I will die on the hill that Waterworld is a fun movie

Everyone trashes Waterworld for the ridiculous premise and the insane budget, but I finally rewatched it last month on a rainy Saturday and I actually had a blast. The stunts are legit impressive, like that whole jet ski chase through the atoll, and Dennis Hopper is chewing scenery like it's his last meal. Sure the plot makes zero sense, but is it really worse than like, The Postman? Has anyone else found a so-called bad movie that just works for you?

3 comments

3 Comments

markhall2mo ago

Give me a break. Waterworld is a bloated mess where Kevin Costner looks miserable the whole time and the plot is just Mad Max on water with less logic. The stunts are fine but they don't save a two hour movie that drags like a boat with no motor. I'd rather watch The Postman again than sit through that overpriced flop.

hugo8251mo ago

Actually read somewhere that this movie was almost 3 hours before they cut it down, and you can totally feel it. The pacing is so off, like they chopped out whole chunks but left all the boring sailing stuff in. I remember seeing it in theaters as a kid and even then thinking "when is something going to happen?" My dad fell asleep twice during it. The whole thing about the smoker being a mythical figure or whatever just doesn't land, and Costner looks like he'd rather be anywhere else. Maybe it's just me but the stunt work is the only reason it's not completely unwatchable. At least The Postman, despite being equally dumb, has a few funny moments by accident.

simonb922mo ago

Man, I hear you on that. I sat through Waterworld once and honestly felt like I was the one stranded at sea with no wind in the sails. The whole thing just feels so lifeless, even the cool stunts couldn't make me care about what happened next.