mraculeated The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Roman Sampson One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Paynbob It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Walter Sloane Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

christopherhodges-91529 The Abyss is one of Jim Cameron's lesser known efforts and one can see why. Its rather long, most of it is underwater(probably 90%) and the subject just might not be of interest to most people. The film itself is more known for its behind the scene shenanigans. The plot takes a bunch of civilian divers who go down to the trenches of the Ocean to recover a lost submarine. What they don't realize is that there are far more powerful forces at play here. The original version of the film was derided on release but a director's cut with additional footage sets most of the detractors straight. The last few minutes of this director's cut are rather good so watch this version of the film. Still, the film is just alright and nowhere on the level of say The Terminator or Titanic.

micke-bystrom The major part of this, right up to just before the end, is a really nice deep water drama with interesting personal developments and encounters.It's more open if you can live with the end, but if logic and story coherence are important to you I recommend you turn off just after the deeper descend. If you do, you will have had an intriguing movie experience with few regrets. Most aspects do hold up, also most of the special effects.I remember watching this in a big cinema in a group of 5-7 friends. All of us had a heated discussion afterwards walking away, where everyone agreed on that some Hollywood CEO, must have reacted to test viewer reactions, and then have made sure Cameron added on another ending than this well-written story deserved and in that had destroyed the experience of a really good story and movie. We reached the conclusion that "Hollywood endings" are the bane of good cinema even if most of us otherwise had enjoyed the movie.Now, years later with the Director's Cut, that I've also saw some time later** — which ending will hurt you so much more profoundly, or alternatively amaze you and yet leave you potentially offended because of the actual ending — it would seem the last piece was Cameron's wish after all.I've looked upon on his work with skepticism ever since the Director's Cut, even if I like some of what he's done since. The documentaries like "Aliens of the Deep" and "Ghosts of the Abyss" (unrelated to this story here) are the most interesting.It could have been so good. As it was released it's as watchable as any Sci-fi flick that almost got there. Just don't get your hopes up.**What can I say? I was hoping for a better ending, not a worse one, which was what we got.

Nicolas F. Costoglou James Cameron loves to be underwater and made a few documentaries about it...and two movies, one was his kitsch-drama "Titanic" and the other one was his slightly overlooked masterpiece known by the name "The Abyss".And his love of the theme is there to be seen in every second of film, the set is actually underwater with all the cast and crew inside, some of them couldn't even resist the pressure.Technically everything's near perfection, the camera-work, lighting, and sound. The soundtrack is composed by Alan Silvestri and one of my favourites written by him, the emotional parts feel even more powerful thanks to him.The special effects are amazing, everything's practically made with models, puppets, real tech and/or optical projections. There is one incredible CGI-effect when the aliens use their power to bend the water and give it the shape of a human face.The acting is incredible and the interactions between the characters the reason why the whole movie works. My favourite scene in the movie is when the two ex-married protagonists are stuck in a flooding Submarine and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonios character has to temporarily die, because they only have one diving suit. After that they have to bring her back to life in a nail biting resuscitate scene.The movie is intense, but takes it's time to build everything up and the pay-off at the end is fitting and great in my opinion.I all in all adore this film, because of the excellent acting, incredible effects and it's emotional core...

widsith-58602 I saw the extended version with the 'real' ending. It is just as rubbish as the shorter version. This is an astonishingly poor movie.It is sort of Close Encounters underwater, but with awful dialogue, one-dimensional characters and zero imagination. It's the kind of film that one keeps watching, presuming that some development or impressive finale will make up for all the dross that one has to sit through. It doesn't. I watched the longer version, thinking the 'directors' cut might have some qualities that the theatrical release did not. Big mistake.Unless you're a student of bad film-making, avoid this.