In a future where the polar ice caps have melted, flooding the Earth, the mariner (Kevin Costner)—part man, part fish—reluctantly befriends a beautiful woman, Helen (Jeanne Tripplehorn), and a young girl, Enola (Tina Majorino), whose mysterious back tattoo holds the secret to the whereabouts of dry land. Meanwhile, a band of vicious pirates, led by the wicked Deacon (Dennis Hopper), try to find Enola in order to claim dry land for themselves.
One of the biggest box office failures of the '90s, Waterworld is, in many ways, more than worthy of the derision thrown its way: it's overlong; the plot is beyond ludicrous, raising numerous questions that are never answered; Dennis Hopper's villain is way too cartoonish; and the set pieces are stunt-packed and explosive but lack genuine excitement. What the film does have, however, is a great sense of fun, wonderful production design and excellent cinematography, all of which go to make this a lot more enjoyable than its reputation suggests.
$175 million well spent? Of course not, but this 'Mad Max on water' adventure is worth catching, if only just the once.
One of the biggest box office failures of the '90s, Waterworld is, in many ways, more than worthy of the derision thrown its way: it's overlong; the plot is beyond ludicrous, raising numerous questions that are never answered; Dennis Hopper's villain is way too cartoonish; and the set pieces are stunt-packed and explosive but lack genuine excitement. What the film does have, however, is a great sense of fun, wonderful production design and excellent cinematography, all of which go to make this a lot more enjoyable than its reputation suggests.
$175 million well spent? Of course not, but this 'Mad Max on water' adventure is worth catching, if only just the once.