The definition of an abyss is a bottomless gulf or chasm in the earth – one that is too deep for measurement. The creators of the movie “The Abyss” sure dug their own bottomless hole when they tried to combine a thousand different elements into one story.

The main plot of “The Abyss” concerns the rescue of a ballistic missile submarine that has sunk 2000 miles below the ocean surface. It seems the only crew with the equipment to rescue it is a group of divers working on an underwater oil-drilling facility, and so they are called upon by the Navy to do so.

From this point on, “The Abyss” becomes a hodge-podge of numerous characters, subplots and bad special effects.

Every scene of “The Abyss” rips off some aspect of another movie. For example, it contains members of a oil rig crew meeting up with mysterious creatures, a plot straight from the movie “Leviathan” which is already an underwater rip-off of “Aliens.” The similarities don’t end there, and the viewer may find himself feeling a bit of deja vu as he sits through “The Abyss.”

This movie also stars some talented actors like Ed Harris (“The Right Stuff”) and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (“The Color of Money”) but their characters, along with the others in the film, are so stereotyped that there’s no room for an original touch to the acting.

Finally, as if the movie itself isn’t bad enough, its time length is well over two hours. So, if you want to see an overlong and confusing movie, go see “The Abyss.” If not, stay home and take a bath with an E.T. doll. It’s the same thing.