The Abyss (1989)

Directed by James Cameron. Starring Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Todd Graff, Leo Burmester, Kimberly Scott, John Bedford Lloyd, George Robert Klek, J.C. Quinn, Jimmie Ray Weeks, Chris Elliott, Christopher Murphy, Kidd Brewer, Ken Jenkins. [PG-13]

Ambitious underwater science fiction saga about deep-sea oil rig workers grudgingly cooperating with a Navy SEAL team on a search and rescue mission when a nuclear sub sinks following an encounter with an alien presence. Exceptionally well-mounted and designed adventure, as expected from a movie made by James Cameron; it also suffers from some of his disorganized and erratic scriptwriting tendencies. When the film focuses on the futuristic action and human drama elements, it’s a near-masterpiece, but when he tries connecting fantasy/sci-fi elements to global crises (or just the main narrative itself), it rarely satisfies completely. For all of its shortcomings, though, it’s still an enthralling 2.5-3 hour experience (depending on which version you watch, both flawed in different ways) with superlative sound, image, direction, music and effects, plus fine performances top-to-bottom, especially Harris and Mastrantonio as the estranged husband/wife leads. Typically, films bog down when they go below the ocean surface—lead-footed, murky, unappealing—but not here; the underwater photography and action staging has arguably never been topped before or since. By all accounts, a nightmare to make for everyone involved, but their suffering is our reward.

85/100