See more movie reviews

The Abyss (PG-13, 1989)

common sense media says

Undersea UFO adventure is breathtaking but intense.

parents & educators say
See all 6 reviews | Review it

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that there's a fair amount of salty language in this ocean thriller. The camera exposes bare breasts in a medical-emergency context. Violent acts include death by drowning, hand-to-hand combat, and a threat of nuclear annihilation. Young viewers with fears of the water and/or claustrophobia might be uncomfortable with vivid portrayals of drowning and submersible environments. A scene -- not faked -- in which a domesticated rat is immersed in breathable liquid is a real don't-try-this-with-the-family-pet-at-home moment. The US military doesn't come off looking particularly good.

Positive messages: The U.S. military (in particular, an all-white group of overconfident Navy SEALS) are more or less the villains here, arrogant and paranoid and fixated on weaponry and Cold-War destruction. The filmmakers' sympathies are with the (ethnically and sexually mixed) working-class oil-rig crew, shown as more sensible and concerned for each other's safety and well-being. The main characters are a feuding couple in the process of divorce, with lots of marital sniping woven into the adventure; the wife in particular is accused of being more interested in career advancement.
Violence: Blood shed in hand-to-hand combat and near-strangulation. Freshly-drowned bodies shown. A knife and a gun brandished. A montage of real-life atrocity footage from Vietnam, the Holocaust, and other infamies. A psycho character slashes his arm in a masochistic "cutting" ritual.
Sex: Quick glimpse of bare breasts as a female character in cardiac arrest is defibrillated.
Language: "Damn," "hell," "dick," "SOB," and "s--t," all several time; "goddamn"/"oh my God"; the heroine referred to as a "bitch" more than once.
Consumerism: Somehow a Coca-Cola machine found its way on board the base.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on The Abyss

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about ocean exploration and living underwater, and how much of the astounding aquatic technology shown here is the real deal, shot by James Cameron in one of the largest underwater tank-sets ever built -- not sci-fi CGI. Dwelling for long periods beneath the surface of the sea poses many of the same challenges as setting up space colonies. Ask kids what they would prefer -- manning a space station or a submarine platform? How would they have dealt with the unstable Navy SEALS here in a more constructive manner?

What's the story?

What's the story?
An American nuclear submarine bristling with atomic warheads encounters the deep-sea equivalent of a UFO and loses all power and contact with the outside world. As Cold-War tensions with the Soviet Union escalate, the US Navy conscripts the civilian oil-rig workers of an experimental underwater drilling platform to mount a deep-sea "rescue" expedition (it turns out to be more ominous than that) to the unresponsive sub, while a hurricane whips up the ocean surface. Things get worse; the platform is itself battered and crippled in an accident, and the commanding SEAL officer (Michael Biehn) becomes mentally unstable under the pressure -- even more so when the luminous, enigmatic, inquisitive UFO aliens return to check out the stressed humans up close.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

This huge-scale underwater epic was so highly touted in its production phase that rival Hollywood studios had time to get lookalike (and inferior) marine sci-fi flicks (Deep Star Six and Leviathan, if you had to ask) already in theaters by the time perfectionist director James Cameron released THE ABYSS. Even then, Cameron was less than satisfied, and in DVD and VHS you can find both the original Abyss and a "special edition" that attempted to better blend the alien-first-contact story into the plot. Even so, it mixes like the proverbial oil and water. Cameron's realization of the characters' high-tech, deep-sea survival ordeal is so fascinating (and excruciatingly suspenseful) in its own right that the sci-fi element seems intrusive -- a Close Encounter of the Rather Unnecessary Kind, even with all the orchestral crescendos and awesome visuals.

Younger viewers who can even tolerate the likes of Jar Jar Binks will be more accepting of the aliens. James Cameron later dispensed with the UFO stuff to offer a vivid documentary nature feature Aliens of the Deep.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn
Genre: Science Fiction
Run time: 140 minutes
Theatrical release: August 6, 1989
DVD release: February 11, 2003
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: language and some scenes of action.
This review was written by Charles Cassady Jr.
 
 

Review It

 

Review The Abyss

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
 

Most useful reviews by all members

wwechampion
kid, 11 years old
14
 
The Abyss
Rated PG-13 For Language And Some Scenes Of Action
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (5) | had useful details (6) | read my mind (3)
SportyEm137
kid, 13 years old
9
 
I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!! Kind of like Titanic but with aliens!! Great movie. Few swears but nothing terrible. Older kids and tween movie. Not very violent...
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (2) | had useful details (3) | read my mind (5)
movieslug
teen, 16 years old
13
 
good movie
not mentioned by common sense there is a scene were a man cuts himsself due to stress
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (2) | had useful details (3) | read my mind (5)
MovieLover4Lyfe
adult
13
 
I am not a big 'alien' movie fan. They tend to be scary and hey, i'm not a big fan of scary movies either haha but this movie seems to hold some promise and I'm a fan of James Cameron. It's definitely a potential renter!
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (2) | had useful details (2) | read my mind (4)
ParamoreFan09
teen, 15 years old
12
 
Parents-- see it first and you decide.
I love this movie! It is so cool and I don't really know why I just love it! I love the scene where bud and that girl are stuck in the little submarine and it's flooding-- the best love scene! It's so sad but epic, too! The only thing is for parents to warn their children when a scary part is coming. There is a scene with a guy cutting himself, which really freaks me out but I love this movie! You should see it! The ending also reminds me of the new Avatar movie also by James Cameron.
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (2) | had useful details (2) | read my mind (3)
davyborn
teen, 17 years old
14
 
Heartpoundingly intense sci-fi thriller may be too much for tween's
James Cameron's often overlooked sci-fi thriller The Abyss was also easily one of the most expensive movies of it's time as well, clocking in at about $70 million in august 1989. Sure, that budget has been hugely surpassed in recent years, but back than, it was considered incredibly expensive, and not worth making, which is a shame, consiering it also didn't do all that well at the box office that summer, with about $54 million coming in. Also, as great and rriveting as it is, it is still a very, very intense movie, as most of James Cameron's movie are, which may actually be a bit to much even for a PG-13 rating, with plenty of physical violence and fistfights during the movies second half. Also, there is brief but graphic nudity, featuring the main heroines bare breasts during a non-sexual, but heart wrenching scene. Finally, there is very frequent profanity, with 1 use of the F-word and many other milder terms. In closing,I would like to say that this movie is a thrill-ride-and a half, but it is more suitable for teens.
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (2) | had useful details (2) | read my mind (2)

More reviews ...

An independent voice for families
Age-appropriate reviews
Advice on the big issues
 

vote now

Will you see The Abyss?

Won't miss it
On the fence
No way

Already seen it? What do you think?

I recommend it
It's a pass
 

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

More underwater thrills
Browse more movies
About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age
Our child development rating guidelines