The 1995 post-apocalyptic action film Waterworld made waves when it hit theatres but not for the right reasons.
Dubbed as the most expensive film ever made, the Kevin Costner vehicle nearly ruined the two-time Academy Award winner’s career.
Directed by Kevin Reynolds and co-written by Peter Rader and David Twohy, the 1995 film was based on Rader’s original 1986 screenplay. Costner came on as a producer on the film along with John Davis and Charles Gordon.
Set in a distant, post-apocalyptic future where the polar ice caps have completely melted and sea levels have risen over 7,600 meters (25,000 feet), Waterworld follows a nameless antihero known only as ‘The Mariner’, who sails the flooded Earth in his trimaran.
Waterworld’s reported production budget was a whopping $172 million, supplemented with a total outlay of $235 million once marketing and distribution costs were factored in. Bagging the title of the most expensive film ever made at the time, the Kevin Reynolds directorial went on to become the ninth-highest grossing film of 1995 — yet it was still considered a box-office dud.
The film eventually became profitable — after home video sales, TV broadcast rights, and other revenue streams — however it was still considered a disappointment at the box-office. It was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound at the 68th Academy Awards.
The movie’s release led to the opening of four themed attractions called WaterWorld at Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Singapore, Universal Studios Japan, and Universal Studios Beijing. Video games and a novelisation also accompanied the film’s release.
Starring Kevin Costner, Dennis Hopper, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Tina Majorino, Michael Jeter, Jack Black, and Gerard Murphy, Waterworld didn’t fare too well with critics. That combined with its box-office performance upon release led it to being considered a failure, especially in the filmography of Academy Award winner Kevin Costner.
The film’s dismal critical and commercial success raised questions over Costner’s bankability as a leading man — considering the movie was the most expensive film ever made in history at the time.
With a 59 per cent critics approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, reviewers weren’t too impressed with the costly cinematic offering, as one critic wrote: “Far from being the magnificent bomb many had predicted, Waterworld is worse. It’s mediocre, and that just won’t do.”
A second critic added: “What the mind remembers of the film is simply water, and everything else — the action, the romance, the pseudo-green politics, the strenuous special effects — amounts to words written on water.”
Commenting on the cost of making the film, another critic said: “With its wisp of a story and its even greater wisp of an action star, Waterworld will be remembered more for its cost than for its achievement.”
Audience reviews weren’t much better, with one viewer writing: “A totally passable and forgettable action movie. I liked the villain, he seemed to be the only actor really trying, but besides that it’s all low effort 90’s cheese, and it just so happened to be the most expensive movie ever at the time”
While another commented: “I waited nearly 30 years to watch this film. I heard it was bad. How bad could it be? It’s awful.”
Waterworld is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video for £3.49.