Reviewed

The Abyss (1989) - 20th Century Fox

Director :James Cameron

Starring : Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Leo Burmester, Todd Graff, John Bedford Lloyd.

Picture 2.35:1, DD 5.1, 2 Disc Dual-Layer, Double-Keep Case

Running Time : 171 mins

The story:

A place on earth more awesome than anywhere in space.

When a nuclear missile submarine, the Montana, sinks after encountering a mysterious fast moving object, a civilian oil-rig crew are recruited to conduct a search-and-rescue mission with the Navy Seals. The navy also commandeer the crews submersible oil drilling platform, the DeepCore II, as a hurricane force storm is fast approaching. The crew are lead by Bud (Ed Harris) and the rigs designer and also Bud's wife Lindsay (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio). The crew make their way to the wreckage of the Montana, but soon encounter problems as the storm hits up above. The navy believe the sub was sunk by a Russian vessel and order the SEAL team to recover a nuclear missile and destroy the wreckage. However Lindsay has herself seen the mysterious object which she believe to be an NTI (Non Terrestrial Intelligence) and the oil-riggers soon find themselves face to face with the SEAL team. To add to the problems, Deepcore is crippled and isolated after becoming detached from the support ship on the surface. Their air is limited and the ocean is threatening to crush them as they slide deeper into the water. This is a race against time.

The summary:

This is one of the most important films of Camerons career. Though he put incredible effort into making this ambitious story (and almost killing 2 of the actors in the process) it did not do well at the Box Office and it was not until it arrived on VHS that it become a hit. The is largely due to a flawed plot, with too many holes and unanswered questions. This, thankfully, has now been put right with additional footage now restored to the film to fill in the gaps. The film itself contains some stunning special effects, many of which had not been thought achievable before this.

The story itself is an emotional story about people and about human survival as they battle hopelessly against natures threat. There are some tender moments watching the crew put their lives on the line to save others as slowly the fear begins to take hold, and some romance as the spark between Bud and Lindsay is re-ignited. The acting throughout this film is superb and each cast member makes a huge contribution to the success of this film. This is especially true when you watch the documentary and realise the lengths they went to in making this film. This is a fascinating story that's been transformed into a spectacular underwater odyssey.

The Abyss is to date, one of the most spectacular DVDs yet. The picture and sound are of the highest quality and deliver a perfect eerie atmosphere for the almost entirely underwater set. The array of extras included is unbelievable with the entire second disc taken up with the most comprehensive extras imaginable. Included on the disc and presented in a wonderful 3-D menu system, are a 59 minute documentary, the original storyboards - all 773 of them, plus numerous stills, sub-documentaries and anything else you care to think of. This is on top of the additional 28 minutes of footage that's been restored to the film. The original version of the film is also included on the disc! This is a MUST for every collection.

Extras:

* Additional Footage - 28 minutes worth to be precise. The footage makes an unbelievable difference to the film. Both the special Edition and Theatrical version of the film are included on this disc.

* Under Pressure - A one hour (59 mins!) documentary on the making of the Abyss. You can watch this before or after the film, it just highlights the huge effort put into making this film. Excellent.

* Trailers - The theatrical trailer, a teaser trailer and a review trailer where people say how good it is!

* The Abyss In Depth - A look - through text and photos - on each process involved in making the film from casting to individual projects within. This is incredibly comprehensive!

* Shooting Script - The entire script is included here!

* Photos and Artwork - A collection of stills and drawings either created for, or taken during the making of the film.

* Original Storyboards - All 773 original storyboards are here, presented in story sequence!

* Visual Effects Reel - This 20 minute reel was put together for the Academy Awards nomination process. It's a collection of 159 effects used throughout the film.

* Visual Shoots - This is a collection of the shoots that took place, including the crane crash scene, the surface unit shoot, the engine room flooding scene, the Montana bridge set flooding and a videomatics montage. Also included is the Pseudopod scene with multi-angle viewing showing the scene as it's shot, and before and after.

* Deepcore Timetape - This footage was taken during the construction of the Deepcore exterior set. It was built over several months and has been condensed into 7 minutes.

* Text Commentary - No voice-over but instead this text commentary that's available for both versions of the film.

* The Abyss Featurette - A 10 minute featurette showing scenes, behind the scenes and interviews with cast and crew.

* DVD-ROM Features - Including three games.

* And More!! - We haven't even mentioned the cast and crew biogs, The Original Treatment (a script of how each scene should look in the film), another hidden trailer for 'Strange Days' and God knows what else!

Our Verdict...

Cameron's flawed underwater masterpiece is put right in this Special Edition. A must see. 9/10

Although not anamorphic this picture is truly astounding with great detail and colour in even the murkiest underwater scenes. 10/10

A very good mix with plenty of rear effects in the action scenes. 10/10

Absolutely every extra conceivable is included on this Special Edition. Outstanding! 10/10

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