> > The only exception to this I've found is "The Abyss", which was written as a companion to the movie. One of the few cases where both movie and novelisation are really, really good and complement one another quite well.
>
> Now, is this the director's cut of "The Abyss" or the theatrical release?

I've only ever seen the director's cut, but looked up the changes on IMDB - I can see how the theatrical version must have been a bit confusing...

...the book ends the same way as the movie - in fact, they mirror one another quite closely throughout with the book giving more insight into the inner monologues of each character. The book also begins with a number of chapters that flesh out the characters of Bud, Lindsey, and Lt. Coffey.

>More importantly, is the ending of the novel *better* than that of either movie?

IT'S THE SAME ENDING. Although you're relieved of the burden of having to listen to Alan Silvestri's score - do composers just pull out a stock hundred or so bars of swelling music to play over the climax? I think so.

Bo"and the trivia on IMDB is pretty interesting, too"urne