Waterworld

I am ultimately ruthlessly reducing my original two stars to one. It's not that it's an entirely catastrophic disaster, but generally, I incline more toward clever movies and Waterworld unequivocally belongs to the second category. If it had been possible to maintain such a level of self-irony as the devilishly exaggerating Dennis Hopper, who was evidently enjoying himself, I would have been much more generous because then it would have been an entertaining and stylish rubbish, but Kevin Costner evidently took it too seriously for the mess he actually created. For those who just want to relax with the film, who are after some action and spectacle, it doesn't have to be a bad choice at all and they can comfortably add two stars. Overall impression: 25%. (21/12/2016)

It's not such a bad movie, but it's hard to believe it cost $175 million. It's just not evident in the film, especially when it comes to the finale, where the special effects scenes are dreadful. Even though the film didn't gather as many fans, it's certainly not a downright bad film, and Kevin Costner's character is excellent. (15/03/2017)

The idea is praiseworthy and the execution is not bad at all. A distant future, the whole world covered in water, a band of nasty pirates led by Dennis Hopper on one side and a lonely, distrustful Kevin Costner on the other... Could you ask for more? Yes, of course. First of all, the film would have benefited from a significantly shorter runtime. In this way, it only moves towards its already predictable conclusion, sometimes dragging at times, and the impressive action scenes are often separated by uninteresting interludes. And then there's that damn last act that takes an unnecessary detour to rescue a kidnapped little girl. If it wasn’t for this storyline, or rather, if it was a purely male adventure, it would have been an absolute hit that even Bay or Emmerich would have looked at with undisguised envy. Unfortunately, the final part won't change, so I can call at least the first 90 minutes great entertainment that I will always remember fondly. (26/06/2012)

Not bad at all. Actually, Waterworld is a nice exotic adventure with an excellent subject. If it had been directed by Steven Spielberg, it could have been an unforgettable contribution to the genre. But even so, despite the spasmodic final third, it’s still a bombastically presented and rather intelligent Hollywood blockbuster that, unlike many others, I can watch again and again, and never get bored or irritated. And Kevin Costner fits it perfectly! (03/01/2003)

While I like The Postman better (dare anyone tell me I'm a pervert), Waterworld has its charms, too. The story is as simple as can be, but everything is saved by the monumental set design, admirably spectacular action scenes, a mutant Costner and an entertaining (if at times unnecessarily overacting) Hopper. Waterworld also has one of my favorite soundtracks that was made after 1990. (23/07/2010)