All the underwater filming is impressive but the movie didn't feel special. It's plot was basic, the acting was fine, the special effects didn't age well. Still worth watching at least once. EDIT: The Special Edition really changed my mind on this. I thought the theatrical was ok but this is amazing. Cameron knows how to make a movie. I heard an interview with Jon Landau before Avatar 2 and he said something about how James Cameron focuses on the themes of his movies and how important that is. I think this one is a little heavy handed but still powerful. I have thought that some of his other movies' stories have been simple but every since hearing that interview, I see how strong the central themes he's going for.

The epic tsunami scene in the Special Edition is pretty much why James Cameron made this movie. He had a dream of a tsunami I believe. So it’s weird that he cut it out of the theatrical version. It is a little preachy in the end but a lot less preachy than movies made these days

An okay movie with an intriguing story that initially grabbed me with the characters, but over time became confusing and boring for me. One thing that bothered me was the Single Cause Fallacy, where the narrative forces a specific explanation without exploring more logical or probable alternatives, which caused a sense of incoherence or insufficient plot development. Even if it's true, it could have just been a new kind of species and how the characters discover their intelligence, something that wasn't clearly shown in the scene for us to understand better.

The underwater cinematography is one of a kind, even by today's standards. And the scene where [spoiler]Lindsey drowns and is then resuscitated[/spoiler] is alone worth sitting though nearly three hours. What a performance by the entire cast! That said, the ending is bad... like very bad. It's cartoon-y and heavy-handed in its message, and feels like a awkward pacifist cheeseball, which Cameron continues in his overblown Avatar. This man has no nuance.

2001 meets Close Encounters. The subject matter is very Cameron but the pace certainly isn't. I lol'd at the "can't we all just get along" message spelt out at the end. This movie is no underrated hidden gem.