What happens when you take the desert-trotting premise of Mad Max and replace the endless dunes of sand with ceaseless horizons of oceanic water? You get Waterworld, a 1995 classic starring Kevin Coster as a mysterious, nameless half-man half-fish mutant known only as the Mariner, traversing the seven seas- encountering raiders, survivors, and everyone in-between. While the story of Waterworld isn't anything I'd call unique, its visual effects, action, pacing, and atmospheric vibe created through its bedazzling setpieces more then make up for what's otherwise a rather generic tale of a roughshod anti-heroic man slowly warming up to an adopted family and facing off against a greater evil. So where exactly do Waterworld's strengths and weaknesses lie? Let's get right into it!
Firstly, any overview of Waterworld is incomplete without understanding how exactly the setting affects the story. In post-apocalyptic settings, the characters, their storylines, and their personal growth and struggles are heavily influenced by the maniacal, destitute environment that's turned the world upside down and forced them into a survivalist state. Waterworld exceeds superbly at this, with every major character's goals driven by ambitions to escape the constant dreariness and brutality of Waterworld- all except our nameless fishman protagonist himself. He seems most at home within the waves, uncaring for the politics and ambitions of the human world, or what's left of it- and for good reason. His mutations mark him as an exile, a societal outcast throughout the tattered colonial remains of mankind. Furthermore, these motivations also extend to Helen and Enola, the other two primary protagonists of the film who ultimately journey with the Mariner to find the mythical 'Dryland' where Enola is originally form, a realm of prosperity seemingly untouched by the ice-caps melting.
Yet any proper apocalyptic adventure movie isn't complete without an equally eccentric villain to complete it, and that's where the Deacon comes in. Played by Dennis Hopper, the Deacon's on-screen presence radiates a mixture of Colonel Kurtz and Immortan Joe mixed with a unique insanity, a highly determined, sociopathic bandit (or Smoker, as the movie calls it) leader and religious prophetic figure determined to uncover Dryland to appease his followers and become the unquestioned ruler of all Waterworld. The Deacon's a perfect foil to the Mariner, as while human society terms him a monster for shallow, superficial reasons, the Deacon and his legions are truly insidious, reaving, pillaging, and slaughtering anyone to achieve their goals whilst giddily proclaiming their own superiority. Honestly, it was always such a joy watching the Deacon's crazed personality contrast with his equally impressive charismatic oratory skills and leadership capabilities. Furthermore, his Smokers have inhabited a large shipping vessel for generations, and have reverted to a tribalistic worship of its original captain, whom the Deacon is familially descended from and reverently calls 'Saint Joe'. Just a neat piece of worldbuilding I found interesting.
The action, hooo boy the action. It's like a moving amusement park of explosions and screams. My favorite action scenes by far are the initial battle between the settlement imprisoning the Mariner and the Smoker forces and the climatic final battle, concluding with the Deacon and his precious vessel imploding into a fireball that'd garner the respect of Michael Bay. But there's also the battle against the airplane dispatched to hunt down the Mariner and his precious cargo, (that being Enola, the little girl bearing the map to Dryland on her back), and several chase scenes interlaced throughout the movie which constantly raise the stakes and induce a palatable tension, as we root desperately for the Mariner, Helen, and Enola to make it out of this dicey situation whilst also resolving the conflicts between themselves as they learn to cohabitate, and ultimately accept each other as a proper found family.
Ultimately, if you want a classical action apocalyptic movie with mature themes and a hopeful conclusion, check out Waterworld, which I'm giving a strong 8/10!
Also, I'd like to wish all my consistent Blog-Readers and any prospective newcomers a Happy New Year! I'm excited to continue evolving and writing more on this Blog, and I'd like to invite filmmakers and producers of all kinds to approach me, I'm willing to review anything and give my honest thoughts and expose your content to my audience, however small it is. God Bless, and I hope to see you soon! Stay tuned everyone!
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