The Abyss
1989
*****
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Ed Harris, Mary Elisabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Leo Burmester, J.C. Quinn, Kimberly Scott, Todd Graff
When the nuclear submarine USS Montana sinks under mysterious circumstances at the height of the Cold War, the U.S. military dispatches a SEAL team to Deep Core, an underwater drilling platform, which is operated by a tight-knit crew, and the foreman's soon-to-be ex-wife. James Cameron’s insanely ambitious science fiction spectacle was actually shot underwater, which gives it a heightened feeling of realism. On the other hand, it is one of the first films to use ILM's groundbreaking digital effects, which deliver a sense of otherworldliness. However, this is really about human drama, and Cameron gives us more than two incredibly claustrophobic and suspenseful hours of that. How you feel about the pacifist ending is a matter of taste. The Special Edition, which is 25 minutes longer, is the one to watch.
