Not content with merely going over-the-top this time around, Hopper makes it obvious that nothing about Deacon is to be taken seriously - and the approach works. Dennis Hopper, on the other hand, serves a dual function: chief villain and comic relief. With a greater range than Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Van Damme, and Seagal combined, Costner is more than capable of handling the limited role of an action hero. Kevin Costner, admittedly not the world's greatest actor, is fine as the dour Mariner. A little adrenaline can obscure quite a few holes. After all, how often do movie quests go unfulfilled? 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.
The other is the more tangible search for Dryland, which we instinctively know is going to appear during the film's last act. The first sets the Mariner's personality on a course of transformation from self-centered to heroic. Once the scales are even, however, they become expendable. The Mariner, a mutant man who has developed working gills and webbed feet, has little use for Enola or her older companion, Helen (Jeanne Tripplehorn), but he owes them his life and intends to pay the debt. She is no ordinary child - on her back is a tattoo which supposedly identifies the location of Dryland. The Mariner (Kevin Costner) becomes one of the Smokers' targets when he rescues the girl Enola (Tina Majorino) from a raid on a fortress-city. There are three kinds of survivors: those who try to live in orderly societies, nomads who roam the seas in their own vessels, and members of an outlaw band called the "Smokers." Headed by the larger-than-life Deacon (Dennis Hopper), these criminals amuse themselves by raping and pillaging while on a quest for the mythical Dryland - a paradise that no one has seen, yet everyone believes exists. Possessions, not people, are what matter.
The world is a cruel place, where brotherhood is a thing of the past, and anything - or anyone - can be sold or traded for as little as a sheet of paper. There is no land, and pure water and dirt have become exceptionally valuable commodities.
Humanity has been relegated to a tenuous existence on shakily-constructed floating fortress-cities. As we're told in a quick voiceover intro, the polar ice caps have melted and Earth's continents are buried under water. It's no easy feat for human actors to emulate fish. All of the action takes place on a wide expanse of ocean, with no land in sight. This production, with its massive explosions, amazing stunts, and breathtaking visuals, is one of Hollywood's most lavish features to date. The makers of Waterworld, the current holder of the "most expensive film" title, have put a good portion of the money where the viewing public can see it - on the screen.
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