History YMMV / Waterworld

* EndingAversion: The most maligned parts of the movie come from The Mariner, Enola, and Helen at sea, while the Smokers assault on the Coral Atoll had enough action and suspense that it would have made a good climax for a short film.

* SignatureScene: The coral atoll battle is a gripping action scene that expertly showcases the skills of both sides and puts the rest of the movie to shame.

* AdaptationDisplacement: The show at Universal Studios has proven to be ''quite'' popular and ''still'' runs to this day. As a result, more people are familiar with the stage show than they are with the actual film or the novel (which expands more on the world).

** This film was one of the poster boys for TroubledProductio and BoxOfficeBomb. While the bit TroubledProduction is true, its status as a bomb was only domestic - internationally? It made back its entire budget and turned profit. Back in TheNineties, this wasn't considered in its numbers as much as it is today.

* CriticalBacklash: Some people don't find the movie to be that bad.
** One recurring theme in the film's detraction shares an odd connection with the 1980's film ''Film/{{Ishtar}}'', in that a chunk of the criticism for both was each film's utterly gigantic budget and cost overruns, as if the critics were doing double duty as the producers who financed the films. One nickname for Waterworld as it was being made and racking up giant over-expenses? "Fishtar". And it's hard to find a period review that doesn't focus on how the production went out of control, instead of discussing the actual movie.

** This film was one of the poster boys for HypeBacklash, TroubledProduction, and BoxOfficeBomb. While the bit about HypeBacklash (leading some to view it as VindicatedByHistory) and TroubledProduction are true, its status as a bomb was only domestic - internationally? It made back its entire budget and turned profit. Back in TheNineties, this wasn't considered in its numbers as much as it is today.

* CriticalBacklash: Some people don't find the movie to be that bad.
** One recurring theme in the film's detraction shares an odd connection with the 1980's film ''Film/{{Ishtar}}'', in that a chunk of the criticism for both was each film's utterly gigantic budget and cost overruns, as if the critics were doing double duty as the producers who financed the films. One nickname for Waterworld as it was being made and racking up giant over-expenses? "Fishtar". And it's hard to find a period review that doesn't focus on how the production went out of control, instead of discussing the actual movie.

** This is fact confirmed in the extended cut/novelization of the film, where Helen notes that every year, there are fewer and fewer atolls around (its been months since they had contact with another one prior to the events of the film), and their technology is breaking down with no way of fixing it. Even the smokers note that there are fewer and fewer atolls to raid, and that thy will exhaust their oil reserves in a matter of months.

** This one is actually addressed in the extended cut. The elders are simply afraid they might lose their position of power by disturbing the existing status quo. To stay in charge, they incite the other people in the atoll against the Mariner, even if most of the atollers are perfectly aware how useful he is due to both being a mutant ''and'' his potential knowledge. They also want to [[WouldHurtAChild get rid of Enola]], as she attracts the Smokers' attention. Long story short - the atoll is led by a group of paranoid cowards that still hold enough esteem to trump reason.

* InferredHolocaust: Regardless of finding dry land or not, humanity is in an extinction phase, as there simply aren't enough people left to avoid fatal inbreeding. And that assumes there will be more people reaching dry land at all, rather than keeping it a HiddenElfVillage.

** This film was one of the poster boys for HypeBacklash, TroubledProduction, and BoxOfficeBomb. While the bit about HypeBacklash (leading some to view it as VindicatedByHistory) and TroubledProduction are true, its status as a bomb was only domestic - internationally? It made back its entire budget. Back in TheNineties, this wasn't considered in its numbers as much as it is today.

* CommonKnowledge: This film was one of the poster boys for HypeBacklash, TroubledProduction, and BoxOfficeBomb. While the bit about HypeBacklash (leading some to view it as VindicatedByHistory) and TroubledProduction are true, its status as a bomb was only domestic - internationally? It made back its entire budget. Back in TheNineties, this wasn't considered in its numbers as much as it is today.

* {{Narm}}: The scene where Mariner blows up at Enola over the crayons. The scene where Helen screams "FOOD!" also qualifies. The sentence it's a part of isn't actually that bad, but the fact that she just randomly ''screams'' the last word makes it all fall apart.

* TheProblemWithLicensedGames: The UsefulNotes/{{SNES}} and UsefulNotes/VirtualBoy games based on the film were seen as pretty bad, especially the latter (it's noteworthy for being the only movie-based game/American game on the short-lived system).

* RetroactiveRecognition: Hey, that's a pre-fame Creator/JackBlack as the Smoker plane pilot!

* TheScrappy: Enola is really annoying.
** Which makes the scene where she gets slapped in the face by Deacon really satisfying.

* TakeThatScrappy: The Deacon slaps Enola.
** Mariner throws her in the ocean and she ''can't swim''. Please, oh God, leave her...

* WhatAnIdiot: Your world has been completely submerged in water, and you've found a man who can breathe underwater and has various other aquatic abilities. Do you A) make use of these talents or B) try to kill him for the horrible crime of having gills? In Waterworld, the answer is B.

** Also, everyone knows the movie had TroubledProduction, but they follow the reviewers with gossips about ego issues of Costner and his fall-out with Kevin Reynolds. What actually happend was the gigantic set for the Atoll being sunk by raging storm. That single event cost ''60 million dollars'' (or third of the total budget) due to combination of overtime in filming, logistical problems along the way and the raw cost of building second set for the Atoll from a scratch[[note]]and making it identical to the first one, to match existing footage (and not force additional reshoots)[[/note]].

