Waterworld [Blu-ray], starring Lee Arenberg, Rick Aviles, John Toles-Bey, R.D. Call, Leo Cimino: DVDNear.com

Waterworld [Blu-ray]

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DVD Cover Information

Actor: John Toles-Bey, Lee Arenberg, Leo Cimino, R.D. Call, Rick Aviles
Brand: Universal Studios
Blu-ray: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); Cantonese (Subtitled); Danish (Subtitled); Dutch (Subtitled); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); German (Subtitled); Greek (Subtitled); Italian (Subtitled); Japanese (Subtitled); Korean (Subtitled); Norwegian (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); Swedish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); French (Dubbed); German (Dubbed); Italian (Dubbed); Japanese (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 146 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: 2009-10-20
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Universal Studios

Movie Reviews of Waterworld [Blu-ray]

Movie Review: Why do people hate this film?
Summary: 5 Stars

I honestly don't understand what all the fuss is about. Why do people hate Waterworld? Why was it instantly disregarded before it was even released? When you really think about it, how much different IS Waterworld from the more recent Pirates of the Caribbean movies? They are quite similar if you think about it. Waterworld also cost $75 million less than the average PotC budget. But because it has Johnny Depp in mascara the whole world loves it! Hypocrisy!

With a lot of behind the scenes trouble (director Kevin Reynolds walked off the film and Costner had to finish the final third of filming himself) and negative pre-release buzz, everyone expected Waterworld to fail. Boasting a budget of £175 million (the most expensive ever until Titanic two years later) it was sure to be a flop, especially with the snooty public and critics blasting it before its release. Then, the unthinkable happened. Upon release, Waterworld actually managed to prove critic expectation wrong and be a good movie, receiving good (albeit ignored) reviews and finally earning a grand total of $255 million at the Box Office. This is before video, laserdisc, TV, DVD and Blu Ray sales. Does that sound like a flop to you?

The plot is far-fetched. Yes, but so is a plot involving fish-men, giant squids and Orlando Bloom as anything remotely masculine. But you accepted that quite easily. So just, for a minute, believe that if the polar ice caps DID melt that the world WOULD be covered in water. Set hundreds of years after this particular cataclysm, Waterworld follows the journey of The Mariner (Kevin Costner, who is only referred to a few times but never actually named), a man who is one step beyond human as he has the ability to breathe underwater and has webbed feet.

Early on in the movie, The Mariner comes across an Atoll, a floating small town complete with its own Waterbillies. When the Atoll is seized by crazed madman baddie boss Dennis Hopper as The Duke of the Deez (as in Exxon Valdeez), The Mariner escapes with Enola, a little girl who may hold the secret of Dryland and her guardian Helen (the totally gorgeous Jeanne Tripplehorn). Not happy with anyone leaving the party The Duke sends his army of filthy smokers to catch The Mariner and discover Dryland for himself.

Waterworld has a lot going for it. It's everything an action/sci-fi movie should be. There is so much escapism in the stunning seascapes and tropical feel. James Newton Howard's exotic score (replacing a rejected score by Mark Isham) is breathtaking and I seriously recommend you hunt down Waterworld: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The action is almost entirely special effects and stuntwork and it's brilliantly done. The editing is also quite impressive as is the amazing sound design. Waterworld is far superior to many, more expensive action films but still carries this burden of negative, unfair public opinion.

I have only ever seen the 136-minute cut of Waterworld that was released into cinemas and subsequent VHS etc. But a Director's Cut of 176 minutes has been shown on TV in America several times. This version apparently restores several scenes that tie up loose ends and answers a lot of questions about how the this particular watery future works as well as revealing that Dryland is actually Mount Everest. Other than TV airings, this version has never made available to the public (the DVD is still censored for TV). Which is quite annoying as there is a huge fanbase for it.

Don't have prejudices against this movie. Think different and see for yourself how good it is.

I've often wondered why Waterworld was filmed flat. Surely a film of this size and ambition should be made in Panavision or some other equivalent. But no, 1.85:1 is it and the 1080p transfer looks brilliant. Suntans come off as deep and brown, water shots have lots of previously unseen detail and fire is bright and...er...firey. You'll know what I mean if you watch it. A few shots though, particularly some CGI shots, can come across a heavily grainy. But I think that this is probably just a production problem rather than a mastering error. A huge step up from the standard definition DVD.

Regarding the Academy Award-nominated sound design Waterworld delivers a full-blown sonic assault in DTS HD-MA and you'll love it. Sound effects and explosions come through clear as a bell and with plenty of base and James Newton Howard's lush score will make you feel all warm or thrill you to bits, depending on the scene.

Sweet eff all extras though. A tragedy. Especially since there has to be so much behind the scenes material. No commentary. No deleted scenes. Nothing! A very poor effort on Universal's part.

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Summary of Waterworld [Blu-ray]

See one of the screen?s biggest action-adventure epics like never before ? on Blu-ray? Hi-Def! Set in the future when Earth is completely covered in water and the human race is struggling to survive, mankind?s one remaining hope for a better future is a drifter (Kevin Costner) who gets caught up in a battle between the evil Deacon (Dennis Hopper) and a child?s secret key to a wondrous place called ?Dryland.? Featuring groundbreaking special effects, Waterworld is a visually stunning, futuristic thriller beyond your wildest imagination!

Let's be honest: this 1995 epic isn't nearly as bad as its negative publicity led us to expect. At the time it was the most expensive Hollywood production in history (it had a Titanic-sized $200 million budget), and the film arrived in theaters with so much controversy and negative gossip that it was an easy target for ridicule. The movie itself, a flawed but enjoyable post-apocalypse thriller, deserves better. Waterworld stars Kevin Costner as the Mariner, a lone maverick with gills and webbed feet who navigates the endless seas of Earth after the complete melting of the polar ice caps. The Mariner has been caged like a criminal when he's freed by Helen (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and enlisted to help her and a young girl (Tina Majorino) escape from the Smokers, a group of renegade terrorists led by Dennis Hopper in yet another memorably villainous role. It is too bad the predictable script isn't more intelligent, but as a companion piece to The Road Warrior, this seafaring stunt-fest is adequately impressive. --Jeff Shannon

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Waterworld [Blu-ray]