Having been in the pipeline for the best part of a decade, it appears that the much-anticipated hi-def edition of James Cameron’s 1989 underwater spectacularThe Abyssis finally about to see the light of day. Something of a rite of passage for sci-fi fans in the 1980s, therollercoaster action filmfeatured Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Ed Harris as estranged lovers Lindsey and Bud in the lead roles.
Former Cameron collaborator Michael Biehn plays Coffey, the leader of a group of Navy SEALs tasked with the job of investigating the mysterious disappearance of a submarine in the mid-Atlantic. In spite of a famously tortuous production and the film running over budget,The Abysswas a box-office success. It cemented Mastrantonio’s and Harris' status as bona fide Hollywood stars. It is also a staple of any self-respecting SFX fan’s collection. So why should we care about the upcoming hi-def theatrical re-release? Here are a few reasons.
The Impressive Special Effects
In an era awash with SFX-heavy films,The Abyssstands out more than most simply because of the sheer variety of effects on display. The miniature models and CGI are groundbreaking. The crew animated the faces of Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Ed Harris for superimposition on the alien “sea creature” that forms the centerpiece of the second act, a full two years beforeTerminator 2: Judgement Daypulled the same trickwith Cameron again at the helm. The effects looked spectacular at the time and still stand up today.
The model shots involving the submarine wreck and the underwater oil rig on which most of the action takes place could easily have been botched. One thinks of the competent but unspectacular work animating a bevy of American and Russian submarines inThe Hunt For Red October(1990), released only a few months afterThe Abyss, to see what a tricky proposition underwater model work could be and how effortlessly Cameron pulled it off.
But the really impressive aspect of the movie is the one sequence that would have caused any director other than Cameron to laugh out loud at the technical difficulties involved in filming it. Namely, the scene in the third act in which Lindsey and Bud set out to stop the deranged Coffey from setting off a nuclear weapon. The very notion of an underwater chase scene involving a pair of submersibles is as preposterous as it sounds.
In the hands of any director other than Cameron, it would have been either a mess or played for laughs. Instead, it’s dramatic and gripping, setting up the barnstorming final act with a desperate, unforgettable two-hander in which Lindsey and Bud watch their damaged submersible slowly fill up with water, with the knowledge that they only have breathing gear for one of them. Watching it in crystal-clear hi-def will be a joy.
The Beauty of Color Grading
Back in the ’90s, the usual way of watchingThe Abysswas on a second or third-generation VHS recording of a rerun on television. The subtleties of the original color grading were often lost, and scenes on the rig (and in the water) were reduced to various muddy shades of gray, blue, and green.
Related:Every James Cameron Movie, Ranked
Restoration can bring out enormous subtleties in color and shading, as fans ofStar Trek: The Next Generationwere overjoyed to discover when the Blu-Ray version of season one appeared. The infamous reddish tinge of the original prints was replaced by the luscious hues of the original sets and costumes. Expect more of the same inThe Abyss' updated release.
An Extended Version?
WhileThe Abyssbenefits from a watertight plot (no pun intended) and good pacing, a great deal of footage ended up on the cutting room floor, with Cameron’s original cut lasting almost three hours. Distributors concerned about the ability to show the film in cinemas multiple times in the course of an ordinary business day were happy when the final cut weighed in at two hours and twenty minutes.
However, that leaves around half an hour of footage still searching for a home. In 2011, some sequences got an airing when makeup effects specialistSteve Johnson shared some footageof the underwater creatures encountered at the film’s climax that ultimately never made it into the finished film. A much-vaunted final sequence involves massive tsunami-style waves, which came a couple of decades beforeSan Andreasmade cinematic paydirtwith the same idea. To this day, it remains unseen. Will James Cameron offer fans a simple restoration of the original movie, or will viewers have the option of watching an expanded version with the missing material restored? All is yet to be revealed, although early signs indicate the remastered version of the film may stick to its original length.
The Abyss' Cinematic Rebirth
Originally touted for a Blu-ray touch-up in August 2022, the re-release of James Cameron’sThe Abysshas finally been confirmed after a seriously prolonged period of speculation and developments. We’ve borne witness to several cinematic re-births in recent years, with many older films enjoying somewhat of a modern renaissance on the big screen, from the likes ofThe Godfather,Titanic, andThe Wizard of OztoJawsand2001: A Space Odyssey.Many of the aforementioned have gone on to have greatly successful re-releases.
Related:Best Underwater Adventure Movies, Ranked
It was recently announced that Cameron’s movie would not only be making a return via the contemporary enhancements of Blu-ray but would also be hitting theater screens once again, 34 years after its initial theatrical debut. It was declared in early November thatThe Abysswould be making its return to the silver screen for one night only on December 6th, ending several years confined to the rumor mill. It has also been confirmed that the film is set for a wider release on Blu-ray, with the new, updated, and remastered copy of Cameron’s underwater epic available from 24th March 2024.Tickets for the re-release are available now.
Watch the trailer for the remastered release ofThe Abyssbelow:
