Overview: The most expensive film ever made at the time of its release, Waterworld has thrilled audiences through the years with its awe-inspiring action scenes, gargantuan maritime sets and ground-breaking special effects.

A definitive post-apocalypse blockbuster, Waterworld stars Kevin Costner (The Untouchables) as The Mariner – a mutant trader, adrift in a dystopian future where Earth is submerged under water and humankind struggles to survive on boats and in ramshackle floating cities.

The Mariner becomes embroiled with the Smokers, a gang of pirates who, led by villainous leader Deacon (Dennis Hopper, Blue Velvet), are seeking Enola (Tina Majorino, Napoleon Dynamite), a girl with a map to the mythical realm of Dryland tattooed on her back.

Famous for both its epic scale and the controversy that swirled around its production, Waterworld is a key cult film of the 1990s, and an essential entry into the sub-genre of ecologically-minded blockbusters.

Presented here in an exclusive new restoration of the theatrical cut in 4K Ultra HD, alongside Blu-ray presentations of the TV and Ulysses cuts, and with a wealth of extra material, this high-water mark of high-concept Hollywood can now be enjoyed as never before.

Blu-ray Verdict: Waterworld is an insanely fun futuristic action film that has appeared to be a cult classic in recent years, but definitely hasn’t gotten a whole lot of credit where credit is due.

The film takes place in the year 2500, where the polar ice caps have melted and the sea level has increased up to nearly 25,000 feet. The Mariner (played by Kevin Costner) sails the sea on his trimaran and befriends a woman named Helen (played by Jeanne Tripplehorn) and a young girl, Enola (played by Tina Majorino), and the three of them escape the clutches of the Smokers and their leader, The Deacon (played by Dennis Hopper), and as they believe a tattoo that’s on Enola’s back leads to the mythical Dryland, they set out to go find it.

Waterworld is an amazing film. It has awesome production design, top notch scales of action, a well established story that has a great Mad Max vibe to it, and brilliant acting from the entire cast. This is definitely Kevin Costner’s best film, without a doubt, and Dennis Hopper was a unique villain. Personally, I would say I like him more as a villain in Speed, but he is still amazing here, and the two actresses (Tripplehorn and Majorino) were perfect as well.

Indeed, as for the cast and their characters, Costner is stalwart as the laconic drifter with aberrant mutations, but is otherwise one-dimensional. Tripplehorn looks great throughout, smoldering at times, but the movie fails to show off her beauty (much like Beth Rogan in 1961’s outstanding Mysterious Island).

As for Hopper, he’s as entertaining as always, but his comical approach diminishes any seriousness and realism that threads its way through the film. His over-the-top portrayal of The Deacon leads the way though for a fair chunk of the film, and as much as there were some marvelously devious moments of screen time from him, and yes, personally, I could have done without the gruesome empty eye socket routine!

The film definitely has become a cult classic because when it came out, not many people cared for it and so it didn’t make a lot of its money back from the excessive budget it took to make the film. But as time went on, people have come to appreciate the film more, and while it isn’t really talked about these days (save for being the butt of a lot of cinematic jokes between people), it still has its adoring fans (much like myself).

At the end, Waterworld is a spectacular film from start to finish that is not meant to be taken seriously, and deserves more credit. Thus, all in all, I actually rate this film highly for its action, fantasy, beautiful aesthetics, raw aesthetics, scientific probabilities, and even, at times, its beautifully scrambled story line; for there’s really something for everyone in this ’90s gem !

THREE-DISC LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:
Three cuts of the film newly restored from original film elements by Arrow Films
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Six collector’s postcards
Double-sided fold-out poster
Limited edition 60-page perfect bound book featuring writing on the film by David J. Moore and Daniel Griffith, and archival articles
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Paul Shipper

DISC ONE – THE THEATRICAL CUT (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY):
4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the original theatrical cut
Dolby Atmos, 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 stereo audio options
Maelstrom: The Odyssey of Waterworld – feature-length making-of documentary including extensive cast and crew interviews and behind the scenes footage
Dances With Waves – original archival featurette capturing the film’s production
Global Warnings – film critic Glenn Kenny explores the subgenre of ecologically themed end-of-the-world films
Production and promotional still gallery
Visual effects still gallery
Original trailers and TV spots

DISC TWO – THE TV CUT (BLU-RAY) [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]:
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the extended US TV cut, which runs over 40 minutes longer than the theatrical cut
Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 stereo audio options

DISC THREE – THE ULYSSES CUT (BLU-RAY) [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]:
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the extended European Ulysses cut, which include previously censored shots and dialogue
Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 stereo audio options

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