In the future, the Earth is engulfed with water when the polar ice caps melts, leaving the lands and civilization beneath the sea. In "Waterworld" drifters sail across the waters of the world on their man-made ships, trading for supplies and salvaging what is left of civilization, communities of survivors lives in towns called "Atolls" and a force of evil pirates "The Smokers" travel across Waterworld in search of a mythical island called "Dryland". Arriving at a Atoll, a mysterious drifter without a name called The Mariner is sentenced to death when the community discover he is a mutant. When the Atoll is attacked by The Smokers led by their evil leader Deacon, a woman named Helen and her adopted daughter Enola bribes The Mariner to take them to Dryland, believing The Mariner has been there. But the Mariner, Helen and Enola are pursued by Deacon and the Smokers, when The Mariner learns the tattoo on Enola's back is in reality a map that will lead them to Dryland.
It took me 12 years to see this film and I could easily have died a happy man without seeing it. Did anyone else who has seen this feel as if it was a 1990s version of Mad Max on the High Seas? At least they were able to save money on the set designs. Kevin Costner & Dennis Hopper, you guys are MUCH better than this. I really shouldn't be surprised though as Kevin Reynolds directed this. Besides this film, he's been responsible for the following 2 train wrecks: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Tristan + Isolde. Some how he was able to string 2 good movies together: 187 (1997) and The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) but that's it.
Save WHAT money? WATERWORLD is more known now for the infamous production overspending than the movie itself(nevermind that the flick Drowns).
Consider this. They bought up all the possible steel available for sale in Hawaii(where it was shot)...then found out that they needed more, so they had to spend MORE cash on steel from all over Oceania.
But my favorite, while Kevin Costner got his own private helicopter to fly him from the floating set of the "city" so he can get back to his exclusive rented-Malibu home with top chef. The crew had to live in a barge.
Worse, they only had one portapotty...for a crew of hundreds. Opps.
Anyway, Robert Zemeckis was supposed to shoot WATERWORLD, but Kevin Costner whined. He wanted his good "buddy" Kevin Reynolds from ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES(which was a profit-maker) to helm it, and Universal said OK. The problem? For the movie's complicated technical and FX situations, Reynolds had no experience(unlike Zemeckis) and it showed.
Besides IRISHMAN, its not exactly an open secret that Reynolds got fired and Costner took over to direct for the rest of the production.
