The Abyss [WS] [DVD] [1989]

This is one of my favorite movies of this time. It was that wonderful period when you could see a blend of practical and digital effects before the CG takeover. There are wonderfully hand-made models of the undersea facilities and vehicles and that strange CG water probe that may not hold up to special effects standards of today, but was awe inspiring at the time. Ed Harris gives a great performance as always. The ending is a little cheesy. A little like Close Encounters under the ocean, but it is, nevertheless, highly entertaining. My only critique is that this movie is still not available in HD as of 2019. I don't know what the hold up is, but I would really like to see a bluray or 4K transfer of this film.

If there were more than 5 stars available, The Abyss would get them all. First, it is a James Cameron film, so you know you are in for a remarkable experience. Second, Ed Harris was OUTSTANDING! (Though, humans cannot breathe liquid the way he did in the movie.) The climax involved a message along the lines of the message the alien Klaatu brought to Earth - we have been watched and we pose a danger to others in the Universe, so we need to straighten out. In "The Earth Stood Still," Klatuu stopped time to demonstrate his power. In The Abyss, the aliens living at the deepest depths of the ocean floor created and then stopped tidal waves to demonstrate their power. This movie is a 2 hour 50 minute event, so plan accordingly. I was an emotional wreck for the last 30 minutes.

Saw the movie when it first came out a long time ago. Loved it then and it still was as exciting now! This version had additional footage and I must admit I was unable to tell the new footage because it was long ago since I watched the movie. So I would have to say that the added footage did not change anything for me, so this is still a winner of a movie.