The Abyss

The Abyss is a 1989 American science fiction film written and directed by James Cameron and starring Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn.

Plot
Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio are formerly married petroleum engineers who still have some issues to work out. They are drafted to assist a gung-ho Navy SEAL (Michael Biehn) with a top-secret recovery operation: a nuclear sub has been ambushed and sunk, under mysterious circumstances, in some of the deepest waters on Earth.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) The premise of a US search and recovery team works with an oil platform crew, racing against Soviet vessels to recover the boat when an American submarine sinks in the Caribbean is very well-executed.
 * 2) Amazing visual effects, especially the water effect with CGI, in which ends up being won the 1990 Oscar for Best Visual Effects (John Bruno, Dennis Muren, Hoyt Yeatman, and Dennis Skotak).
 * 3) Very good acting and performance, especially Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Michael Biehn
 * 4) Like The Terminator and Aliens, James Cameron's directing is fantastic.
 * 5) Likable and reliable characters, such as Virgil "Bud" Brigman, Dr. Lindsey Brigman, and US Navy SEAL Lieutenant Hiram Coffey.
 * 6) The special edition in 1993 garnered much praise, and the scenes were added, like it against a backdrop of conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, with the potential for all-out war; the sinking of the Montana additionally fuels the aggression.

Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, The Abyss has an 89% approval rating based on 46 reviews and an average rating of 7.20/10. The critical consensus states: "The utterly gorgeous special effects frequently overshadow the fact that The Abyss is also a totally gripping, claustrophobic thriller, complete with an interesting crew of characters.". On Metacritic, the film has an average score of 62 out of 100, based on 14 critics indicating "generally favorable reviews". The reviews tallied therein are for both the theatrical release and the Special Edition.