The Abyss (1989)

James Cameron is a little crazy.

There, I said it.

Why, you may ask?

Because the man not only has a definite heart for science fiction, but also goes out of his way to make his ideas and creative input as tangible as possible, apparently very often to the dismay of actors and crew. But when you see the results on screen, it's kind of hard to fault his methods. I mean, the man made 'The Terminator', 'T2', 'Aliens', 'Avatar'.

Oh, and this one.

For those not familar with 'The Abyss': a crew of an experimental undersea drilling platform is sent on a mission to recover a disappeared nuclear submarine, along with a couple of Navy Seals. Meanwhile up top, tensions between the US and Russia mount as below the waves, it soon becomes apparent that there is something otherworldy present.

Yes, I mean aliens.

This is by far not a spoiler, as the film quickly asserts that there are aliens in the deep. Heck, you can even gather that much from the opening, where you see the sub going down with all hands. And yet, Cameron manages to turn this into an exciting, sometimes creepy adventure film with heart. The characters are pretty much all likeable, especially Ed Harris, although I'm not sure whether that is the character or simply Ed Harris. I mean, have you ever seen 'The Rock'? He's supposed to be the bad guy there and even then he is way too likeable.

Damn you, likeable Ed.

Cameron's go-to-guy Michael Biehn is also present, although this time it's a turn that you're not really used to. Well done for subverting expectations, gentlemen. And also: that moustache.

But what makes 'The Abyss' stand out so much, is that nearly everything was done on screen with practical effects. Why is that so special? Because this whole thing takes place under water, that's why.

Cameron found a massive tank, built the sets underwater, had special diving helmets designed and everyone is truly afloat. All that swimming and submarine action? Either models or real people swimming for realsies deep under water. Heck, there is a scene where a character is drowned and pulled back to the drilling rig. That is actually actress Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio for real.

Damn, James. Talk about asking a lot of your actors and crew.

But still, the results are there and they are undeniably good. I wouldn't say this is one of Cameron's best, but it will always remain a childhood favourite and I get an intense enjoyment out of it whenever I rewatch this, which is often several times a year.

So if you're looking for an exciting underwater adventure, made all the more awesome once you realize that they did almost all that stuff for real, then this is a must see.

If you don't like water or getting wet, this stuff will give you nightmares.

Also: what is wrong with you?