Film Review : THE ABYSS (Directors Cut) * * * *

The Abyss (Directors Cut) (1989)
CAST Ed Harris, Mary Mastriantonio, Michael Bien, Chris Elliot
DIRECTOR James Cameron

The Director's Cut of "The Abyss" is forty minutes longer than the theatrical version and so much better. It fills in the spaces left out of the first cut, transforming a mediocre film in to a great one.

The Abyss stars Ed Harris as Bud Brigman, a hired underwater researcher working for a petroleum company. He finds himself in a rescue mission involving a sunken United States submarine. The Army get involved sending a team of seals down led by Biehn.Also joining the party is Linds, Bud's wife, who also designed the vessel they are on. The lieutenant does'nt decompress right and wigs out. This is good for the confrontation element of the story, adding to suspense and action.

The subplot involving N.T.I.'s is where this directors cut really adds alot to the story. In the original cut, questions never get answered about their existence or their actions. Here we get more in depth with that and it adds so much to mystery level and the enigmatic infatuation we have with the aliens. The story line seems a little weak, but it is held together nicely with a couple of late entry answers.

The special effects are first rate and very effective. The aliens look very interesting. Sort of like underwater electrical butterfly people. The underwater scenes involving the interior of the ships are claustraphobic and eerie. The water is dark and awe inspiring. James Cameron directs with a subtlety that eminates through his actors, who make these circumstances believable and real to us.
The performances are great. Especially between Harris and Mastriantonio, who handle emotional scenes together with professionalism. They never seem to make any of their character actions seem hokey or staged, giving us a true sense that these two people love and always will love each other. A highly entertaining sci-fi/action movie with credible storylines that are pulled off in a believable fashion. James Cameron's best film.