Critical popcorn

After the success of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Kevin Costner and director Kevin Reynolds re-teamed for what would become the most expensive film ever made at the time: Waterworld. While it wasn’t a huge financial hit during its theatrical run, the sci-fi epic has become something of a cult classic in the years since, making this new 4K UHD release from Arrow Video an enticing purchase for fans.

In a post-apocalyptic future where the polar icecaps have melted and the world is submerged underwater, the Mariner (Costner) encounters Helen (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and the young Enola (Tina Majorino) – who has a tattoo of a map to ‘Dryland’ on her back. With the Smokers – led by the Deacon (Dennis Hopper) – after the map to ‘Dryland’, the Mariner must guide Helen and Enola across the seas in his trimaran in the hope of finding it…

The first thing to admire about Waterworld is its production values: the reported $172 million budget is up on screen for the entire duration. Almost the entire film takes place on the water, and with CGI still in its early days, these sequences were shot on location off the coat of Hawaii, feeling like an old school Hollywood epic. The Mariner’s trimaran, the atoll, the jet skis and more are immaculately put together, and clearly (at least somewhat) functional, resulting in some unique visuals and impressive practical effects work. It’s difficult not to feel disappointed when the action shifts to a soundstage or what is obviously dryland (the tanker sequence), although the third act boasts some tremendous explosions and stunt work. It’s no wonder that Universal adapted the film into a stunt show for their theme parks (which at the time of this review is still running). Waterworld definitely has a Mad Max influence, but manages to stand on its own thanks to its interesting production design and creative action set-pieces.

While Waterworld‘s premise is unique, the story does ultimately boil down to some all-too-familiar tropes. Kevin Costner is the strong, silent type as the Mariner (not unlike Mad Max himself), who’s initially reluctant to take Helen and Enola with him on the trimaran before developing a surrogate father relationship with the child and a romance with Helen. It’s fairly standard stuff, although it does help to ground the premise and post-apocalyptic world-building for the audience. Costner proves himself a capable and enthusiastic action star, while Jeanne Tripplehorn manages to make her potentially one-note love interest compelling. Tina Majorino does incredibly well with what she’s given, although Enola’s backstory is left quite vague, either for ambiguity or because of the various edits made for the theatrical cut (more on that later). Dennis Hopper, meanwhile, makes for a fun boo-hiss villain with his army of jet skiing Smokers.

Overall, Waterworld is fun, gonzo sci-fi blockbuster that’s well worth watching for its visuals alone. The premise is interesting (and still just as relevant nearly 30 years later), its massive budget is up on screen in a spectacular way, and the cast are all very committed. Perhaps the story is a little derivative, but it’s an exciting popcorn flick with big ideas and an epic scope.

---

Special Features

This new release of Waterworld from Arrow Video features the theatrical cut of the film in 4K UHD, with a Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) presentation and optional Dolby Atmos, 5.1 surround and 2.0 stereo sound mixes. Waterworld was previously released by Universal on 4K UHD with a HDR10 presentation and a DTS:X sound mix, although this would appear to be a completely new remaster, presumably working from the previous HD remaster Arrow Video completed for the 2019 Blu-ray release.

Waterworld‘s 4K presentation does wonders for the look of the film, allowing for a more detailed look at the intricate costume and production design, and showcasing the fantastic practical effects work throughout. Some of the CGI shots look noticeably softer and grainier (the mutant shark attack, the shots of the balloon, etc.), presumably due to the nature of the digitised effects work. The picture retains its filmic texture, while the new Dolby Vision grade is particularly vibrant (at least comparing it to how the film looks in the special features), but never over-saturated. James Newton Howard‘s sweeping score and the Oscar-nominated sound work is complimented with the new Dolby Atmos mix, although the optional alternatives will please audiences wanting a more authentic sound mix.

Also included on the 4K disc is Maelstrom: The Odyssey of Waterworld, an engaging and thorough feature-length making-of documentary featuring new (as of 2018) interviews with various members of the production team, including director Kevin Reynolds and original screenwriter Peter Rader, alongside contemporary interviews with Costner, Tripplehorn and Majorino and extensive behind the scenes footage. It’s an excellent documentary, and well worth watching for fans of the film. Dances With Waves is a 1995 featurette on Waterworld; Global Warnings sees film critic Glenn Kenny explore the subgenre of ecologically themed end-of-the-world films; there are stills galleries for production, promotional and visual effects photography; and the original trailers are included for posterity. While all of these extras appear to be in 1080p, it’s still great to have them included on the 4K disc so fans don’t have to swap discs over.

Exclusive to the Limited Edition release are two bonus Blu-ray discs, previously released by Arrow Video, including the US TV cut of Waterworld (running 40 minutes longer) and the extended European Ulysses cut remastered in HD with optional 5.1 and 2.0 sound mixes. It’s great that these are included in the set, although a shame that the apparently definitive Ulysses cut isn’t in 4K.

The Limited Edition set from Arrow Video includes packaging with reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Paul Shipper, a 60-page perfect bound book featuring writing on the film by David J. Moore and Daniel Griffith, and archival articles, a double-sided fold-out poster and six collector’s postcards.

Waterworld 4K UHD is released on 26 June and is available to order here or from Arrow Video