I finally got around to getting the 4K release of The Abyss and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. This is a real passion project of James Cameron and I just wish that my theatre showed the 4K restoration that he did last year when it was released, it would have been so awesome to see this on the big screen.
How to Download The Abyss
You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like the film, check other James Cameron works such as Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Titanic, or Avatar.
The Movie Review
As a kid, I was blown away by The Abyss when it came to the laserdisc format. I had seen it on VHS before that, but the image quality on the laserdisc (at the time) was phenomenal and while we did not have a ton of laserdiscs, this was one of the highlights of the collection.
I watched the 4K restoration of The Abyss and it is truly some of James Cameron’s best work, the restoration I mean, not so much the actual movie. Hey, it is a fun sci-fi, I guess you could say thriller, but if I am being brutally honest, The Abyss has never been one of my all time favorite movies. I love it for the special effects and the aliens under the water story, but I do think the “Special Edition” which is what James Cameron intended the movie to be, does drag on in some places.
The Plot of The Abyss
The premise of The Abyss is that a sub carrying a warhead has sunk and it is a race against the Russians (it was the early 90s after all) to get it back. A team is sent to do this via a fancy underwater research base and as you would expect, there is a bunch of tension within the team. We have a great cast here with Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and James Cameron favorite, Michael Biehn and they all do a great job. This was actually one of the first movies that made me take notice of Ed Harris.
Now, getting a sub that has sunk is tough at the best of times, but there are a few things that make this retrieval mission even more dangerous. First of all, there is a brutal storm happening on the surface, there are tensions and paranoia due to the depth they are at and there is also some kind of “Non Terrestrial Inelegance” that appears to be watching them.
The Best Part of The Abyss: The Aliens
The best part of The Abyss for me has always been the stuff with the aliens or whatever you want to call them. I love the design of the “NTI” beings and I like how they do not show us too much, but enough to get an idea and form some kind of thought in regards to what these things are. The city that we see is breathtaking and on the 4K release, all the underwater scenes with the NTIs and their bright lights look fantastic.
Importance of The Abyss for Special Effects
It has been stated many times that without The Abyss, we would not have gotten the amazing special effects that we got in Terminator 2 and that alone makes this a very important movie for me. The special effects still hold up and with the bit of tinkering that James Cameron has done here with this recent 4K restoration, it kind of made me like this movie even more.
A Newfound Appreciation for The Abyss
The Abyss was never a movie that I did not like, it was just a movie that I thought was fine. It was more of a spectacle and something I would like to watch for the amazing special effects (especially that laserdisc). However, I feel that as an adult I appreciate the story and the characters far more, especially the theme of humanity and love that the movie has.
The Abyss 4K Release: A Must-Watch for Fans
There are some 4K releases and restorations that I think are bare bones and make me wonder why they even bothered. The Abyss is not one of those movies, you can tell that a great deal of time, effort, and love was put into this 4K release. The movie still holds up and while it is a long watch if you are watching the Special Edition and not the theatrical cut, I still think that this is an enjoyable experience.
