# How Bad Was "Waterworld"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 16, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-was-waterworld/521488 "2009-12-16T16:06:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-was-waterworld/521488/41 "2009-12-17T00:04:18Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Remember that he did a movie or two before he had that pickle installed in his butt. His role in _Silverado_ was downright fun. Also _Fandango_, \*Bull Durham \*and _Tin Cup_. Whenever Costner played a regular Joe, he usually delivers; it’s when he feels he has to play a Hero that he generally stumbles. ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-was-waterworld/521488/42 "2009-12-17T00:51:01Z")
I have to chime in that I like Waterworld. Yes it is stupid, and hell yes there is loads of stuff that make absolutely no sense, but I personally think the action is good enough for me to sit back, tell my brain to shut up and let me watch this stupid action flick. 😛 It’s not great art, it’s not even really a great movie either, but it’s enjoyable for what it is, a stupid ‘summer blockbuster’ style movie. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-was-waterworld/521488/43 "2009-12-17T01:15:46Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I’ve seen _The Postman_ probably 30 or 40 times. I think it’s an amazing movie. I read the book after seeing the movie and I did not like the book half as much as I liked the film. The film was actually a vast _improvement_ on the book. It took a character - General Bethlehem - who was only a vague cipher in the novel, and turned him into a brilliantly intimidating villain, expertly portrayed by Will Patton (who was also Costner’s foil in _No Way Out._) There were some cheesy moments, like Tom Petty’s cameo and the village band performing “Come and Get Your Love” with the whole town singing along including the “comeandgetyourlove comeandgetyourlove comeandgetyourlovenow” . > > Most people who don’t like it should watch it again and give it another chance. Agreed,I think if _The Postman_ had used a different actor,it would have won multiple Oscars.It is a great film. I liked Tom Petty’s cameo,hate the “Come and get your love” part as well as the little girl whyo started singing the patriotic song.All told,great movie. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-was-waterworld/521488/44 "2009-12-17T01:55:00Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > The “Waterworld” stunt show at Universal Studios, though, was pretty awesome (back in the day; don’t even know if they do it anymore). Yes it was. I wonder how much it costs to make an explosion. They also have the Backdraft tour which is constantly on fire too. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-was-waterworld/521488/45 "2009-12-17T04:09:40Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Also _Fandango_, \*Bull Durham \*and _Tin Cup_. Whenever Costner played a regular Joe, he usually delivers; it’s when he feels he has to play a Hero that he generally stumbles. _For The Love Of The Game_ is pretty good…if you like contrived baseball/love story movies. I do. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-was-waterworld/521488/46 "2009-12-17T04:25:50Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > Didn’t mean to imply that that alone was a deal breaker just pointing out it didn’t make sense. I think the thing about it that bothered me (vs other SciFi movie improbabilities) is it wasn’t needed. If they still had technology (jet skis, etc) they could still have SCUBAs. Well that would have made that scene where he helps her breath underwater a bit less romantic. I don’t really think that scene would work with SCUBA. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-was-waterworld/521488/47 "2009-12-17T06:32:07Z")
I thought it was okay for an action adventure movie. Not deep (or plausible) but entertaining. My moment of head scratching was when Waterboy is bargaining on the floating town early in the movie. He’s trading dirt that he brought up from the ocean’s floor. We’re given to understand that soil is a really rare and valuable commodity. He’s able to trade a bucket of dirt for a whole list of supplies. And the last thing he buys is a tomato plant. Which is potted in some dirt. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-was-waterworld/521488/48 "2009-12-17T06:37:14Z")
It wasn’t THAT bad. It was a little long, and the plot could have been quite a bit more complex. And for a supposed world of water, there weren’t very many water specific special effects (or explanation of why all of a sudden earth WAS only made of water). It was okay. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-was-waterworld/521488/49 "2009-12-17T07:25:26Z")
Spunky kid = death. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-was-waterworld/521488/50 "2009-12-17T07:32:21Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Of course urine has a much highter salt content than seawater so it makes absolutly no sense to try to turn it into drinkable water when one’s surrounded by ocean. :smack: If that were true, drinking ocean water would be fine. Our kidneys can’t filter ocean water because our pee is less salty than the ocean. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-was-waterworld/521488/51 "2009-12-17T07:49:46Z")
I did some checking, and it looks like seawater is actually saltier than urine. The human body does not, of course, simply manufacture salt - it is derived from diet, and the excess must be discarded. If Costner’s character was only consuming as much salt as he absolutely needed, his urine would not have a high saline content and would be more easily filtered than seawater _for salt alone_. Other toxins like ammonia might be a problem, but again can be modified by diet. Personally, I think he’d better off with a solar still, while keeping himself in the shade as much as possible to minimize water loss. And, of course, tossing the plucky kid to the sharks at earliest opportunity. He can keep Tripplehorn. I would. ---
**Author:** ![rainy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@rainy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rainy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-was-waterworld/521488/52 "2009-12-17T16:10:47Z")
I loved Water World. It is a great summer blockbuster type film. I think it was damned by bad press before anyone saw it. I also think think people were expecting to see all kinds of special effects with that budget when what they got was really cool ‘stages’ on the water, and that took people aback. Post Apocalyptic stuff always draws me, and I thought Dennis Hopper’s over the top bad guy was absolutely hysterical. Like I constantly tell a good friend of mine, sometimes you just need to sit back and enjoy a movie. -rainy [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-was-waterworld/521488.md?page=2)