The Abyss (1989)

Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review

James Cameron takes us two miles under the sea for an intense, visually stunning, and sometimes completely ridiculous deep-sea adventure in The Abyss (1989). This sci-fi classic introduces us to oil-rig roughnecks, paranoid Navy SEALs, and aliens who can manipulate water—but not basic human communication.

In this episode, Gene Lyons and Big D dive deep into The Abyss’ groundbreaking special effects, the film’s unrelenting tension, and Cameron’s signature mix of brilliance and insanity. Gene wrestles with his newfound fear of liquid breathing, while Big D wonders how Ed Harris survived a death-defying swim in nothing but a t-shirt. Plus, the hosts debate why James Cameron insists on writing dialogue for blue-collar workers when he’s clearly never met one.

From nuclear warheads at the bottom of the ocean to CPR-by-slap techniques, The Abyss is a movie that demands discussion. Is it a masterpiece, a mess, or both? Join us as we explore the depths of one of Cameron’s most ambitious projects.

Plot Summary:

When a U.S. nuclear submarine mysteriously sinks in the Caribbean, a team of deep-sea oil drillers led by Virgil "Bud" Brigman (Ed Harris) is recruited to assist a group of Navy SEALs in the recovery mission. As tensions rise between the rig crew and the increasingly unstable SEAL leader, Lt. Hiram Coffey (Michael Biehn), the team discovers they are not alone in the ocean’s depths.

Dr. Lindsey Brigman (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), the rig’s designer and Bud’s estranged wife, encounters an advanced, non-terrestrial intelligence (NTI) living beneath the waves. Meanwhile, Coffey, suffering from high-pressure nervous syndrome, sets a nuclear warhead to destroy the unknown beings, forcing Bud to embark on a desperate deep-sea dive to disarm it.

Battling crushing pressure, limited oxygen, and human paranoia, Bud reaches the warhead, only to face what seems like certain death—until the NTIs intervene. In a breathtaking climax, the aliens reveal themselves, raising their colossal ship to the ocean’s surface and leaving humanity with a powerful message of peace.

With stunning underwater cinematography, groundbreaking visual effects, and an intense mix of sci-fi, thriller, and adventure, The Abyss remains one of James Cameron’s most ambitious and visually spectacular films.

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