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Summary: Best undersea film ever!
Review: I just recently purchased the DVD of the Special Edition of 'The Abyss.' It is just as good--or better--than my laserdisc copy of same. By the way, our "Viewer from Crowley, Louisisna" is mistaken. Both versions of the film on this disc are available in both Dolby Surround and Dolby Digital 5.1. The special features in this edition are more extensive than on the Special Edition laserdisc--easier to access, as well. All in all, a Best Buy.
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Summary: The Abyss - As it was Intended
Review: James Cameron is a talented director that gets brought down in studio post-production. The Abyss: Special Edition finally shows the film - and its story - the way it was intended. And it is terrific - a really excellent film. In 1988, the studio considered a film over 140 minutes a "big gamble," so Cameron was forced to make significant edits to the film to meet this criterion. Ironically, I think the film would have performed much better at the box office in this longer format and with this storyline. While I always liked the original Abyss, the Special Edition is something very special.This isn't a new thing for Cameron. In Aliens, important scenes from the beginning of the film were cut involving Ripley and her daughter (who had died of old age while Ripley floated through space), thus setting the motivation for her bonding with Newt later in the film. In Terminator 2, a very important scene was cut that explained the Terminator's change in behavior when a chip was removed from his processor. Hopefully, after Titantic, the studios have learned to trust Jim's instincts, and let him release his films the way they were intended to be viewed. The Abyss: Special Edition is exactly that - a very special film.
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Summary: This movie has ok picture and excellent sound
Review: The reviewer below must have forgot to manually change the sound to 5.1 through the main menu because this sound rocks. The movie will only let you get 5.1 sound if youi change it through the main menu, otherwise it is only dd2.0. The special edition is pretty neet, and the part with the tidal wave will shake your house(if you have a good subwoofer). The special edition explains things better than it was originally. In addition to this, the second disk has nothing but special features. There is a nice documentary, and the entire script is on this disk! Also, all 700+ storyboards are included! This boxset is worth the money!
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Summary: good movie, but . . .
Review: Has anyone noticed atleast one technical glith on the DVD? At the end of a later chapter (watching the special edition atleast) after the line "this has a shvinter factor or 9.5" or whatever the line is ... it appears to freeze momentarily before going to the next scene with Coffey? Otherwise, a good film :-)
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Summary: Good, but the LD is still better
Review: My problem with the DVD is the color correction on a lot of scenes seems off. The supplements are astounding, though. One question remains: Why did they skip the anamorphic transfer on this one?
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Summary: GREATEST DVD EVER
Review: This is positively the greastest dvd ever made. The special features alone blew my mind. It took me almost 2 days to veiw all of the extra features, and I loved every moment of it. I have always said that dvd's should always be more than just the movie, and the creaters of this dvd definately had the same thing in mind. The original and special addition versions of the movie were absolutely beutifely remasterd. I have never seen this movie in such great shape. I do have to admit that the movie did seem a little quiet at times with the sound, but I quickly forgot about that after I saw what this dvd had to offer me. I give nothing but praise to the creaters of this dvd and I hope they will do the same with future dvd releases.
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Summary: Too many extras? Nah.
Review: I cannot believe how many extras The Abyss Special Edition has. It will take weeks to view it all. Next to the Matrix DVD, this has the best, most detailed extras ever. Almost too many. As for the story... simply awesome. James Cameron fails to disappoint.
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Summary: D.C. an improvement; Great extras; Good film
Review: Having only previously seen the theatrical release on VHS, I was pleased with the movie on a whole. Sure, the plot is a little meandering from NTIs (the aliens) to maniacal military foes, but it's all in for good fun. I don't think of the Director's Cut as the panacea for some of the plot's discontinuities, but it certainly is an improvement. It clarifies many issues from the theatrical release, not through direct answers but subtle references. The wave sequence really changes the theme of the movie to a criticism of society, in that we're too busy trying to kill each other. These few minutes alter the ending (and the overall feeling of the movie) very much so from the theatrical release, and they are definitely for the better. The real appeal of this DVD set lies in the amount of extras presented; so many that 2 discs are needed, though both are single-sided. Movie trailers, two Making-Of features, many short reels on effects takes, pop-up commentaries, will give the viewer more appreciation for the movie he has just seen. As of the writing of this review, excluding some Criterion Edition DVDs, this has the best extras quality and quantity-wise. As for picture/sound quality, it has only a few flaws. The picture is excellent, but the sound is a little subdued in parts and just plain soft in some sections. This is only a minor flaw however, and does not detract from the viewing experience unless you concentrate on finding the flaws (which you should NEVER do). Alan Silvestri's score captures the mystery of the deep with the oohs and aahs of the chorus, as well as the military motif of the slowly-turning-insane Coffey. This score ranks up with Predator as one of his best. So, a good movie is made better by the inclusion of the director's cut and a plethora of extras. With only minor sound issues, this DVD will stand out for quite some time. All in all, a great effort by Fox on this DVD; I don't believe they left out anything, excepting an isolated score. The sheer mass of extras more than make up for a less-than-perfect sound transfer. I'd give this whole thing 4.5 stars, but I'll round up :)
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Summary: Abyss DVD 2 disk set
Review: The movie was great when I saw it in 90. The DVD is put together very well. The only problem I have is that everywhere I look, it says the movie is in Dolby 5.1 - NOT TRUE The movie is in Dolby Pro Logic - Wouldn't this be considered false advertising?
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Summary: Great DVD, but..............
Review: It is certainly one of the best DVD special edition ever released. But it is not enhanced 16:9 widescreen TV, even tough the cover says it is. For the Laser Disc lover like me, the most reason that replacing same title from LD to DVD is anamophonic transfer! Also, most of the extra stuff was copied from that landmark LD version. I couldn't find new extra stuff as I expected. However, the sperior picture and sound should be pleasing any movie gore.
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