Kevin Costner’s Waterworld is a Forgotten Mad Max Replacement

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George Miller’s 1979 film revolutionized the dystopian genre, inspiring numerous copycats like Escape from New York and The Book of Eli, and launching its own sequels. In 1995, Kevin Costner, at the height of his fame, put his spin on the genre with Waterworld. Even thirty-one years later, no other apocalyptic film has matched its unique strangeness, and it continues to have a dedicated following.

Movies like Children of Men and Mad Max: Fury Road show how fascinated filmmakers are with imagining the end of the world and the breakdown of society. These films let directors explore their unique ideas about a potential future, resulting in everything from deeply unsettling stories to bizarre and unusual visions. Thirty years ago, Kevin Costner created one of the most memorably strange and overlooked box office failures with Waterworld. Even today, it remains a remarkably ambitious and interesting dystopian film.

Waterworld is Mad Max Set On the High Seas

After a climate disaster melted the ice caps and flooded the world, humanity adapted by building floating communities and living on ships. The story follows a solitary wanderer, known only as the Mariner, who has a rare ability to breathe underwater, letting him recover lost items from the sunken world. During a stop at a trading post, he meets a girl with a mysterious map tattooed on her back – a map rumored to show the way to solid ground. But his unique gift soon draws unwanted attention, and he finds himself hunted by the people around him.

I was immediately hooked by this story! It starts with this lone sailor, the Mariner, barely escaping an attack, and then he ends up taking in this mysterious girl and her guardian, Helen. But things get really intense when a ruthless warlord named Deacon finds out the girl has a map to the last solid land on the planet. He’s obsessed with getting it! As the Mariner gets to know them, he starts to care deeply and becomes their protector, showing them remnants of a lost world. Eventually, Deacon shows up, and it’s up to the Mariner to go all-out and rescue the people he’s come to care about. It’s a thrilling ride!

Waterworld is memorable for several reasons, from portraying the Mariner as a mysterious, lone wanderer of the seas to Dennis Hopper’s wildly exaggerated performance as Deacon. The film uses dark humor effectively, especially in how it presents Deacon as a comically outlandish villain. Like many action movies of the time, it includes familiar elements like a quirky scientist who arrives just in time to save the day with his hot air balloon. One of the film’s most darkly funny moments occurs when an oilman, after years of living in darkness, simply exclaims, “Oh, thank god,” as he faces his death.

I just finished watching this movie, and wow, it’s a total rollercoaster! It throws everything at you – steampunk gadgets, crazy disasters, laugh-out-loud comedy, and classic swashbuckling action. It’s unlike anything else I’ve seen in this type of film. The movie does a great job of balancing all these elements, and it really builds a believable, if unsettling, world, especially when we get a look at how characters like Deacon live. Honestly, there were moments I almost rooted for the villain – he’s got all the best dialogue, and the actor really delivers!

Writer Peter Rader pointed out that the film heavily borrowed from Mad Max, even using a Mad Max comic book about surfing as a source of ideas. One character, Deacon, feels like he’d fit right into the world of George Miller’s films, and the ocean setting effectively replaces the Australian wasteland. Luckily, anyone wondering about the film’s origins…

Waterworld Was a ’90s Disaster

When Waterworld came out, it struggled like many other big-budget sci-fi films from the 1990s. It only earned $264 million at the box office, despite costing a massive $175 million to make, and faced problems from the beginning. Filming an action movie on the ocean was a new and risky idea, and Steven Spielberg actually cautioned Kevin Costner against it. Costner didn’t listen, and production quickly ran into trouble with bad weather and even a set being lost at sea. Although most of the filming happened in a specially built water enclosure, costs ballooned, nearly doubling the original $100 million budget.

Despite deciding to fully realize his ambitious film, the actor-producer exceeded his budget, even personally paying some of the extra costs. These issues were partly due to the challenges of filming on the ocean, including logistical and safety concerns. The final film wasn’t perfect, but the longer “Ulysses Cut” significantly improves the story. This nearly three-hour version is especially strong in its detailed world-building and exciting sci-fi action.

Even though the movie isn’t perfect, it has a lot going for it. The score, by James Newton Howard, is excellent, and the actors all deliver strong performances. It’s a genuinely entertaining film, and its visuals are particularly impressive. The filmmakers chose to use real ocean footage instead of relying on CGI, which adds a level of realism that’s rare in modern movies. While this created challenges during production, the result is a more immersive and believable experience.

Kevin Reynolds was a remarkably driven filmmaker in the 1990s, known for having a strong hand in every aspect of his movies. With Waterworld, he not only directed but also produced, pushing forward a risky script that many others would have avoided. He deserves credit for getting Rader’s story made, especially during a period when science fiction films were struggling. While Waterworld wasn’t a massive hit, it did set a new standard for large-scale, ambitious storytelling.

Recently, there’s been renewed interest in the film Waterworld, and discussions about a sequel have started. Some believe the success of Mad Max: Fury Road shows a sequel could work. Interestingly, Charles Rader, who previously worked on Waterworld, collaborated with George Miller on the 2015 Mad Max sequel, completing a full circle for his involvement with the franchise. Given the continued popularity of post-apocalyptic movies, now might be the perfect time to revisit this cult classic and introduce it to a new audience.

Waterworld Earned its Status as a Cult Classic

Despite a rocky start and initial financial losses, Waterworld has gained a following among fans of dystopian films. Its depiction of a world covered in water feels particularly relevant today, given growing concerns about climate change and flooding. Though some view it as an example of Kevin Costner’s ambitious filmmaking style, fans appreciate the film’s scope and how much it attempted. The film’s impressive ambition transformed what could have been a simple action movie into a uniquely entertaining cinematic experience.

The 1990s were a strange time for Hollywood movies. Genres like science fiction and action constantly switched between being over-the-top and very serious. While many films didn’t quite hit the mark, the ones that did have gained a dedicated following over time. Waterworld, Kevin Costner’s big, ambitious film, wasn’t a success when it came out, but it’s since become a surprisingly well-loved cult classic about a dystopian future.

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2026-01-27 01:38