Waterworld (Blu-ray + DVD) (1995)

A few years after Waterworld was released on video ABC aired an extended cut on public television. I have been waiting for a long time for the extended edition to be released and now it finally has been. While watching it I relied something that shocked me that is the ABC version, the cussing is gone, the violence is soften and some scenes have been cut out, and no Helen bare back shot. Even some of the sound effects and music has been changed. After doing more research I found this to be true. Instead of revising a 'true' extended edition Universal just put the ABC version on here (without commercials of course) and just added a 5.1 soundtrack to it. What a waste of money this was/is. I guess that's why it is only 15 bucks, I would have gladly spent 50 bucks for an unedited extended cut.

First off, I love the premise of the film and the musical score by James Newton Howard. It took me about two complete watches until I finally began to enjoy it. I liked how they used very little special effects and actually built everything you see on the water. The lack of CGI sets, vehicles and explosions are what caused Waterworld to be one the most expensive films ever made. Almost everything on screen was built by man, which is great in a world full of digital effects taking over the story in most flicks. This is one that I watch at least twice a year and it is worthy of any DVD collection.

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With so much other crap being released these days for a quick buck, can we PLEASE get this re-released as a decent DVD version complete with the Extended Edition that's shown on cable and television from time to time. I would love to spend my money on it. Who is with me?

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"Waterworld" has become a classic of sorts, although some may say for all the wrong reasons. It received a beating in the year leading up to its release for its bloated budget, a then staggering $200 million. Much of these costs were incurred due to the shoot being closed down after tropical storms devastated the outdoor sets, and then again when Costner's wife left him during filming, as it was rumored he was caught with some local women and extras. It was assumed this was going to be a bomb of "Cleopatra" proportions, complete with a bankrupted production company and an embarrassment to Universal Studios. The film was nicknamed "Fishtar." However, much to the surprise of everyone, the movie opened to decent reviews and ended up recouping its production costs and turned in a tidy profit with its worldwide gross. Its various home video releases have also sold very well. The movie inspired a wildly popular ride/attraction at Universal Studios Florida. The movie is not exceptional, as it is essentially "Mad Max" on the water, but it features a strong performance from Costner and a very fun and entertaining turn by Dennis Hopper as "The Deacon", the film's villain. The action as directed by Kevin Reynolds(The Count of Monte Cristo, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) is no short of spectacular and the dazzling special effects hold up nicely. For me, the scenes which resonate are those between Costner's Mariner and Helen (Big Love's Jeanne Tripplehorn), and Enola (Napoleon Dynamite's Tina Majorino) on the boat as they become a makeshift nuclear family. This is where the film should have concentrated more energy as it emerges as the most compelling element of the story.

The blu-ray presentation of "Waterworld" is quite excellent. It has seen many incarnations over the years from VHS and several DVD releases, but this hi-def master is the one to own. The VC-1 encode is razor sharp, with excellent contrast, and a nice veneer of film grain, giving it a nice theatrical presentation. There are so many details to catch in the set design and I was able to see many I had not noticed before on the Mariner's boat, the Atoll, and the Valdeez, all of which are exceptionally rendered. The breathtaking cinematography pops off the screen, the colors having never seen such vibrant imaging. No evidence of DNR (used abusively in past home video releases), aliasing, or edge enhancement. The film does have some ringing in some scenes, especially aerial shots of the Mariner's sailboat, as the netting gives off too much shimmer, but it's hardly a distraction. Even better is the DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack which beautifully detailed, as we can hear every ripple and wave in the surrounds, and the action, special effects, and explosions rock the listening area with powerful rumbles from the subwoofer. James Newton Howard's brilliant score is rendered with gorgeous clarity and dialogue is crisp, clear and well-prioritized in the center channel. For fans of the movie, this upgrade is a no-brainer.

The special features are nonexistent, only a SD theatrical trailer and BD Live functionality which has nothing to offer. Most disappointingly, the extended cut of the film is not made available in this set. Both versions are included in the SD DVD set, but for some reason, Universal did not take advantage of BD's overarching feature...superior capacity and include both versions. Granted the extended cut is also censored for content as it has been shown on television, but a director-approved cut would have made this release a bit more of an event.

Given the bargain price on this one, I say grab it, as fans will love this presentation, but even if you are revisiting the film, it is a different experience away from the hype and bad press, and it is, in the end, a very entertaining and fun action adventure film with terrific special effects, and serves as a nice piece of escapist entertainment. This blu-ray presentation gives a nice excuse to have another look.

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This is the second movie that I have purchased produced by Universal Studios, which included a extended/director's cut that was simply a production of an edited version that was shown on broadcast television. It differs in some significant respects to the actual theatrical version with regard to the deletion or altercation of some dialogue and other scenes considered too explicit for television networks. This is a lazy and sad attempt by Universal Studios to produce a extended/director's cut. Most studios, when releasing an extended/director's cut, include ALL the material included in the theatrical release with the additional scenes cut seamlessly into the movie. Moreover, the sound and picture quality on this extended edition is also noticeably worse than on the theatrical version disc. If I wanted the version that was broadcast on television in that form, I would have videotaped it when it was on. I will seriously consider whether I will purchase another extended edition from universal studios given the little effort they seem to put forth and the little care they seem to demonstrate in pleasing their consumers and fan base.

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