Waterworld (1995)

Waterworld (1995)
Apocalyptic swimming pool

Arguably one of cinema’s most notorious flops, Waterworld is the story of a future planet Earth, where the ice caps have melted, and the population live, mostly, on the water.

Kevin Costner plays Mariner, a man with a few mutations which give him a distinct advantage in the water, who lives the life of a trader amongst the floating shanty towns. He uses his finds to bargain for supplies, and spends the rest of his time evading the “Smokers” - a bandit group of baddies who terrorize the waters with their speed boats and jet skis under the watchful eye of the Deacon (Dennis Hopper).

Mariner is one day arrested in a port for being a mutant, and is awaiting death when the Smokers attack. During the ensuing battle, Mariner is freed by a woman and small girl under the condition that they escape with him. Once free of the siege, Mariner and his new stowaways attempt to elude the Deacon whilst finding the holy grail - dry land.

Nowhere near as bad as rumour had it, Waterworld is an adventure-filled story with plenty of crazy stunts and theatricality, enough to entertain most viewers. The main idea is engaging, and the execution is daring - having these floating sets and complex structures must have been a demanding job.

Where the film falls down, tragically, is a nuisance script that ripples with childish folly, and a lead actor who leaves less than an impression. Costner is a difficult actor to like in certain roles, and Mariner is one of them.

This being said, Waterworld is, at the very least, a decent cult film - if only for its daring attempt to present a dystopian water civilization with such zeal.