Waterworld at 30

The following is an edited excerpt from my article ‘Waterworld at 30: A love letter in a bottle’

There’s something extremely satisfying about falling in love with a film that people have been telling you is rubbish for years. Waterworld (1995) seems to be one of those movies that people love to hate. The most expensive film ever made at the time, it’s often accused of being a box office flop - a second-rate rip off with poor acting and characterisation - but watching now 30 years later, it’s a swashbuckling apocalyptic action adventure that effectively sells its more ambitious ideas and gives audiences a damn good time while it’s doing it.

From the fun Universal logo gimmick where the spinning globe shows us melting polar ice caps  covering the world with water, to its bittersweet ending of believable relationships and destinies fulfilled, Waterworld delivers. 

The action also stands up. From one-on-one underwater fights, to audacious bungee jumps, to huge explosive set pieces, Waterworld gives us one well-paced spectacle after another. 

Even though the film is often thought of as a box office flop, it eventually turned a profit. It cost $235 million to produce and market, and took $264 million worldwide in 1995. 

Waterworld’s phenomenal scope, awesome action, and heartfelt character interactions make it an extremely entertaining watch.

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