Review: Waterworld Limited Edition 4K UHD
4K UHD: Waterworld (1995)
A box office bust on its release in 1995, Waterworld has thankfully come to be re-evaluated since then and is loved a lot more by cinephiles worldwide, though I’ve always enjoyed it since going to the cinema to watch it all those years ago.
In a future where the polar ice caps have melted and the earths surface is covered in sea water, pockets of humanity are split into different societies and attempt to survive by whatever means possible.
Sailing alone is “Mariner” (Kevin Costner), a man comfortable with his own company but who reluctantly has to care for a woman and her young daughter, all while being pursued by Deacon (Dennis Hopper) and his gang of outlaws.
The young girl could hold the secret to where the last remaining piece of dry land might be, and so everyone wants a piece of her.
Waterworld certainly got the “shit end of the stick” as far as reviews went back in 1995, mostly due to the fact that its original budget of $100M spiralled to $175M and it underwent a series of production difficulties…not surprising really for a movie predominantly filmed on water.
However, Waterworld is, and always has been, ENTERTAINING.
Spectacular action sequences are never far away, while the whole movie is flavoured with a good dollop of cheese, which Dennis Hopper gleefully eats up and regurgitates in a spectacular performance as the movies antagonist Deacon.
This 4K UHD release by Arrow Films is spectacular both visually, sonically, and is loaded with hugely entertaining special features, including 3 cuts of the film to choose from and the unmissable feature-length making-of documentary “Maelstrom: The Odyssey of Waterworld”.
If you’ve never seen Waterworld before then do yourself a favour and give it a watch ASAP, and if you haven’t seen it for quite a while, then a rewatch is just as enjoyable, if not more so with this superb release.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
- 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
Review by Dave from discs kindly supplied by Arrow Films via Fetch Publicity.
