Historical perceptions of certain films are linked to their success, especially since it is systematically quantified, despite what we want to believe otherwise. If a fairly relevant film in principle goes unnoticed or, worse, hits a monumental smack, the conversation around it will be that of a movie disaster. And not necessarily that way.
And it is that some commercial failures have been so resounding that they have completely contaminated public perception, thinking that they are insurmountable catastrophes. ‘Waterworld’ is a paradigmatic case as it is one of the biggest disappointments of a hollywood movietarnishing its reputation so much that it makes it possible to forget that this is really a great science fiction adventure film.
Mad Costner: Fury in the Seaway
The film, available on Netflix as well as Filmin and Movistar+, involves Kevin Costner in an attempt to make a ‘Mad Max’ where the infinite desert setting is changed for a world completely covered by water because of the melting of the poles (nothing else, but its dystopian premise is still incredibly valid). Fresh water is scarce and is the most precious asset in a deranged society organized on different floating platforms around the planet.
The parallelism of Costner’s character with Max Rockatansky persists even in his wandering and lonely character, in his tortured past. The special quality that predestines him for heroism is the only differential element in a film somewhat anchored by its derivative character. Although that hasn’t stopped hit movies like ‘Avatar,’ with which she shares a amazing sense of adventurous fantasy and an environmental message.
Director Kevin Reynolds (although urban legend has always held that Costner was actually the shadow director of the project) does some solid world-building, well exploring humanity’s slide into hierarchical societies far removed from the civilized values of the past. Law of the jungle with wet t-shirt. The aquatic action is also one of the strong points in a tremendously entertaining film, although ambitious too.
‘Waterworld’: run through water
However, it had to be more than a great sci-fi adventure. It had to be an unprecedented success to be able to justify its crazy cost of 175 million (which then made it the most expensive film ever made, today it is short for a Marvel). It didn’t make it, despite being one of the highest-grossing films of that 1995. The inflated cost necessarily made it a failure that should warn of trying to do something similar in the future.
That shouldn’t completely tarnish one of Costner’s best action films. Science fiction that transports you to a world created in great detail to be astonishing and depressing. And also a solid adventure that ticks many basics right. Come on, it’s worth recovering almost 30 years later.
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