7.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.6 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A civilian oil rig crew is recruited to conduct a search-and-rescue effort when a nuclear submarine mysteriously sinks. One diver soon finds himself on a spectacular odyssey 25,000 feet below the ocean's surface where he confronts a mysterious force.
Starring: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Leo Burmester, Todd GraffSci-Fi | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS-HD HR 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (3 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
There are a lot of "wish lists" for various home media aficionados circulating online (including right here at this very site), and a trifecta of James Cameron films is often mentioned for those wanting either decent 1080 or hopefully "new, improved" 4K UHD versions, and that call has been heeded with the simultaneous releases of True Lies 4K, Aliens 4K and this particular film. Of the three, my hunch is The Abyss has been the most widely anticipated, and there are already literally thousands of posts about this release on our forum, something that indicates just how anticipated this release is. Now someone with the initials "JC" might evoke images of a veritable second coming, and in that regard, Cameron has not been especially shy about "revising" his material, in at least somewhat the same way that invited serious umbrage when George Lucas attempted the same with the Star Wars: Original Trilogy. As a subcategory of that particular tendency, Cameron's "revisionism" isn't necessarily relegated to things like (to cite just one broad example not necessarily pertaining to this release) appearance changes in things like special effects or even color timing for home media releases, but actual content , as evidenced by the two versions of The Abyss included on both 1080 and 4K UHD discs in this package.
Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc in this package.
The Abyss is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Disney / Buena Vista with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.39:1. There is a
boatload and/or submersible of information available online (including here in our Forums) about all three of the 4K upgrades of James Cameron
films,
and some of that information has included "technologies" utilized, but I'm going to completely ignore any of those supposed controversies to simply
concentrate on how this transfer looks. While my official reviews won't all be posted for a few more days, of the three Cameron offerings,
I'd
rate this 4K UHD presentation as the strongest, though it has some of the same anomalies, which my hunch is some videophiles will perceive as
deficits, as the other two. The most obvious potential shortcoming I think some will have with this presentation is the relative absence of grain. It's
pretty much shorn completely from the 20th Century Fox masthead, but it commendably does appear once the film actually gets underway,
though it can
be relatively minimal, even against the glut of blues that predominate throughout the story. Grain is definitely more visible against some of the
lighter
backgrounds, as in some of the topside material in the ships as the story wends its way to its conclusion, but is still rather contained and less
observable than I bet many folks will expect and/or desire. The increased resolution of the 4K version probably only makes this somewhat "video-
esque" digitally processed appearance more apparent than the 1080 version. Despite whatever restoration gauntlets were
undertaken, there is still some recurrent if very minor speckling and the like which the most eagle eyed may notice (try freeze framing at
circa 18:13 in the Special Edition to see some of the tiny white flecks that can show up). All of this said, this presentation offers some nicely precise
looking fine detail levels in at least the practical sets and costumes, and throughout on the many close-ups of faces. Even some of the underwater
material with people can offer surprisingly detailed facial features, including clear visibility of "little" things like eyelashes through visors. This is
maybe the only
Disney / Buena Vista 4K release I've personally reviewed with Dolby Vision, and HDR definitely adds some luster to the underwater material in
particular when compared to an already excellent 1080 presentation. HDR also increases the variability in the huge gamut of blue tones that are a
constant throughout the story, and offers some really nice highlights in the more pastel fluorescence material which serves as this film's version of
2001's light show. Some of the then nascent CGI and old school composited effects I would say don't fare perfectly under the "harsh glare" of
2160 resolution, and some of the climactic material involving Bud's fate may actually look just slightly comical as a result. This presentation may
indeed strike some as a potent example of Cameron's "revisionism", but divorced from that context, I found it rather beautifully detailed throughout
for the most part, and the 4K UHD presentation improves both fine detail levels and especially palette nuance when compared to the already
excellent 1080 presentation included in this package.
The Abyss features a nicely immersive (no underwater pun intended) Dolby Atmos track, which clearly engages the Atmos speakers throughout, though kind of ironically in "submerging" sound effects, as in the rush of waters early in the story when the Montana meets it fate. There is excellent surround activity throughout this presentation, including everything from the haunting opening a cappella voices suddenly being joined by brass entering from the rear channels, and with many other moments of scoring clearly wafting through both the side and rear channels. Water effects are of course a near constant, especially in the second half of the film, and swirling sonic activity is a regular presence in the surround channels. Some of the supposed "high tech" gizmos in the backgrounds of several scenes also emit a variety of effects which dot the surround channels, creating a lively soundstage. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout.
Disc One (4K UHD)
- Chapter 1: Table of Contents
- Chapter 2: Introduction
- Chapter 3: The Writer/Director and Screenplay
- Chapter 4: Development and the Production Team
- Chapter 5: The Design Team
- Chapter 6: The Storyboarding Process
- Chapter 7: Character Development and Casting
- Chapter 8: Costume Design
- Chapter 9: Training for the Production
- Chapter 10: Filming Underwater
- Chapter 11: ROVs and Video in The Abyss
- Chapter 12: Production Chronology
- Chapter 13: The Montana
- Chapter 14: The Benthic Explorer
- Chapter 15: Deepcore 2
- Chapter 16: Flatbed
- Chapter 17: Cab One and Cab Three
- Chapter 18: NTI Scout and Manta
- Chapter 19: Pseudopod
- Chapter 20: Fluid Breathing and the Deep Suit
- Chapter 21: The NTIs
- Chapter 22: The Wave
- Chapter 23: The NTI Ark
- Chapter 24: Editing, Sound, and Music
- Chapter 25: Publicity/Advertising/Marketing
- Chapter 26: The Restoration
- Chapter 27: Closing Commentary
- Chapter 28: Acknowledgments and Credits
James Cameron evidently likes long movies. The interesting thing about the two versions of The Abyss is that the Special Edition adds considerable length to an already lengthy viewing experience, but I'd argue actually does what it sets out to do, by providing more context and a more visually polished final product. That said, having both versions in both 1080 and 4K UHD will no doubt excite many fans, as will the huge array of supplements included on the bonus 1080 disc. I have no doubt the look of this presentation is going to be contentious, and it frankly took me a little adjusting to get used to, and my advice is if you're loathe to accept "revisionism" of any kind, this may not be the release for you. I found the technical merits to be generally solid, especially audio, and the supplements nicely inclusive and interesting. Recommended.
1986
40th Anniversary Edition
1977
Special Edition
1951
2012
2009
Budget Re-release
2001-2005
2008
2000
1991
Limited Edition
1997
20th Anniversary Edition
1996
1966-1969
1970
1971
The Remastered Collection
1978-1980
2004-2009
2009-2011
2013
IMAX
2013
1993-1998