The Abyss: Special Edition

On the eve of the film's 35th anniversary, a 4K restoration of the special edition of James Cameron's The Abyss returned to theatres for one night. After the nuclear submarine USS Montana Cayman Trough, deepsea oil driller Bud Brigman (Ed Harris) and his experimental rig Deep Core are requisitioned by a team of Navy SEALS led by Lieutenant Hiram Coffey (Michael Biehn) for a Search-and-Recovery mission. Also joining the mission is Bud's estranged wife Lindsay (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), who ends up having an encounter with a “non-terrestrial intelligence,” or NTIs, while performing the mission.

The Abyss: Special Edition Synopsis

The Abyss was writer/director James Cameron's fourth feature film, released in between 1986's Aliens and 1991's Terminator 2: Judgement Day. The Abyss is the only film in James Cameron's filmography to be considered a box office disappointment, having earned a worldwide total of only $89.8 million during its initial release. In 1993, the Special Edition of The Abyss was first released to laserdisc, which restored 28 minutes of cut footage to the film, extending the runtime from 2h15m to nearly 3 hours.

It is the Special Edition cut that serves as the basis for this new 4K restoration of the film. Development on this restoration began as early as 2016, though it wasn't until the COVID delays for Avatar: The Way of Water that James Cameron finally got around to finishing the remaster. After receiving a single-day theatrical release, the first time the Special Edition was screened theatrically, The Abyss will receive its first-ever Blu-ray release next March.

My Thoughts on The Abyss: Special Edition

James Cameron has always been at the forefront of new technologies and The Abyss is one of the first major films to make use of CGI special effects developed by Industrial Light & Magic. Arguably, one of the most iconic effects in the film is the CGI water tentacle, which mimics the faces of Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Ed Harris. Then there is the awe-inspiring climax of the film, which undoubtedly planted the seed of what James Cameron would do decades later in the Avatar films.

Surprisingly, the alien element of The Abyss only ends up playing a small part of the film, with the majority of the action taking place in and around the deep-sea oil rig Deep Core, which is left stranded after a hurricane on the surface. As his character undergoes a water-pressure-induced psychosis, Michael Beihn's character of Lt. Coffey develops into the main antagonist of the film, with him planning a preemptive strike on the NTIs, using a nuclear warhead recovered from the crashed submarine.

Arguably the standout performance in The Abyss is Lindsay Brigman played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, previously best known for her supporting role as Tony Montana's sister Gina in 1983's Scarface. Lindsay begins as a relatively cold character, upset that she is not part of the rig that she helped to design. However, after encountering the NTIs, Lindsay evolves into a much more sympathetic character, which causes her to begin reconciling her marriage with Bud.

While he already had over a decade of credits by the time of the film's release, The Abyss ended up being the first major leading role for Ed Harris. While only in his late 30s at the time, Harris already had the gruff demeanour and thinning hairline that he would become known for in later films, such as Apollo 13 and The Rock. As the no-nonsense leader of the Deep Core, Bud ends up being the perfect counterpoint for Lt. Coffey, who becomes increasingly out of sync with reality.

Apart from being a box office disappointment, compared to his other films, The Abyss was reportedly a disaster to shoot. All of the underwater scenes were practically shot in a 55 ft deep tank built in an old nuclear power plant. This resulted in an extremely gruelling shoot for the cast and James Cameron himself reportedly almost drowned at one point. As a consequence, the cast, Ed Harris in particular, didn't like talking about their experiences working on The Abyss and most of the cast and crew on the film never ended up collaborating with James Cameron again.

Even if The Abyss was Hell to produce, the practically shot-diving scenes do improve the final product, especially when seen on the big screen. There is a certain claustrophobic feeling that comes from seeing these people navigating in the blackness of the ocean. It also makes it much more impressive when the NTIs show up with bright lights and colours.

The Abyss ended up winning an Oscar for its groundbreaking visual effects and in many ways the film's legacy was as a stepping stone for the more developed effects seen in James Cameron's next film Terminator 2: Judgement Day. However, this new 4K restoration allows people to rediscover The Abyss and the true spectacle that it truly is. It deserves its rightful place alongside the overall legacy of the imaginative filmmaking prowess of one James Cameron.