** Also, everyone knows the movie had TrobledProduction, but they follow the reviewers with gossips about ego issues of Costner and his fall-out with Kevin Reynolds. What actually happend was the gigantic set for the Atoll being sunk by raging storm. That single event cost ''60 million dollars'' (or third of the total budget) due to combination of overtime in filming, logistical problems along the way and the raw cost of building second set for the Atoll from a scratch[[note]]and making it identical to the first one, to match existing footage (and not force additional reshoots)[[/note]].

** This one is actually addressed in the extended cut. The elders are simply afraid they might lose their position of power by disturbing the existing status quo. To stay in charge, they incite the other people in the atoll against the Mariner, even if most of the atollers are perfectly aware how useful he is due to both being a mutant ''and'' his potential knowledge. They also want to [[WouldHurtAChild get rid of Enola]], as she attracts Smokers' attention. Long story short - the atoll is lead by a group of paranoid cowards that still hold enough esteem to trump reason.

* CultClassic: The film has always had its defenders and fans, but today it borders on VindicatedByHistory: over the years the shadows of its TroubledProduction have faded, and CriticalBacklash has lead to new audiences wondering what all the hate is about. The release of the extended cut that restores a lot of the worldbuilding and storytelling left on the cutting room floor hasn't hurt either. The film also has a following in the design community as a take on TheApunkalypse that ''doesn't'' involve sandy wastelands and dune buggies.

** For some who watched the Japanese dub, Creator/IkueOtani, who does the voice for Enola is known for providing the voice for Pikachu years before ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}''.

* FanficFuel: suppose there were other, non-villainous Smoker factions out there.

* LighterAndSofter: [[https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Setting:CATastrophe CATastrophe]], a humorous, laid-back setting created by [[Website/FourChan /tg/ users]], started out as "what if ''Waterworld'', but with {{Cat Girl}}s?".
* {{Narm}}: The scene where Kevin Costner blows up at the kid over the crayons. The scene where Helen screams "FOOD!" also qualifies. The sentence it's a part of isn't actually that bad, but the fact that she just randomly ''screams'' the last word makes it all fall apart.

** Creator/KevinCostner throws her in the ocean and she ''can't swim''. Please, oh God, leave her...

* EvilIsCool: Creator/DennisHopper seems to be having a great time playing the villainous Deacon. As such, he's one of the most enjoyable parts of the movie.

* BellisariosMaxim: There are two takes on the film: either spending hours on pondering how all of this works and why it couldn't ''or'' just relaxing and enjoying the spectacle.

** One recurring theme in the film's detraction shares an odd connection with the 1980's film ''Film/{{Ishtar}}'', in that a chunk of the criticism for both was each film's utterly gigantic budget and cost overruns, as if the critics were doing double duty as the producers who financed the films. One nickname for Waterworld as it was being made and racking up giant over-expenses? "Fishtar". And it's hard to find a period review that doesn't focus on how the production went out of control, instead of discussing actual movie.

* DesignatedHero: The Mariner. Though it's more AntiHero with shades of trying to avoid The Call through most of the movie.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: It's worth noting that in addition to the [[Theatre/WaterworldALiveSeaWarSpectacular popular stunt show]], [[http://youtu.be/mGUTS3CpIxM?t=16m4s it also has its own themed area]] at [[Ride/UniversalStudios Universal Studios Japan]]. And let's not forget the film earned tonnes of money outside of the US, saving it from being actual, rather than percieved bomb.

* InferredHolocaust: Regardless of finding dry land or not, humanity is in extinction phase, as there aren't simply enough people left to avoid fatal inbreeding. And that assumes there will be more people reaching for the dry land at all, rather than keeping it HiddenElfVillage.

* OlderThanTheyThink: The setting has more than a few similiarities to the French comic series ''Aquablue.''

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: While it didn't entirely invent the concept of an OceanPunk post-apocalypse, it certainly codified it and brought it to mainstream attention. At the time the idea was such a novelty that it almost inverts the trope- it was so radically different that some of the flak it received was over a setting that today doesn't seem so off-the-wall and unrelatable.

** Deacon and two of his mooks all rush at the Enola from different directions, only to crash into each other and explode when she gets rescued right in front of them. Except that part would have happened whether she got rescued or not.

** One recurring theme in the film's detraction shares an odd connection with the 1980's film ''Film/{{Ishtar}}'', in that a chunk of the criticism for both was each film's utterly gigantic budget and cost overruns, as if the critics were doing double duty as the producers who financed the films. One nickname for Waterworld as it was being made and racking up giant over-expenses? "Fishtar". And it's hard to find a period review that doesn't focus on how the production went out of control, instead of discussing actual movie (the other nickname was "[[Film/HeavensGate Kevin's Gate]]", given to it for the same reason).

** One recurring theme in the film's detraction shares an odd connection with the 1980's film ''{{Ishtar}}'', in that a chunk of the criticism for both was each film's utterly gigantic budget and cost overruns, as if the critics were doing double duty as the producers who financed the films. One nickname for Waterworld as it was being made and racking up giant over-expenses? "Fishtar". And it's hard to find a period review that doesn't focus on how the production went out of control, instead of discussing actual movie (the other nickname was "[[Film/HeavensGate Kevin's Gate]]", given to it for the same reason).

** One recurring theme in the film's detraction shares an odd connection with the 1980's film ''{{Ishtar}}'', in that a chunk of the criticism for both was each film's utterly gigantic budget and cost overruns, as if the critics were doing double duty as the producers who financed the films. One nickname for Waterworld as it was being made and racking up giant over-expenses? "Fishtar". And it's hard to find a period review that doesn't focus on how the production went out of control, instead of discussing actual movie.