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
This movie is directed by Kevin Reynolds (Robinhood: Prince of Thieves) and stars Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves), Dennis Hopper (Easy Rider), Jeanne Tripplehorn (The Firm), Tina Majorino (Napoleon Dynamite), Zakes Mokae (The Serpent and the Rainbow) and Leonardo Cimino (The Monster Squad).
This film is essentially Mad Max on water. I will never know why it initially received bad reviews and didn't do well in theatres. I love this movie. The costumes, circumstances and storyline are perfectly presented and very well executed. The cast is awesome and both Hopper and Costner played their characters to perfection. The special effects are very good as is the ruthlessness of the situations. The ending is also very rewarding and makes the long run time worth it.
Overall I will always feel this is an underrated gem that is very well done and worth your time. This is a science fiction, apocalyptic gem that is a must see. I would score this a 9/10.
- kevin_robbins
- Nov 22, 2021
- 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