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Waterworld (1995) R
In the future polar ice-caps have melted and the world as we know is covered in water. A lone drifter gets tangled in the hunt for the Dryland - a myth he doesn't even believe in.
I've never understood why Waterworld bombed so bad. I thought it was good when I originally saw it in theater and the second rewatch today didn't change that opinion. I even watched the longest Ulysses Cut for the first time and didn't find it too long or boring.
At its core Waterworld is very standard post-apocalyptic movie but with huge budget and AAA level production values. It's gimmick of setting it in an endless ocean works surprisingly well and the typical scenes like the attack to peaceful settlement have a fresh look because of the new environment. The boats may not be as fancy as Mad Max's cars but Mariner's Trimaran looks cool and the rusty oil tanker is great home for the smokers.
The film is heavy handed with its environmental message but it manages to be tongue-in-cheek enough and due to that doesn't feel too preachy. Acting is fine and I liked the chemistry between Mariner, Helen and Enola. Dennis Hopper and his smokers are funny in their caricature mockery of American conservative capitalist.
Besides the settings Waterworld has nothing new but it tells a familiar story in an entertaining way.
In the future polar ice-caps have melted and the world as we know is covered in water. A lone drifter gets tangled in the hunt for the Dryland - a myth he doesn't even believe in.
I've never understood why Waterworld bombed so bad. I thought it was good when I originally saw it in theater and the second rewatch today didn't change that opinion. I even watched the longest Ulysses Cut for the first time and didn't find it too long or boring.
At its core Waterworld is very standard post-apocalyptic movie but with huge budget and AAA level production values. It's gimmick of setting it in an endless ocean works surprisingly well and the typical scenes like the attack to peaceful settlement have a fresh look because of the new environment. The boats may not be as fancy as Mad Max's cars but Mariner's Trimaran looks cool and the rusty oil tanker is great home for the smokers.
The film is heavy handed with its environmental message but it manages to be tongue-in-cheek enough and due to that doesn't feel too preachy. Acting is fine and I liked the chemistry between Mariner, Helen and Enola. Dennis Hopper and his smokers are funny in their caricature mockery of American conservative capitalist.
Besides the settings Waterworld has nothing new but it tells a familiar story in an entertaining way.