Rent Waterworld (1995)

Well, I enjoyed it... - Waterworld review by RP

At the time this was the most expensive film ever made and it was critically panned. It also appears very derivative, sort of like Mad Max set at sea. Kevin Costner is a 'wooden' actor, but luckily here he doesn't need to say very much so comes across well as the Mariner – and his boat is amazing! The baddie (Deacon, played by Dennis Hopper) is suitably over-the-top, but the woman (Helen, played by Jeanne Tripplehorn) is very wishy washy. For what it's worth, I like 'Waterworld' and find it enjoyable – and I believe the film also made a significant profit in the end, so it can't be all bad. I'll give it 3/5 stars.

Messy but Oddly Enjoyable - Waterworld review by griggs

I vividly remember Waterworld being labelled a colossal flop upon its release, savaged by critics and held up as an example of Hollywood excess. That reputation lingered for years—but it wasn’t exactly true. Despite its astronomical budget, the film made back its money at the box office, and more still through DVD sales, TV rights, and streaming. In recent years, especially following the Mad Max reboot, it’s undergone a quiet reassessment. Once a Hollywood punchline, it’s now gained a cult following and deserves some credit for its ambition, scale, and commitment to practical effects.

Dreamed up as “Mad Max at sea,” the premise is gloriously absurd: the oceans have swallowed the Earth, dry land is a rumour, and Kevin Costner plays a brooding, mutant drifter with gills. The story features sea battles, jet-ski chases, and a makeshift family dynamic that just about holds together.

What really stands out is how it was made. Shot largely on open water off the coast of Hawaii, the production used enormous floating sets and minimal CGI—a rarity even then, and almost unthinkable now. You can really feel the world’s weight and texture. Costner’s performance is often stiff, the direction uneven, and the script forgettable—but Dennis Hopper’s gleeful villainy keeps it entertaining. It’s messy, but oddly enjoyable.

They don't make them like this anymore - Waterworld review by MP

These days it's hard to imagine *any* of this not being made on a green screen or in a studio. There's very little obvious CGI apart from the glimpse of the big sea beastie for example. There's probably more than I saw in reality but the feeling I got from watching the blu ray was that this was real which makes the film very immersive. Some of the shots and scale are very impressive. It's also a pretty good yarn. The action is continuous and gripping. Some of the plot and dialogue is a bit a saggy but not too bad for a hollywood blockbuster. I think it also handles the tricky setting of a family movie about a post-apocalyptic world pretty well. It doesn't shy away completely from the unpleasant things that would happen in this world but Mr Costner always did the right thing before I needed to reach for the dvd remote. And it doesn't have what you would call a happy ending. The family you think is forging during the film doesn't go on to live happily ever after. The more I think about it the better I think this film is, at least until someone reminds me of something comparable that's better. Finally it gets 5 stars by passing the final test of being requested for a re-watch by the kids.