James Cameron Gets “a big fat donut for realism” For 1 Underwater Film That Almost Killed Him in 1989
Three-time Oscar winner James Cameron can be safely hailed as one of the greatest directors of all time. From the iconic Titanic, Piranha 2: The Spawning, and Avatar franchises to True Lies and Aliens, this man has given Hollywood some classic movies for the audience to submerge in. However, one movie that stands out and is probably the one that set James Cameron up for success before Titanic came to the scene is the 1989 movie The Abyss.
At the time of its opening, it ranked number 2 at the box office and managed to collect $89.8 million worldwide. Although the audience was seemingly happy with it, critics at that time were not. Many critics nitpicked the success, like David Ansen from Newsweek, who wrote the whole payoff is “pretty damn silly.” Halliwell’s Film Guide marked the film as a “tedious, overlong fantasy,” and the Toronto Star even went on to remark that the film is “one great big deja boo.”
Recently, a bomb expert called out the movie for its lack of realism and gave it a “big fat donut” for realism.”
James Cameron gets called out for lack of realism in The Abyss by a bomb expert
Jay Ly, a master EOD technician, did not take a kind route as he ripped the movie to shreds. While speaking with Insider, he broke down the sequences and how The Abyss made an unrealistic portrayal of nuclear weapons.
Ly rightfully pointed out that in the movie:
“Three miles underwater, the water is crystal clear, so I mean, that’s…no. There’s no way.”
He also said that it’s not just some measly underwater mines or IEDs but an actual nuke that has fallen deep inside the abyss. There is no way it is safe for experts to do a free ascent to the bottom, especially in such deep areas. He half-jokingly and half-frustratingly says that:
“Yeah he doesn’t have any search tools whatsoever, he just has his eyeballs and a flare, which is insane.”
He asks Insider and the audience rhetorically what RF signal can penetrate 3 miles underwater in the deep sea. He continues by saying:
“We do have very rudimentary ways of communicating, i.e. a float on the top of the water, that’s connected to a line. And we’ll just pull it and the certain number of pulls means a certain thing. So we’ll communicate like that. In a bottom-line-centric environment where we’re taking seismic and magnetic precautions. But yeah, nuke, that is a totally different ballgame.”
He ends with how he would give this movie “a zero” and that it is not nearly how things are done in real life.
James Cameron and his lifelong fascination with water
Throughout James Cameron’s career, one thing that stands out is that he has a tremendous obsession with water. From his first-ever Piranha 2: The Spawning, The Abyss, and Titanic to last year’s Avatar: The Way of Water, this director seems fascinated by the oceanic beauty, mystery, depth, and dangers.
This makes it all the more surprising that James Cameron would be so well prepared for such a canon movie as The Abyss, as due to the lack of CGI back in the day, Cameron almost put his life in danger to shoot the film.
This was not the only film that has been criticized for inaccuracy, as Titanic, which is considered James Cameron’s magnum opus, is also criticized for its last scene in the ocean, where the ship sank, and also for the scene where Jack had to sacrifice his life because both Jack and Rose could not fit on the door.
So while James Cameron may be fascinated with water, he has a long way to go to bridge the gap between his vision and his knowledge.
The Abyss is being released for one night only on December 6, 2023, for the fans.
