For everything that
made it bad, it’s actually not all that bad, and it does have some enjoyment as
a simple action movie. Unfortunately, it isn’t really targeting action fans, as
it has more in science fiction, adventure, drama and even a little comedy, and
with these genres, the entertainment value is just at best, or at worst, almost
missing.
The setting of “Waterworld”
is a few hundred years from the present (maybe longer), when a time when the
Earth is completely covered by water after the polar ice caps have melted away.
The idea of dry land is only a myth, and the cost of currency on the trading
market is dirt, which is the latest finding that the dusky mariner with no
name, played by Kevin Costner, has a weak form of communication. When it’s
found out that he has gills and webbed feet, he is called a mutant and is
sentenced to die. However, an iron-fisted investor named Deacon (the late
Dennis Hopper) attacks the sea village (the Atoll) close to his inevitable
death, and in exchange for their safe passage, the mariner brings in two new
passengers on his ship – a woman named Helen (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and a young
girl named Enola (Tina Majorino). He hears that Enola has a tattoo on her back
that is said to be a map to find dry land, and Deacon really wants to get her,
stopping at nothing, including killing so many innocents to get that map to dry
land.
Vince Leo said in his
review, “Shaky science notwithstanding (many have claimed it an impossibility
for the entire Earth to be covered in water even if the entirety of the polar
caps melt), Waterworld seems the equivalent of a Roger Corman film if he had
almost $200 million at his disposal to make one of his pet projects come to
life. Perhaps as a low-budget film,
this sort of idea would have been enough to be passable as cult science fiction
fare, but as a major studio attempt at a summer blockbuster, it's woefully
inadequate. The acting, especially by
Hopper, is way over the top, with silly shenanigans and half-baked scientific
explanations that make it unsuitable as a film to be taken seriously.” A man
that is a mutant with gills, who even knows if that will take millions of years
to happen, isn’t even worth the dramatic tension to pamper, especially since it
doesn’t even fall under being really important to the overall story.
Leo said, “Yes, this
was a far-fetched crock just from the first idea, and one can only speculate as
to why such a lavish production couldn't have started with securing the rights
to a more fully developed screenplay before they even started to engage in
their free-spending production.” The only things of the film that work to its
credit are the stunts and sword-fighting action scenes. Sadly, those aren’t
really enough to hold our attention in a two hour and fifteen minute movie.
“Waterworld” isn’t as
bad as the following you have heard about, but it’s also not nearly good enough
to be called anything more than a wasteful mindless popcorn movie. Leo
suggested, “If you're in the mood for escapist adventure and explosive
vehicular carnage, this may suit your needs.
Even so, The Road Warrior did the same but much better at less that 3%
of the budget of this overblown, underdeveloped misfire.”
Jack Black is also in
this movie, but he doesn’t really leave a big impact. There’s so many plot
holes that start to add up and for “the expensive movie at the time,” I would
want more out of this as well. However, as a simple action movie, it’s not that
bad. The sets are a lot of fun, you really get an atmosphere for this world,
Dennis Hopper is enjoyably over the top, and watching the technical of this
world is really enjoyable. I liked seeing how everything works and functions as
it makes the world feel look a lot more practical and real. As a movie, this
just falls right in the middle as an ok, average flick. Check it out if you’d
like, but I don’t think this is for everyone. Also, Costner’s acting is not
boring in this movie.
Alright everyone, stay
tuned next week when I finish off “Kevin Costner Month.”
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