Waterworld
WATERWORLD (15)
D: Kevin Reynolds
Universal (Charles Gordon, John Davis & Kevin
Costner)
US 1995
135 mins
Action/Adventure/Science Fiction
W: Peter Rader & David Twohy
DP: Dean Semler
Ed: Peter Boyle
Mus: James Newton Howard
PD: Dennis Gassner
Kevin Costner (The Mariner), Dennis Hopper (The
Deacon), Jeanne Tripplehorn (Helen), Tina Majorino (Enola), Michael Jeter (Old Gregor)
A.K.A. Fishtar.
At the time of release, Waterworld was the most expensive
film ever produced and for the most part, it shows, especially in the production design.
Hampered by a difficult shoot which delayed it's release,
this movie built suspense and promise which it simply didn't deliver.
The story wasn't atrociously bad as an eco-friendly sci-fi
adventure. A similar theme used in movies like Cocoon & Star Trek IV, but Waterworld falls apart and just seems like an exercise in profligacy. It's the performances which are terrible,
from Kevin Costner's moody fishman, Dennis Hopper's OTT pirate villain to a horrible juvenile performance from Tina Majorino. Jeanne Tripplehorn appears as the love interest, but has no
character or chemistry whatsoever.
This movie isn't quite the flop that it's often heralded
as, it did in fact make it's budget back at the box office. However, I still think it's a huge waste of money on something which really wasn't very good.
4/10
