Waterworld
1995 · Directed by Kevin Reynolds
Original language: English
- adventure
- action
- science fiction
The story
In a futuristic world where the polar ice caps have melted and made Earth a liquid planet, a beautiful barmaid rescues a mutant seafarer from a floating island prison. They escape, along with her young charge, Enola, and sail off aboard his ship. But the trio soon becomes the target of a menacing pirate who covets the map to 'Dryland'—which is tattooed on Enola's back.
What it’s like
Sun-bleached and salt-crusted, with wide, hazy seascapes under a flat, overcast-to-blazing sky and a palette of rust, bronze and faded blue. The camera loves open water: long establishing shots of lone sailboats and rusting hulls drifting across an endless grey-blue horizon, then tight, sweaty handheld work on decks, rigging and crowded cantina interiors. Sound leans on crashing waves, creaking timber, wind in canvas and a big, brassy orchestral score by James Newton Howard that swells during chases. The vibe is rough-edged adventure with a wistful, dusty-desert undertow: a lived-in, makeshift world of scavenged gear and tattooed outlaws. The pacing is loose and episodic, with long stretches of sailing punctuated by sudden skirmishes, and the arcs follow a gruff, reluctant loner slowly warming to a small, stubborn girl and a resourceful woman. The action is frequent and fairly violent, with gunfights, explosions, stabbings and brawls, though it stays largely bloodless and cartoonish rather than gory. It suits a sprawling weekend watch for people who like big-screen spectacle, post-apocalyptic scenery and old-school swashbuckling.
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