When it comes to "science fiction", outer space is tempting to explore. It is mysterious and unforgiving. In reality, there are other environments just as challenging, if not more. One of them is the ocean depths right here, on Earth. There don't seem to be many movies about that. "The Abyss" is a good one. There can be criticisms, of course. Some of the secondary characters could have been paid more attention to, the pacing could have been faster and the fictional element of the plot goes beyond "science fiction" and borders on magic. But none of these ruin the movie. Thanks to what they go through and how the actors portray them, the main characters are no problem. And just because the movie is not very fast does not make it boring. There is nothing wrong with taking the time and exploring things, especially when a sense of humor is present in an environment where death is always near. And whether "hardcore science fiction" or "naïve fantasy" has more to do with the fictional element here, that element is given limited amounts of time and does not get in the way of matters of life and death. On the contrary, it amplifies things, especially, in the extended version of the film. As for the visuals and the sounds, there isn't much point in describing them. There is point in experiencing them. The cinematography, the visual effects, the sound design and the music equip the contents of the film with an outstanding package that time seems to be powerless to devalue.
"The Abyss" was a box office failure upon release in 1989. A few things may have had something to do with that. First, director James Cameron had already become known for strong action movies that rely heavier on things like fighting, shooting and explosions, and "The Abyss" wasn't exactly like that. Second, the promotion may have been weak. Third, the original theatrical release wasn't the movie we now know. The Special Edition was made public a while later and even went on to get a theatrical release much later, in 2023. Unfortunately, such theatrical "re-releases" don't do much to change the initial box office results. And the new trailer wasn't all that exciting, by the way. But the worst part is how the problems "The Abyss" brings up haven't gone anywhere since the eighties and the nineties. World War 3 is still a thing that can happen anytime soon.
"The Abyss" was a box office failure upon release in 1989. A few things may have had something to do with that. First, director James Cameron had already become known for strong action movies that rely heavier on things like fighting, shooting and explosions, and "The Abyss" wasn't exactly like that. Second, the promotion may have been weak. Third, the original theatrical release wasn't the movie we now know. The Special Edition was made public a while later and even went on to get a theatrical release much later, in 2023. Unfortunately, such theatrical "re-releases" don't do much to change the initial box office results. And the new trailer wasn't all that exciting, by the way. But the worst part is how the problems "The Abyss" brings up haven't gone anywhere since the eighties and the nineties. World War 3 is still a thing that can happen anytime soon.