In a future where the polar ice-caps have melted and Earth is almost entirely submerged, a mutated mariner fights starvation and outlaw "smokers," and reluctantly helps a woman and a young g... Read allIn a future where the polar ice-caps have melted and Earth is almost entirely submerged, a mutated mariner fights starvation and outlaw "smokers," and reluctantly helps a woman and a young girl try to find dry land.In a future where the polar ice-caps have melted and Earth is almost entirely submerged, a mutated mariner fights starvation and outlaw "smokers," and reluctantly helps a woman and a young girl try to find dry land.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 6 wins & 9 nominations total
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe preferred three-hour cut of director Kevin Reynolds was drastically edited back to a 135-minute theatrical version by Kevin Costner and the studio, probably in an effort to recoup the film's inflated $175 million dollar budget (since Costner's previous 3-hour movie Wyatt Earp (1994) had been a box office bomb). ABC later broadcast an extended TV version that restored almost 40 minutes of deleted scenes, which explain more about the world, the people who live there, the Smokers' religious beliefs and their ability to refine crude oil. The additional scenes also tie up several loose ends in the theatrical release. Being a TV special, this version was also censored for violence and language. A fan-edit of the film, called 'Waterworld: The Ulysses Cut' (named after a restored scene at the end), was later made in an attempt to create the most complete version of the movie. It was compiled from several broadcast versions, containing all of the additional footage from the TV version while restoring the previously censored parts. In an unexpected turn, the original distributor officially sanctioned this fan-edit by releasing it in a box-set with the other two versions. This Ulysses Cut was remastered in high-definition though, created with original footage rather than lower-quality broadcast material.
- GoofsThe crude oil contained in The Smokers' tanker would not be able to power their boats, jet skis and other engines without refinement, or high octane required for the seaplane. It would stand to reason that The Smokers possessed the ability to minimally refine the crude oil so that it would run their engines, but not burn efficiently & smoke - giving them the name "Smokers".
- Quotes
Depth Gauge: [Sees the Mariner's lit flare about to fall on the oil. An end to his miserable existence] Oh, thank God!
[Kaboom]
- Crazy creditsThe Earth in the Universal logo zooms into the Mariner's boat, with the ice caps melting and causing the world to be flooded.
- Alternate versionsThe ABC television version restores nearly 40 minutes of material Universal Pictures and Kevin Costner cut from the original release against the will of director 'Kevin Reynolds'. It explains more clearly the relationship between the Mariner and Helen, and the secret behind the origin of Dry Land. The additional material includes:
- SoundtracksMusic Box Theme
Composed by Mark Isham
*** (out of 4)
Talk all you want about how this thing was a bomb at the box office. I've personally never seen how good or poorly a movie does at the box office should have any impact on its entertainment or quality level. Is WATERWORLD flawless? Not even close. There are countless problems with this film but for the most part I've always enjoyed its ambition and it keeps me entertained. The story is pretty simple as in the future all the world is covered by water, although there's rumors of land somewhere. A part-man, part-fish (Kevin Costner) gets involved with a family (Jeanne Tripplehorn, Tina Majorino) and soon must defeat some bad guys (led by Dennis Hopper) who has kidnapped the girl. WATERWORLD runs on a bit too long, loses focus on any type of story and yes the budget was crazy but in the end it's still a pretty entertaining summer blockbuster. I think a lot of credit has to go to the actual look of the film, which of course turned out to be some of the biggest issues with the production. I thought the director managed to do a good job creating a world where the viewer really did feel was nothing but water. The futuristic atmosphere also worked and the look of the costumes, ships and supplies were all realistic and fun. The action scenes were also extremely well handled and especially the ending with all the explosions and fires. The battles at sea were really just things we had previously seen in pirate movies but they were still fun. Costner also turns in a good, not great, performance in the lead and he at least keeps you interested in everything going on. Hopper delivers that crazy type of performance we all love and Tripplehorn is good in her supporting bit. Majorino is also fun as the young girl who befriends Costner. I remember watching this when it was originally released and everyone was going crazy about the budget. Everyone seemed to forget that the people leaving the theater actually liked the movie. It's too bad WATERWORLD was doomed from the start but it remains a fun movie.
- Michael_Elliott
- Nov 21, 2012
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Mundo acuático
- Filming locations
- Waipi'o Valley, Hawaii, USA(Final scene when they find dry land)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $175,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $88,246,220
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $21,171,780
- Jul 30, 1995
- Gross worldwide
- $264,218,220
- Runtime2 hours 15 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1