of many forays into filming at sea, and it's a magical adventure story that is totally engrossing despite a slightly preachy message.

A US naval submarine loaded with nuclear weapons has sunk in international waters after an encounter with an unexplained underwater phenomenon. The navy hires an undersea oil rig to quickly travel to the site of the wreck to look for any survivors trapped inside. They send down to the rig the chief mechanical engineer (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) and a handful of Navy Seals (led by Michael Beihn) and it crawls the sea bottom to the wreck site. Among the crew are captain Virgil "Bud" Brigman (Ed Harris) and a paranoid techie, Hippy (Todd Graff). Together the group begin to search the wreck for survivors.

But it turns out that the Navy Seals have an ulterior motive. They're under orders that if they suspect that the Russian Navy is in the area, they are to scuttle the wreck to ensure that the nukes don't fall into enemy hands. Confusing the situation though, strange things begin to happen which eventually prove to be the result of some alien intelligence at the sea bottom. The military, in typical movie fashion, assumes that these aliens are actually Russian bogies and the civilian crew and the Seals begin to clash.

Add to all this the fact that due to a hurricane at the surface, the folks on the rig are completely isolated and forced to work without any input from above. Eventually it becomes a fight to save themselves and possibly also the alien enclave living at the sea bottom.

“The Abyss” was a movie I went to see at the theatre way back in the day with an old friend, and I had no idea going in what the plot of this film was. I was lucky enough to have it all unfold wondrously for me and almost from the very beginning it had me completely captivated. The characters, in particular Ed Harris's “Bud Brigman”, are all so likeable, the story so riveting and the special effects so magical, that I almost didn't want it to end. Beihn is wonderfully villainous in his role, and the interaction between the leads is all just terrific. As the story unfolds and the danger becomes more real, and the aliens become more active, it becomes a real thrill ride. Cameron's storytelling is (as always) so excellent that you are able to lose yourself completely in the story.

The only complaint I have about “The Abyss” is that the ending is a bit disjointed. I get the idea that they weren't exactly sure how to wrap the story up, trying to give a big "message" and also conclude the drama. So the last 10 minutes lose a little of the locomotive-like steam the film had up to that point, but it isn't enough to derail the whole ride. A really remarkable and fascinating saga, and one that I have revisited many times since I first saw it decades ago. Very highly recommended.