Waterworld
Universal Pictures | Release Date: July 28, 1995 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
56
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
8
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
NewsweekDavid Ansen
A pretty damn good summer movie. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
The script doesn't do a great job with either the spiritual or the physical trek, but the spectacular action sequences occur with enough regularity that strong writing isn't necessary to keep Waterworld afloat. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Waterworld is often entertaining because it's screwy. Could even Ed Wood Jr. have come up with those cigarette-puffing villains, in a world with hardly enough dirt for a tobacco plant? [28 July 1995]
75
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Costner's surfer-bum affectlessness works here; he turns the Mariner into the world's most jaded lifeguard. Read full review
75
USA TodayMike Clark
A two hour aquatic pursuit pic with bruising stunts, fun-to-watch performances, a dozen good chortles and imposing Panavision renderings of post-apocalyptic crud, Waterworld clearly has the makings of a cult movie. Read full review
70
Washington PostDesson Thomson
If the story seems a little waterlogged, it's still big, loud, and fun to watch. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Nowhere near the Hollywood disaster that was foretold, Waterworld is a near-model summer fantasy: two hours and 21 minutes of loud, expansive fun. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
A decent futuristic action picture with some great sets, some intriguing ideas, and a few images that will stay with me. Read full review
60
Washington PostRita Kempley
Waterworld isn't "Fishtar," but Kevin Costner's pricey, post-apocalyptic sloshbuckler isn't a seafaring classic either. Read full review
60
VarietyTodd McCarthy
A not-bad futuristic actioner with three or four astounding sequences, an unusual hero, a nifty villain and less mythic and romantic resonance than might be desired. Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)
Its mediocrity guarantees this lavish, soggy retread of futuristic Australian action classic "The Road Warrior" a place in the ranks of forgotten extravaganzas. Read full review
50
The New York TimesJanet Maslin
It lacks the coherent fantasy of truly enveloping science fiction, preferring to concentrate on flashy, isolated stunts that say more about expense than expertise. [28 July 1995] Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
It's really not bad... It's a genuine vault at greatness that misses the mark -- but survives. Read full review
50
San Francisco Examinerc
Sublimely ridiculous. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
At least Dennis Hopper plays the bad guy with wildness and wit. Costner's stolid hero seems a washout by comparison. Read full review
40
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Though Waterworld has some haunting underwater visual moments, the film's impact is weakened by flat dialogue, an overemphasis on jokeyness and a plot that, despite all those screenwriters, does not satisfactorily hold together at any number of points. Read full review
30
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
This movie feels like it was made by a bank rather than a person. Read full review
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