For years I have wondered aloud why The Abyss needed a human antagonist; the villainy of Michael Biehn's Lt. Coffey seemed a cheap method of manufacturing suspense when, in fact, a flood and some bioluminescent aliens had already done the trick. It's pure coincidence that I revisited James Cameron's submerged fantasy on the same weekend I had the displeasure of seeing Brian DePalma's Mission to Mars, and that's when I realized the necessity of Coffey's actions: space movies without human conflict are boring. The Abyss surely would've been duller for the absence of its (quintessentially Cameron) nuclear-terrorist subplot.

I'll be focusing this review on Fox's spectacular DVD release of The Abyss, mainly because there are so many special features it's going to be long-winded enough. But a few quick notes on the film itself, or films themselves, as it were. For those unfamiliar few, the basics: the crew of underwater oil rig "Deepcore" is commissioned to join four Navy SEALS in the recovery of a lost submarine; the real adventure begins once a cyclone destroys communications with topside. Upping the stakes, High Pressure Nervous Syndrome-afflicted Coffey thieves a missile, growing ever more homicidal by the second.

The Abyss came out in the summer of 1989 at a butchered 140 minutes; Cameron was granted the opportunity, in the post-Dances With Wolves era of 1993 (when three-hour epics were back in vogue), to expand the theatrical cut by some 28 minutes for a Special Edition, which went on to success first as a roadshow (i.e., a city-by-city release), then as LaserDisc's inaugural THX-certified box set. What a difference the extra footage makes: the 2001-style first contact is now coherent, while the supporting players are given new dimension. Furthermore, although the love-hate dynamic between soon-to-be-ex husband and wife characters Bud and Lindsey Brigman remained intact in the short version, in the SE it feels part of a greater philosophical tapestry.

If the 1989 cut is a thrill ride, then the 1993 revamp is a frequently wrenching emotional rollercoaster, pushing all the right buttons as it examines the paradoxically claustrophobic nature of abyssal waters. It also has the romantic grandeur of Cameron's later hit Titanic minus the prefabricated class conflict; clearly confessional/autobiographical, at the heart of The Abyss is a marriage that thrives on hullabaloo--the seeds for many of Cameron's matrimonial unions were planted on tumultuous movie sets, and his divorces tend to happen in-between projects.

Fox's 2-disc package will surely win the format new fans. (On the other hand, its lack of 16x9-enhancement, save the menu screens (!), will surely incite many a widescreen TV owner into hair-pulling tantrums.) The best way to attack this rundown is platter-by-platter, section-by-section.

The film comes in two flavours: original or extended. Via seamless branching technology, your machine will snip the appropriate scenes to recreate the theatrical version--there will be a barely perceptible pause as these edits are performed. The non-anamorphic, THX-approved image, letterboxed at 2.35:1, looks stupendous on 4:3 sets, a definite improvement upon the LD transfer of seven years back in terms of stability and colour delineation. Flesh tones occasionally veer too close to an unnatural pink and the darkest scenes could be a hair sharper, but Mikael Solomon's Oscar-nominated cinematography has otherwise never been so evocative on home video. Just like the recent Ghostbusters, one optional set of subtitles for either cut is a text commentary; read a single tidbit of trivia and you'll be hooked.

THE DVD FILE recently claimed that The Abyss contains a 4.1 Dolby Digital mix, contrary to the disc's packaging (which clearly states 5.1). Since all six channel icons lit up on my receiver, and because I either very vividly imagined or actually heard some split-surround information, I have no choice but to contradict Cliff Stephenson's report. This is a great track with subtlety going for it. Those hoping for demo material will find it during any of the set-pieces. (I'll be showing off my system for at least the next few months using the earth-shaking closing number.) Be sure to select 5.1 from the menu before starting the film, or you'll be listening to the mousey 2.0 Dolby Surround default.

Discounting DVD-ROM content*, the only extras accessible (through Personnel Lockers) from the striking animated menus (they're a 3-D mock-up of "Deepcore") are extensive cast and crew bios plus notes on the origin of the story; filming underwater; recording dialogue underwater; and building "Deepcore", the submersibles, and diving gear.

*Built-in "PC Friendly" software enables you to surf Fox websites as well as a cool script/storyboard-to-screen interface. Disc Two additionally offers three ergonomically complex Shockwave games: ROV Pilot; Sonar Spy; and Valve Control.

A world of many options.

DRILL ROOM
A helpful tour guide through the supplemental material. For those with hours to kill.

IMAGING STATION
A staggering amount of good stuff is found here.

• Complete Storyboard Gallery -- 773 panels in total
• Shooting Script
• Treatment (the story structure in narrative form, a common pitch tool for screenwriters)
• Production art and stills
• Behind-the-scenes videos that range in length from a few seconds to twenty minutes:
• Effects reel -- wherein the magic tricks are deconstructed
• Crane crash in normal speed
• The storm aboard the Benthic
• Engine room flooding
• "Montana" bridge flooding
• Video storyboards -- with optional matte bars
• "Deepcore" construction in time lapse -- the elaborate rig blooms in seven minutes
• Multi-angle 'pseudopod' montage -- toggle between the stages of production for a key scene, from storyboards to finished product
• Strange Days teaser trailer -- an easily discovered Easter egg
• Miniatures demonstration -- reveals how the actors could appear in impossible shots through the use of rear projection
• Motion control cameras in time lapse

THE ABYSS IN-DEPTH
There are two sub-bays in this area, the first being:

Operations - In depth notes on everything from casting to editing to marketing. Features an essay by James Cameron on the restoration as well as fascinating examples of early poster art.

Next we come to:

Mission Components - If you're itching for technical specs on "Deepcore 2," the "Pseudopod," or "Cab One," you'll find them here.

At last we arrive at my favourite sector, the blandly named MORE:

Documentaries takes you to a ten-minute featurette from 1989 and its more candid 1992 counterpart, Under Pressure, a 60-minute retrospective on what was deemed back then "the hardest shoot in history" (more difficult than Apocalypse Now?). Puritans, heed this warning: the language used by certain interviewees in the latter is much harsher than anything heard in The Abyss. I have watched this making-of three times now; its examination of the challenges Cameron and company encountered on an hourly basis during principal photography proves almost as gripping as the work that resulted from their labour. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio declined to participate, which is a shame.

Trailers, you ask? Oh yes, trailers for all of Cameron's Fox pictures (Aliens, True Lies, and Strange Days, which he wrote and produced) are available for viewing. More importantly, so is what I consider the most goose bump-inducing montage of all time, the full preview of The Abyss. (The teaser, alas, is lame.)

Does The Abyss constitute the best DVD SE of all time? No, that honour still currently goes to A Bug's Life: Collector's Edition. (Points deducted for lack of 16x9-enhancement, in addition to text-heavy bonus material.) For fans of the film, it is obviously a must-purchase. For waffling owners of the LD, it's worth the upgrade (how much longer will that player last you, anyhow?). For casual collectors of DVD, you owe it to yourself to get the most bang for your buck. Anchors aweigh!-Bill Chambers

Buy at Amazon USA

DVD VITALS:
Running Time
140 minutes/
171 minutes
MPAA
PG-13
Aspect Ratio(s)
2.35:1 ONLY
Languages
English DD 5.1,
English Dolby Surround
CC
Yes
Subtitles
English, Spanish
2 DVD-9s
Region One
Fox

Buy THE ABYSS posters at Moviegoods (click on image)

What's coming out on DVD? Check the release calendar

Published: March, 2000