62
Metascore
14 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80Washington PostDesson ThomsonWashington PostDesson ThomsonBefore this voyage plummets into Stevie Spielberg's locker, the human stuff is more than worth the descent.
- 75USA TodayMike ClarkUSA TodayMike ClarkIf you end up cursing, try not to forget The Abyss' spectacular oil-rig collapse, a killer chase scene, two fine leads, and one Oscar-worthy "creature'' special effect midway through. Do forget the rest - unless you really dig Casper, the Friendly Ghost. [9 Aug 1989, Life, p.1D]
- 75Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyThe Abyss ends with a whimper. But it starts out with a bang that lasts for an exciting hour and a half. And that's enough to make it worth taking the plunge.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleBoth Mastrantonio and Harris are terrific, never missing a beat, always convincing, even when playing the most extreme emotions. [9 Aug 1989, Daily Datebook, p.E1]
- 75Chicago TribuneDave KehrChicago TribuneDave KehrThe Abyss is at its best during such moments of reverie-when the abstract metaphors and the unique physicality of the deep sea setting come together to produce powerful, unvoiced meanings. The film does have its beckoning depths; what it needs is a more polished surface. [9 Aug 1989, Tempo, p.1]
- 70VarietyVarietyA firstrate underwater suspenser with an otherworldly twist, The Abyss suffers from a payoff unworthy of its buildup.
- 50TV Guide MagazineTV Guide MagazineIt lacks the emotional impact and suspense of its predecessors and is spoiled by a disappointingly inane ending. What ultimately saves the film are its extraordinary sets and phenomenal Oscar-winning visual effects.
- 50TimeRichard SchickelTimeRichard SchickelHarris and Mastrantonio do have a strong death and resurrection sequence, but long before that, one is pining for a rubber shark or a plastic octopus -- anything, in fact, out of a good old low-tech thriller. [14 Aug 1989, p.79]
- 40Chicago ReaderJonathan RosenbaumChicago ReaderJonathan RosenbaumThe attempt to extract the essences of several genres (cold-war submarine thriller, love story, Disney fantasy, pseudomystical SF in the Spielberg mode) and mix them together ultimately leads to giddy incoherence.
- 38Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittThe Abyss' isn't abysmal, but it's a replay of hits we've already seen - a recycled "close encounters of the wet kind'' with far too few ideas of its own. [18 Aug 1989, Arts, p.10]